KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 30, 2007: The Thaipusam Festival this year is expected to be bigger as it falls on the same day with the Federal Territories Day and Visit Malaysia Year 2007. The crowd is expected to reach 1.5 million people including increasing number of foreign tourists to the annual gathering of Malaysian Hindus at the Sri Subramaniyar Swami Temple, Batu Caves. While many parts of the world are engulfed with sectarian and religious violence, the Thaipusam festival will once again prove to the world that Malaysia and its people of diverse ethnics and religions continue to enjoy the fruits of the freedom to practice their religions since independence 50 years ago.
Thaipusam, a public holiday in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Penang and Perak falls annually on the full-moon day in the Tamil month of Thai which occurs between January 14 and February 15. It marks the day on which Lord Murugan (also has numerous other names) received the divine spear (Vel) from His mother, the consort of Lord Shiva. His devotees have been cured of diseases deemed incurable and many of them have had their wishes fulfilled and so on adoration of the Lord, they perform penances which can take various forms according to the devotee’s capacity to endure pain.
Thaipusam is not a festival on the day itself but a three-day festival with devotees already starting to converge since last Sunday. A flag raising ceremony will take place at 4:00 pm tomorrow at the Batu Caves which will denote the official commencement of Thaipusam which will follow with a fireworks display tomorrow midnight, and Works Minister and MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will grace the occasion the next morning with an address to the Malaysian Hindus.
Today, there will be special prayers at 9:00 pm at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Jalan Tun H S Lee and at 12.20 am to be followed with a procession of the 23-foot-tall Silver Chariot carrying the deity of Lord Muruga, the God of the Tamil-speaking people of the world with His Consorts Valli and Deivanai decorated with flowers, gold and diamonds and expected to reach the Batu Caves temple at 11:00 am, Wednesday.