KAULA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 31, 2007: (HPI note: Hinduism Today has a team covering Thaipusam which is now in progress, not only across Malaysia, but where ever South Indians have settled. As we type this, Rajiv Malik, our Delhi correspondent sent to Malaysia to cover the event, just called our offices to report that he had seen off the Silver Chariot [see below] with a hundred thousand devotees. “I’ve never see anything like this, such devotion!,” he reported–and this from someone who has been to all four Kumbha Melas in crowds number in the tens of millions. We provide in this HPI several reports on the events in Malaysia.)
The Malaysia Hindu Sangam writes, “Since time immemorial, the festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia, to be held this year on February 1, has been the one event that draws the largest assembly of worshippers amongst any particular religion in this country. More than a million Hindus and some non-Hindus have already been gathering, mainly at the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniar Temple. The festival at this site has always been organized by the Sri Mahamariamman Temple Devasthanam of Kuala Lumpur. The Silver Chariot bearing the statue of Lord Muruga will commence its procession from K.L at midnight two days earlier. The Chariot’s procession will be accompanied by over 100,000 devotees. They should take about 10 hours to reach Batu Caves. About 20 years ago it was generally a two-day affair. However, this year the devotees have been flocking to Batu Caves since January 27 itself – making it a week long festivity in worship of Lord Muruga! Tourists are already there, in fact it is one of the major attractions touted by the organizers of Visit Malaysia Year 2007. The function ends only when the Silver Chariot returns to Kuala Lumpur during the early hours of February 3.
The festival, now, is shaping to be more of a national festival. Penang attracts many Chinese devotees of Lord Muruga as they converge around the best decorated “Panthals” (temporary temples) all along Jalan Utama and Jalan Waterfall roads. The festival is also marked with similar events in other centers around Peninsular Malaysia as well as in Sarawak and Sabah. With travel being made easy with modern highways the devotees are already beginning tours of almost three days from one center to another, as a pilgrimage tour.