The Star, Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, February 13, 2005: Two ancient civilizations came together when a colorful lion dance took place at the Pudu Ganesha temple, one of the country’s oldest Hindu temples during the Chinese New Year period. As drums banged and cymbals clanged, three lions pranced amid the peal of temple bells. Traffic stopped near the small but very popular temple. Devotees and passer-by craned their necks and jostled to get a glimpse of the lions. One of the temple’s devotees, businessman Winston Lim, 33, had arranged the performance as thanksgiving after his prayers were answered. “It’s a small temple but it has a very powerful Deity. I am so grateful that my family has been blessed. I go on vegetarian diet every Thursday when I visit the temple,” he said. However, being the first time for the 30-member dance troupe, they received a quick briefing on the right thing to do at a Hindu temple. They took off their shoes and paid obeisance to the deity as a prayer was held before the show began. The lions circled the shrine three times as other devotees did. At the end of the dance, the lions placed fruits on a platter in the shape of a phoenix as an offering to the deity, bowed trice and took their leave. Well-known inter-faith proponent Datuk Jegathesan Jegasothy made an impassioned speech on the need to live together. “The world today is divided by religion. But today, history has been made. It is coming together of culture and tradition of different races. This is what Malaysia is all about and should be,” he said.