The town of Raub, Pahang holds a special place in the hearts of my family members. It only holds fond memories for us. It is the place where my father served the longest as a government servant, for about a decade.
Most of us grew up here, and did most of our education here too.
The Sri Siva Subramaniar Temple was the temple that we went to when we stayed in Raub in the 1960s.
The temple is located along Jalan Lipis. It is uniquely positioned, as it is flanked on the right by a Buddhist temple and on the left by a church.
All three places of worship have been in existence for well over half a century, and the locals have been practising their faith in peace and harmony, without any issues whatsoever.
This is the temple which my father frequented during the 1960s. He played an active and prominent role in the running of the temple. Without fail, he would cycle to the temple every Friday night to attend the prayers.
My father, being an accomplished classical singer, would be singing the religious hymns, or thevaram, at the temple on a regular basis.
On July 12, 2026, the temple performed the Maha Kumbhabhisekam, which translates in English to a temple consecration ceremony, or a grand purification and reenergisation ritual.
Its purpose is to infuse divine life and positive energy into the newly renovated temple and its statues.
Accordingly, it is performed every 12 years to renew the spiritual power of the deities.
Some of my siblings managed to come for this ceremony, paying homage to the temple, knowing our father’s track record at the temple during the 1960s.
The kumbhabhisekam went on well, with the devotees being blessed with holy water sprinkled onto them from the dome (gopuram) by the priests.
Following the major temple renovation or Maha Kumbhabhisekam, a daily mandala puja and periodic homam prayers were conducted for the deities for 48 days, to seal and strengthen the divine presence of the deities.
Forty-eight days is the exact time required for the newly consecrated temple to complete a full rhythm, and anchor a specific frequency.
My brother Gunarajan and wife Lalitha; sisters Gnanamathy, Rathymathy and Santhiramathy, took it upon them to partake in the homam prayers and mandala puja on the 33rd day, on Aug 14, 2026. My wife and I made it a point to join in the mix.
As it has been over 50 years since we left Raub, it was my brother’s and sister’s noble and novel thought to take the opportunity to pledge our loyalty, faith and support towards the temple which our father had patronised.
At around 4.30pm in the evening, all of us took part in the homam ceremony, presided by the temple priest.
Being in our 70s, we requested to sit on stools and chairs, as sitting cross-legged on the floor was too daunting a task for an hour.
The prayer went on smoothly without any hitches.
The Mathiaparanam family members were all well and truly blessed to partake in the ritual.
The priest himself was very pleased with the flow of events. He was appreciative that we came all the way from Petaling Jaya and Klang to take part in the ceremony.
With two hours to spare before the mandala puja was to take place, we all adjourned to a restaurant in town for a quick fix of coffee and tea, as the Mathiaparanam family is addicted to these two beverages.
After the break, the mandala puja was observed at 7.30pm, whereby the priest recited holy mantras to seal and strengthen the divine presence of the deities.
My sister, Gnanamathy, was then called upon to sing a few hymns in honour and praise of the Lord, which she did with a mellifluous voice. It certainly would have made our father proud.
The day’s proceedings came to a close with the offering of the blessings of the flame (agni), holy ash (vibhuti), sandalwood paste (santhanam), vermilion (kunkumam) and holy water to all present.
With God’s grace, everything went on well for the day. A sizeable number of devotees was present, as far as Raub standards go.
They were then treated to a sumptuous vegetarian meal in the Ampalavanar Hall, and departed, being at peace with themselves.
It must have been most rewarding and satisfying for my brother and sisters, who initiated this novel idea to be part of the 48 days homam prayers and pujas.
It sure was a momentous and significant day to cherish.
I also got to know the significance of the consecration ceremony held at temples every 12 years, and of the reason for the holding of prayers and offerings for the next 48 days.
The occasion also gave us the opportunity to play catch-up with friends of yesteryear, whom we had not met for quite a while, who have survived the test of time.
