After 18 years and £1.6 million, an ornate Hindu temple in West Bromwich has finally been opened.

Yesterday marked the start of a week-long ceremony to celebrate the occasion and thousands turned out to dance, sing and pray.

The day started at 6.30am at the Shree Krishna Mandir community hall, next door to the temple in Old Meeting Street.

Worshippers gathered around a small fire inside the venue and fruit was offered to the eight marble deities which will be placed on plinths inside the temple.

Two of the deities date back to the original temple of the site more than 20 years ago.

While the building burned down in 1992, the two statues, one of a man and one of a woman, were the only things to survive. The other deities have been hand carved from pure white marble and decorated by craftsmen in India.

Chandi Patel, president of the temple, said: “This is a special day and a very emotional day.  We have worked hard and waited a long time for this.  People have been very emotional, crying even, because it means so much.”