MARAN: The heavy downpour for the past 48 hours has caused the prominent Sri Marathandavar Aalayam temple in Sungai Jerik here to be submerged by floodwaters.
Pahang MIC chairman Datuk R. Goonasekaran said the temple was closed on Tuesday evening after the rain-swollen Sungai Jerik burst its banks before the water started entering the temple premises.
He said the road in front of the temple connecting the nearby villages and Sungai Jerik town has been also closed to all vehicles.
“Some parts of the temple is under 2m of water and the entire compound including the hostel, cafeteria and shops are partly submerged,” he said when contacted today.
A temple spokesman said daily pooja (prayer) which is conducted at the temple has been temporarily halted until the situation improves.
“The huge volume of river water from upstream had gushed into the temple premises and since the river is located behind the temple, the floodwaters rose quickly.
“The sun is out today and we are keeping our fingers crossed hoping the water will recede so that we can start cleaning up,” he said.
The 126-year old temple which is surrounded by an oil palm plantation attracts some 450,000 Hindu devotees annually during the annual ‘Panguni Uthiram’ festival between March and April.