Manogaran (left) and Hindu temple priest Kalaivanon Arumugan study the plan for the new temple.
SIBU: The proposed new Hindu temple named `Sri Maha Mariamman’ at Awang Ramli Amit Road here will be built at a cost of RM1 million.
Temple president Manogaran Krishnasamy said the Assistant Minister of Education and Technological Research Dr Annuar Rapaee would be invited to officiate at the groundbreaking ceremony for the project at 9am on April 29. He told reporters this prior to conducting the Tamil New Year prayer at the existing temple on Saturday.
Manogaran said the whole project would take a year to complete, hopefully, by mid May next year.
The main portion of the temple will be 29 feet high and it is set to become a landmark in Sibu. He said a grant of RM100,000 from the federal government through Health Minister S Subramaniam would be forthcoming for the construction cost.
He was grateful to the public for donating towards the project, especially the Chinese community, and hoped for more from the general public. He said Sarawak was fortunate that ethnic groups were able to live harmoniously with one another since time immemorial.
“We understand the religion and culture of one another and that makes us unique. We even visit one another’s places of worship.”
Manogaran said there are more than 300 Hindus in Sibu who frequent the temple.