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Tourism Malaysia

Thaipusam: Carrying A Common Burden

“I am a chain smoker,” says the Kavadi maker. “Every day one packet.”

I am standing amidst piles of plywood and steel fittings, power tools on the floor and sawdust in the air, under the front porch awning of a simple terrace house on the outskirts of Banting, 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur. Outside, in the hot afternoon sun, half completed Kavadis stand on the asphalt, some mere skeletons of steel rods and plywood, unrecognisable. This is where Kavadis—a physical burden carried by Hindus as an act of penance during the festival of Thaipusam—are made. I survey the scene before me. I had expected it to be somewhat less industrial, more mystical – perhaps an ascetic hand-crafting his creations, amid swirls of camphor smoke. But cigarette smoking is the conversation at hand. “I’m a chain smoker, but since the month of Thai began, not a single stick.”

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Bala working on a Kavadi

Bala, the Kavadi maker, is referring to the Hindu month of Thai, from which the Hindu festival Thaipusam derives its name. On the day I meet him, he has not had a smoke for three weeks. Along with other Hindu devotees, Bala undergoes fasting for 48 days (the duration of a month in the Hindu calendar), abstaining from entertainment and luxury before the day-long procession that is the face of Thaipusam. Bala proudly shows me an album of newspaper clippings, where every photo or mention of his Kavadis in the press has been lovingly laminated and bound. It is a labour of love. “It’s not really about the money,” he says in a thick Tamil accent, “I help people to do their pilgrimage.”

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Putting the finishing touches on a Kavadi and testing it out

A pilgrimage with different paths

I meet one of Bala’s customers during the course of my visit. K. Anuharan has come to check on the progress of his Kavadi. Wearing a thick, silver-speckled beard and a malar (sort of a Hindu rosary) around his neck, he surprises me by speaking perfect English. His Kavadi is relatively modest by current standards, but still measures over five feet in height and width, and weighs around 30 kg. Balance is the hallmark of a well-crafted Kavadi, and Anuharan is here to make sure that the Kavadi’s heft is evenly distributed across his shoulders. “As far back as I can remember, I have been joining the Thaipusam procession at Batu Caves every year.” At my disbelief, he strains to recall if he has ever missed one. “No,” he finally says. “Even now that I am staying in Australia, I will fly back every Thaipusam.”

Selva is another Hindu devotee who will carry the Kavadi this year. An engineer at an airline company based in KL and an avid marathon runner, he too has joined the procession every year since childhood. Even when he was working in Singapore during his younger days, he joined the procession in Singapore.

The Kavadi that Selva will carry is completely different from Anuharan’s. He shows me a photo of it on his phone. It is a simple wood pole, modestly embellished, which will be balanced across his shoulders. At both ends of the pole, he will hang a jar of milk, which devotees bring to the temple as an offering. While the larger Kavadis and the spectacular Vel Kavadis (which are attached to bearers partly through steel spikes pierced into the bearers’ skin) are the ones that grab the attention of photographers and the public, it is Selva’s understated Kavadi that is closer to the traditional form. “The traditional Kavadi is merely a pole with an arch over it, that rests on the bearer’s shoulder,” explains Kandasamy Velayuthan, Deputy President of the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, the body that oversees Thaipusam celebrations in Malaysia. “It should only be decorated with palm branches, peacock feathers and fruits that are used for prayers.” Over the years, Kavadis grew bigger and more elaborate. Kandasamy admits that this could be partly fuelled by one-upmanship among devotees, but is also due to the different vows made by different devotees. Perhaps each man has his own burden to carry.

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Anuharan offering prayers before the big day

Diverging beliefs

Both Anuharan and Selva agree to me following them during the Thaipusam procession. Knowing that I have no prior experience, they describe to me a typical Thaipusam procession.

The procession itself is a raucous epic. Over a million devotees take the two-kilometre procession to Batu Caves, many carrying Kavadis of all sizes, the air rattling with the frantic drumbeats of traditional music troupes. Though the rituals practised might differ, the itinerary is largely similar: The procession starts on the banks of the Batu River, where devotees wash themselves as a symbolic form of cleansing, Hindu priests offer prayers, and the devotees take up their Kavadis. At this point, all the abstinence and fasting and meditation of the previous 48 days come to a head. Many Kavadi bearers will enter into a trance. Anuharan describes the experience: “The energy of a deity is channeled into you, and it’s as if you lose control of your body. You are aware of your surroundings, but it’s as if another energy is controlling your body, giving you the endurance and focus to finish the procession. Sometimes you even lose consciousness completely, so you have no recollection of events during the trance. You enter into a trance at the river bank, and wake up at Batu Caves!”

The intensity of the trance depends very much on the devotee’s preparations ahead of the big day. “Sometimes you get a good trance, sometimes you get a weak trance,” says Anuharan. “If you didn’t prepare with the right spirit – fast properly or spend time meditating – you will get a weak trance, and this means you might not have the strength to complete the procession. It is said that the piercings would hurt too,” he continues, referring to the common practice of piercing one’s self with metal skewers or hooks, as an accompanying act of penance.

Piercings have become a point of contention. Some, like Anuharan, disagree with the practice. “Hinduism never asks me to hurt myself,” he says. “It is a form of penance for some, they make a vow to do it, and so they must fulfill that vow. But for me, I don’t do it.” Selva, though, has had piercings before, and offers his counterpoint. “I have heard that when a skewer is pierced through the tip of the tongue, it touches a nerve on the tongue that helps the brain to focus and keep it in a meditative state during the procession.”

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A priest tying a Kappu on Anuharan’s hand and blessing him and his family

The home stretch

Three days before Thaipusam, devotees who plan to participate in the procession visit a temple to offer special prayers. Anuharan, whose pilgrimage began in Australia, offers his prayers at the Ayappan temple near Batu Caves. A priest affixes a piece of turmeric on a string, sprinkles it with red Kunkum powder, and ties it to Anuharan’s hand. It is called a Kappu. It is a sign that its bearer has made a vow, and is currently serving out his penance. For the next three days, Anuharan will stay at the temple, sleeping on the floor at night, meditating and avoiding worldly distractions.

Selva, no stranger to tests of endurance, is hitting the home stretch too. His vows of abstinence will grow more severe, and he too will meditate more. Bala, the Kavadi maker, has much more to do. He has set up a tent near the Batu River, which will serve as his base of operations. Last-minute requests from customers leave him busy. At the same time, he too needs to observe all his vows. By day he scrambles to complete Kavadis, by night he and his wife sleep at nearby temples. On Thaipusam day, Bala will perform the procession over and over again. He or members of his team need to walk with the devotees who rent his Kavadi all the way to the Batu Caves temple, and retrieve the Kavadi in time for the next rental. Anuharan, Selva, and Bala are just three of an estimated 1.5 million people who will throng Batu Caves this year. Each will approach Batu Caves with different vows, bearing different burdens, having walked different paths. This is the final buildup of spirituality, for all of them.

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Anuharan trying out the Kavadi

A common burden

Why do you do it? I ask. Though Anuharan and Selva differ in their practice of Thaipusam, they both offer the same answers – thanksgiving and tradition. “I carry a big Kavadi because I once made a request, and it was answered miraculously. In return, I vowed to carry a big Kavadi every year, so this is a fulfillment of that vow,” explains Anuharan. Selva has never made a specific vow, but he, too, sees the Thaipusam procession as an act of thanksgiving.

“It is a way of expressing my gratitude for the blessings in my life, and at the same time, to request for the blessings to continue.” Selva adds, “It is part of my identity as a Hindu. My family has always participated in the Thaipusam procession, and when the time comes I will pass this on to my children.” Anuharan concurs. “Every year, ever since I can remember, my family has taken this pilgrimage. It is a tradition worth keeping.”

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Journey with us, as we go on a pilgrimage to Batu Caves in the second part of this series: A Walk Among Gods

Want to know more about Thaipusam and other festivals and events in Malaysia? Visit www.tourism.gov.my for more information.

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All Malaysia Info

Thaipusam: a celebration of faith and gratitude

While many of us associate Thaipusam with crowds at temples and the awe-inspiring sight of kavadi bearers, how many of us actually understand the significance of the occasion?

A devotee bearing a kavadi – the symbol of humility and devotion

Thaipusam comes from an amalgam of the words “Thai” – referring to the Tamil month of Thai (January – February) – and Pusam – the brightest star during this period. Falling between 15 January and 15 February every year, Thaipusam is a celebration of Lord Murugan’s victory over Soorapadman’s tyranny.

Soorapadman believed himself invincible since he cannot be killed by anything other than a being that was a manifestation of Lord Shiva, one of the most important Hindu deities. Unluckily for him, Lord Murugan was one such being and he used his spear or vel, which was given to him by Lord Shiva’s consort, Parvati, to defeat Soorapadman.

So it is that during Thaipusam, the people thank Lord Murugan for granting their wishes and defeating the “daily demons” that plague their lives, be it illnesses, career blocks or infertility. Believers not only thank him, they also ask forgiveness for trangressions made, as well as pray for blessings.

The rituals of Thaipusam usually begin much earlier before the big day itself. Some devotees fast for more than a month before the occasion while others shave their heads as an act of gratitude, repentance or as a poignant plea to have prayers answered.

On the eve of Thaipusam, the image of Lord Murugan is transported from one temple to another, accompanied and waited on by devotees bearing offerings to the deity. Milk, a symbol of purity and virtue, as well as flowers and fruits are common Thaipusam offerings. Kavadis, literally “sacrifice at every step”, can be seen attached to devotees via hooks and thin spears that pierce their backs, cheeks and mouths.

This can be quite a sight for onlookers who no doubt wonder how these kavadi bearers withstand the pain, but devotees will tell you that their fervent faith in their Lord Murugan’s protection spares them from pain and prevents them from shedding blood. Bearing a kavadi is an act of devotion and humility.

Additionally, coconuts are smashed to signify the breaking of the ego and the emergence of a purer self.

In Batu Caves – one of the focal points of Thaipusam celebration in Malaysia – the procession accompanying the silver chariot bearing Lord Murugan’s idol, starts from Sri Mahamariamman, in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, to the temples of Batu Caves. The procession usually starts before midnight on the eve of Thaipusam and is a 15 kilometre journey that can easily take 8 hours.

Devotees wait for hours just to catch a glimpse of Lord Murugan on his chariot and extend their offerings while hundreds of thousands more join the procession to the temples. The number of people at Batu Caves during Thaipusam can range from 700,000 right up to 1.5 million. At Batu Caves, devotees faithfully carry their offerings and kavadi bearers staunchly shoulder their burdens up 272 steps to the temple.

Celebrations also take place in other parts of the country. Other principal places of celebration include the Waterfall Temple in Penang and Kallumalai Temple in Ipoh, Perak.

A procession accompanying the chariot bearing the Hindu deity as it makes its way to the temple during Thaipusam

Thaipusam, to any who are lucky to witness the festivities, is both a vivid celebration of colours and a fascinating display of faith. Yet, this is not the only Hindu festival that is worth bearing witness to. Other holy days, important to Hindu belief and culture, are just as interesting and engrossing.

Deepavali, literally meaning “rows of lamps”, for example, is a celebration of light triumphing over dark. On this day in the Tamil month of Aippasi (October – November), one legend has it that the Lord Krishna defeated the demon king Naraka. Hindus celebrate the occasion by anointing themselves in oil and partaking in a ritual bath early in the morning on Deepavali day. Then new clothes are worn and prayers are performed. Deepavali is quite possibly the best known Hindu festival in Malaysia. Other festivals besides Thaipusam and Deepavali are:

Thai-ponggal

Celebrated for four days, beginning from the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, Ponggal means the “boiling over” of rice and is a thanksgiving to the elements that have contributed to a good harvest – mainly the sun and the cattle. On this day, the cattle gets a well-deserved day of rest, a good wash and their sheds similarly get a thorough cleaning. They are also decorated with garlands and fed with ponggal – sweet rice. The Sun God is thanked as well with both prayers and sweet rice. But the gratitude isn’t only limited to the Sun God and the cattle; on the third day of celebration, visits are made to family and friends, employers customarily present gifts to their employees and single women present offerings to their home deities, praying for a worthy husband.

Sivarathiri

Taking place on the 13th night of the Tamil month of Masi (February – March), this is a festival of fasting and prayers. It is also known as Shiva’s Night.

Panguni Utthiram

This festival falls on the same day as that of Lord Shiva’s union with Parvathi and the birth of Lord Murugan from sparks emanating from Lord Shiva’s eyes. Falling on the day of the full moon in the Tamil month of Panguni (March – April), the festival is celebrated much like Thaipusam in Murugan temples.

Tamil New Year

Here new year refers to the first day of the Tamil month of Chittirai (April – May). It is on this day that the sun enters the first sign of the Hindu zodiac – Aries. During the Tamil New Year (also known as the Hindu New Year), the house is thoroughly cleaned and decorated. This includes the prayer room which will be adorned with gold jewellery, rice, silk cloths and other favourable objects. Those who take part in the celebrations wear new clothes, eat a vegetarian meal and go to the temple to perform prayers.

Navaratthiri

Literally meaning “Nine Nights”, this festival is celebrated in the Tamil month of Puraddasi (September – October). The celebrations are in honour of the goddess Shakti, who is the “Great Divine Mother” in Hindu belief. On this day, a kolu – a dais with nine steps – is filled with the images of Hindu deities and saints while the “Great Divine Mother” is invited to take her place on a kumpam – a beautifully decorated, water-filled pot that is covered with husked coconut as well as mango leaves and placed on banana leaf that also has rice on it. Offerings in the form of nine types of grains are placed at the kumpan as well.

 


Map: Batu Caves


Mini Thaipusam

Mini Thaipusam in living colour

Miss World Malaysia 2009 Thanuja Ananthan

Colours of Deepavali [PIC]

Oil Lamp or Vilakku

Deepavali – The Festival of Lights

Malaysian Children

Festivals and celebrations in Malaysia

Arulmugu Sri Ruthra Veeramuthu Maha Mariamman Temple

A temple stands proud

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Categories
Tourism Malaysia

The Mooncake Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival in Malaysia

The Mooncake Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival in Malaysia

The Mooncake Festival in Kuala Lumpur is held in September, the eighth month of the year. Now before you think I’ve been eating too much mooncake or drinking too much moonshine, let me tell you why.

It’s simple. The Chinese New Year begins in February so September is not actually the ninth month on the Malaysian timetable. But whatever your calendar is, it’s a dazzling spectacle, especially at night when the city lights are complemented by the colourful paper lanterns of all shapes, sizes and colours displayed outside homes and shops or in street parades.

Incense coils are a common sight around Malaysia particularly in districts such as Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. Pic: Joanne Lane

Incense coils are a common sight around Malaysia particularly in districts such as Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. Pic: Joanne Lane

The festival is celebrated to signify the end of the harvesting season but it also celebrates the overthrow of the Mongol warlords in ancient China. Here we’ll have to take back in time to 1280 AD to explain. This is when the Mongols overthrew the Soong dynasty in China and imposed the Yuan dynasty in China.

Why is this important in Malaysia you may well ask? Well there are a lot of Chinese in Malaysia and until quite recently they were the largest ethnic group. Even though they aren’t any more, that honour belongs to the Malays themselves, Chinese festivals are celebrated with gusto. In fact in multi-ethnic Malaysia festivals of all traditions are celebrated including those of Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Christian origins.

Today lanterns form a big part of the celebration, as they are to remind the people of the time they used lanterns as their only source of light. Kids in particular love this aspect of the festival and are often seen roaming around with lanterns in the shape of animals. In Malaysia this particular event is often called the Lantern Parade. There are also lantern parades during the Chinese New Year celebrations, so if you see any such parade advertised just consider what time of year it is. If it’s around February it’s Chinese New Year, if not it could well be part of the Mooncake or Mid-Autumn Festival.

One of the best displays of Mooncake Festival lanterns is the Thean Hou Temple on Robson Hill. In 2011 a lantern parade was held at Central Market in Chinatown.

The best bit about the festival is of course what you get to eat. The round mooncakes are sweet or savoury and often given by younger Chinese to their seniors as an attempt to gain favour. Eating mooncakes in the market place is a delight; biting through crunchy pastry into red beans, ham or creamy egg yolk. Some are also sweet with chocolate and cinnamon flavours. Others have a distinctly Malaysian twist with pandan leaves and durian inside – eek some of you will no doubt say!

Mooncakes. Pic: misbehave (Moon Cakes  Uploaded by Atlaslin)

Mooncakes. Pic: misbehave (Moon Cakes Uploaded by Atlaslin)

The best place to eat them in Kuala Lumpar is Jalan Petaling in Chinatown where eateries display them in brightly coloured boxes.

While you may not be surprised that mooncakes are round, their shape represents the unity of the family to the Chinese. So in Malaysia the Chinese celebrate the festival with family gatherings and prayers.

There’s some tradition to this. In Chinese Halika and Foochow families the oldest women lead the prayers at the moment when the full moon appears. Before you eat a mooncake they are first offered on altars to deities with the customary lighting of joss sticks, red candles and the burning of golden joss paper. Thirty minutes later the eating begins.

Another Chinese festival that is very popular around Malaysia is the Festival of the Hungry Ghost.

If you miss the Mooncake Festival this year, Malaysia has a wealth of public holidays and special holidays. There are 44 public holidays each year largely based on the Muslim calendar or the Hindu and Chinese calendars.

Guandi Temple in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur. Pic: Joanne Lane.

Guandi Temple in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur. Pic: Joanne Lane.

Categories
Wonderful Malaysia

Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur

It might not have occurred to you that a house of worship could be both cultural and attention-grabbing at the same time. The Sri Mahamariamman temple in Kuala Lumpur is one of the most popular temples among worshippers and visitors alike. The Sri Mahamariamman temple was built in year 1873 by K. Thamboosamy Pillai but was only opened to the public in the 1920s. After withstanding time and elements, the original structure was replaced with the current building in 1968. Today, with more than a century of history, the Sri Mahamariamman temple is the oldest as well as the richest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

sri mahamariamman temple kuala lumpur 1

So how does the Sri Mahamariamman temple pique your interest? The most remarkable feature of the temple is a structure which is similar to the shape of a human body with its head positioned towards the west and the feet pointing east. The feet are symbolized by a 75-feet high gopuram (monumental tower) standing five tiers high. There is an impressive gateway at every tier, each adorned with 228 Hindu deities that are sculpted in the styles of south India. The chief deity, Sri MahaMariamman, is installed at the inner sanctum which is the only entrance that faces to the east.

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The main prayer hall in the temple decorated by murals and frescos is another focal point for you. The location of three shrines in the main temple is roofed by an ornamental embellished dome. In addition, there are four smaller shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesha and his brother, Lord Muruga, located around the main prayer hall.

sri mahamariamman temple kuala lumpur 3

You could spot a giant sliver chariot which is also a major feature during the Hindu festival of Thaipusam. The chariot is brought out from the temple when Thaipusam approaches. You may pay a visit to the temple on that holy day to see for yourself how the chariot is used to carry the statues of Lord Muruga and his consorts (Valli and Teivayanni) up to Batu Caves in wee hours of the morning. Prayers are offered prior to the long possession where devotees attach huge carriers (kavadi) to their bodies by hooks and haul the portable altars with lances piercing their skins. Other devotees will carry containers containing milk as offering to Lord Muruga. Thaipusam is one festival that never fails to attract curious onlookers who are keen to learn and observe Hindu cultures. Another popular festival that puts the Sri Mahamariamman temple in the center of attention is Deepavali, the festival of Light.

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The Sri Mahamariamman temple boasts various intricate architecture that if you are a photography enthusiast, you could spend the whole day here find capturing shots of various angles and perspectives.

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Nearby attractions

Popular attractions nearby the Indian temple are of course the vibrant Petaling Street (Night Day) market, Central Market, Merdeka Square and the equally beautiful Guan Di Chinese Temple (located along the same road, just 40 meters from Sri Mahamariamman).

Opening hours

The temple is open daily from 6am until 8.30pm (Friday until 9.30pm, Saturday until 9pm). During special festivals opening hours sometimes differ.

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Entrance fees

Entrance to the temple is free of charge. A tiny fee of a few ringgit is charged for storing your shoes at a safe place when you are visiting the inside of the temple. Visitors are not allowed in with their shoes on.

Contact details address Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Jalan Tun H. S. Lee (Jalan Bandar)
50050 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: + 604 263 4941

How to get to the Sri Mahamariamman Temple

The temple is located within Chinatown, near Petaling Street. If you are coming by metro, just exit at the Pasar Seni LRT station. From there you have to walk about 50 meters along Jalan Sultan, and then turn left into Jalan Tun H. S. Lee. You will see Sri Mahamariamman on your left side after 50 meters. Jalan Tun H. S. Lee runs parallel to Petaling Street. Alternatively, you could also take a taxis or a bus to your destination, any taxi driver will know the location of the temple.

Video Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Map of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple

Suggestions?

Got any good tips to share with us? Do you know of any great things to do in Kuala Lumpur, or tips on the best places to eat? Let us know by leaving a reply below!

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