More than 20,000 Hindus are expected to attend the consecration ceremony of the 105-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Malaysia.

The temple, located at Puchong in Selangor state, is one of the larger Hindu temples located outside India.

Temple chairman A. Sevaguru said preparations were being undertaken to ensure the temple, reconstructed at a cost of RM three million ($936,186), would be ready by May 23.

Sevaguru told The Star that they were preparing vegetarian food for 20,000 devotees. He said work on the temple building started in 2003.

Sevaguru said there would be six prayer sessions between May 20 and 23 for the devotees to place gold and silver rice in the inner sanctum.

The Yennai Saatruthal or anointment ceremony is a rare opportunity accorded to devotees and this will take place at 9 am on May 22, he said.

The temple was set up by South Indian contract labourers brought here by the British in 1905. Initially, the deities were made of earth and cement.