Amidst the chorus of ‘ Govinda ’ chanted by thousands of devotees, the famous Parthasarathy Swamy Temple in Triplicane was consecrated on Friday after a gap of 12 years.

One of the 108 divya desams of the Vaishnavite tradition, the mahasamprokshanam of the 8th century Pallava temple took place around 7.45 in the morning, when priests poured holy waters on the kalasam of shrines dedicated to Sri Parthasarathy, Vedavalli Thayar, Andal, Ranganathar, Kothanda Ramar and Vaishnava acharya Manavala Mamunigal.

Extensive rituals, including chanting of the Vedas, preceded the consecration. The mahasamprokshanam was followed by the singing of the Divya Prabandham , the devotional hymns of the Alwars. The devotees were allowed to have darshan of the deity after a few important rituals were completed around 11.30 a.m.

In the morning, the entire locality was gripped with anticipation of a visit by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to the temple. However, she did not participate in the event.

Many of the devotees who turned up near the temple as early as 4.30 a.m. realised that only those with passes and special permission gained entry. They had to wait on South Mada Street and Car Street to witness the consecration ceremonies.

The renovation of the temple cost about Rs. 5 crore, officials said.