Something I read today morning triggered this posting. It was a news about the Merdeka day celebration coming soon. According to the Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, National Day, which falls during the fasting month, will be celebrated on a moderate scale at Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil. There will be focus on “lighting and the flying of Jalur Gemilang” while fireworks is planned only for the launching of celebrations at Stadium Utama Kangar in Perlis on Aug 1.
So, I wonder, can we “tone down’ patriotism/nationalism due to religion? Which has precedence? Not that I’m belittling anyone’s religion, but just curious.
Obviously, the private sector will still try to celebrate National Day on big scale due to economic reasons. So, celebrations are not purely due to patriotism/nationalism, but just an excuse to have a good time, spend some money, enjoy life.
And maybe certain quarters will threaten the private sector organisers to “tone down” as well since it will be fasting month and they’ll claim that such excessive celebrations can lead people astray. Would this constitute infringing on others’ right/freedom?
Anyway, Merdeka falls on Tuesday this year, so if you apply leave for Monday, then you get four days holiday. Selangorians have a holiday on the preceding Friday, so you can get up to 5 days holiday.
It was a sight to behold as Telegu devotees led a procession carrying a palanquin with the statue of Lord Venkatachalapathi around the Batu Caves Venkata-chalapathi temple three times.
The procession was held similarly in 350 temples around the country to commemorate the Telegu New Year Ugadi that fell on March 16.
The Telugu community hails from Andhra Pradesh, a state in South India and Ugadi is one of their most important festivals.
It’s believed that one of the important Hindu deities, Lord Brahma started creation on this day.
“According to Hindu mythology, the sixty Telegu Namasa-mvastharas are repeated in a 60-year cycle and this year will be the Sri Vikruthi Naama,” Telegu Association of Malaysia vice president S. Venkatasan said.
On this day, the Telegu community starts their day at the break of dawn.
After their bath, they dress in new clothes and decorate their homes with mango leaves. This is followed by prayers and later the younger members of the family will seek their elders’ blessings.
“They will then partake the Ugadi Pachadi on an empty stomach. This is to ensure their lives are balanced throughout the year,” he added.Bright and peppy: The Chiruthalu dancers performing in front of the procession.
The dish has five different tastes namely sweet, salty, bitter, sour and spicy reflecting the different emotional experiences that human beings have to go through.
Lunch comprises vegetarian dishes including Garelu (vadai), Burelu (sweet dish made from rice flour stuffed with coconut, sugar, and dried fruits), Jawa (sweet rice), Pulihora (yellow rice) and Payasam (sweet dessert).
In the evening, it is a practice to visit the nearby temples and perform special prayers along with the procession.
During the prayers it is considered auspicious to chant the Panchanga Sravanam.
More than 1000 members were seen at the temple in Batu Caves and the Sri Ramar Alayam in Selayang.
The deities used for the procession at the various temples were decked with beautiful accessories and flower garlands.
The devotees spent hours in prayers and were later entertained by the Chiruthalu (stick dance or kollatam).
“We also served vegetarian food to the devotees at the temple,” said Venkatasan.
Its Thaipusam, the religious festival to celebrate Lord Muruga!
Like most of the previous year, we planned to visit Batu Caves. We left home at 6.10am and arrived at Bat Caves at around 6.40am. Parking took another few minutes and there traffic jam was after taking the roundabout from Jalan Kuching.
While driving past the entrance (on MRR2), we can see that the crowd was more than last year, since we usually go to Batu Caves early morning around the same time. In fact the stairs were packed with people.
An ugly sight greeted me as I was looking for parking. Few youths and adults were chatting with beer bottles in the hands while waiting near their car.
Parked car on the flyover. The slip road leading to Petronas after Batu Caves was closed.
The stalls were located below the new dedicated ramp which crosses the river and railway track. The ramp was closed to vehicles to allow the kavadi and kudam bearers walk through. If not, the devotees have to take a risky (but shorter) route crossing the railway track.
The venue where Brahma Kumaris and Nestle stalls were usually located was replaced with the cancelled state government’s Fiesta Deepavali banners. Brahma Kumaris stall is now located beneath the ramp.
Did the mudi kanikai at one of the stall below the new ramp, and proceeded to walk back to the temple compound.
Lots of nursing colleges set up booths, providing eye candy for the youths. I saw Winfield, Nirwana (with Putera MIC), MAHSA and MAsterskill (if I’m not mistaken).
We started walking into the temple compound at 7.35am. Compared to last year, there were not ropes to demarcate the lines. So, it was a bit of free flow.
Lots of rubbish around and its not even 8am! All rubbish bins were overloaded.
Police moved in groups of 2,3 and 4. But I don’t think there were 1000 policemen there. There were also RELA and FRU, apart from the St John members and temple volunteers.
Took us 40 minutes from compound entrance till the top of the stairs. The middle lane was allocated for kavadis, while the left lane for people going up. However, since the top was crowded, many people were coming down using left lane, thus making the journey more difficult.
The signboards for Paal Kudam, Archanai, and Kavadi were only found at about 50 metres in the cave. And the paal kudam queue was long! It would have been better if the notices were put up earlier along the cave or even from the compound itself so that the crowd could be segregated earlier.
We prayed for around 30 minutes or so and made our way down. The trip down was slow since the crowd was huge and lots of kavadis were going down the stairs after fulfilling their penance.
Something else that’s make a comeback this time is beggars. I saw a family that looked like foreigners sitting near the cave entrance.
Read the bottom of the stairs at around 9.15am. We spent another 15 minutes taking some shots and watching the kavadis. It was getting hot, and as usual, we didn’t waste time milling around the stalls.
Left Batu caves around 10am, using MRR2 towards Sentul/Gombak. The other side of the highway was jammed. There’s the new DUKE highway along MRR2 that gives you access to Jalan Duta, Jalan Kuching etc (Toll is RM2). Reached Puchong within 40 minutes.
BTW, the management office looks new (and expensive). I wonder if its really necessary. Maybe the money could have been put to better use, like giant LCD display screens, proper signages and more dustbins.
And quite a few banners mentioning Nadarajah’s name in a weird way. It kind of separates him (as the chairman) from the committee. Looks like exercise in self-promotion.
News coverage on Tv2 (Tamil news) and Tv3 (Buletin) showed the visitors quite happy with the improvements done this year. Those interviewed said that it was easier to fulfill their vows.
Read about last year’s Thaipusam article here: 2009.
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