KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 (Bernama) — Hindu devotees in Malaysia today celebrated Thaipusam to mark the birth of Lord Murugan by going to several temples in the country.
In KUALA LUMPUR, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu told reporters that more than 1.5 million Hindu devotees and foreign tourists had been to the Sri Subramaniyar Swami temple in Batu Caves here.
He said the this year’s Thaipusam festival was on a weekend, thus making the celebration more merrier than that of last year as it allowed more people to visit the temple.
He said more than 10,000 Hindu devotees carried the “kavadi” and the “pal koodam” milk pot, as well as took part in the coconut breaking ritual to fulfill their vows for wishes that had been granted or to repent for past sins.
Thaipusam is celebrated by Hindus on the full moon day in the Thai month of the Tamil calendar, which is in January or February.
Also known as Thaipooyam or Thaippooyam in Malayalam, it is a festival to mark the birth of Lord Murugan, the youngest son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
The festival also marked an occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
In JOHOR BAHARU, thousands of Hindu devotees celebrated the festival by holding the kavadi and pal koodam procession.
The kavadi bearers walked for about two kilometres from Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam in Jalan Ungku Puan in the city centre to Arulmigu Thandayuthapani Kovil in Jalan Kuil.
A similar procession was also held from the Mariaman temple in Taman Seri Skudai to the Sri Bala Subramaniar Kovil temple in Batu 10 Skudai, as well as from the Sri Muniswarar temple, near Plaza Angsana to Jalan Datuk Abdul Hamid.
In PENANG, more than 50,000 Hindu devotees converged at the Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani in Jalan Kebun Bunga to fulfil their vows.
Among them was student, Koh Tze Lim, 18, who was with his family to perform their prayers at the temple for the Thaipusam festival.
“We also went through the fasting ritual and only ate vegetables on Friday for four days,” he said, adding that he prayed to be able to do well in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination which he would be sitting for this year.
A tourist from Canada, only known as Julien, 34, said, watching the Thaipusam festival celebration was an experience which he would share with his friend when he returned home.
Having only read about the festival in books and magazines, he said, he was amazed to see how it was celebrated.
“It is a beautiful and colourful festival and I’m impressed to see a man carrying a huge kavadi decorated with peacock feathers,” he added.
In IPOH, a crowd of about 100,000 Hindu devotees were at the Subramaniar temple at Gunung Cheroh for the festival.
Various religious rituals, including the Lord Murugan procession from the Sri Maha Mariamman temple at Sungai Pari to the Kallumai Arul Subramaniar temple at Gunung Cheroh took place.
Traffic congestions were reported in the city following closure in stages of several roads leading to the Subramaniar temple since yesterday for the procession of kavadi bearers which passed through Jalan Sungai Pari, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Lahat, Jalan Sultan Yusuff, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah and Jalan Raja Muda Musa from the Sri Maha Marimman at Jalan Sungai Pari.
