BUTTERWORTH: Thousands of Hindu devotees and tourists, both domestic and international, flooded the route from Lebuh Queen to the temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga to join the gold and silver chariot procession in celebration of Thaipusam today.
‘Chetti Pusam is observed a day earlier than the traditional Thaipusam. This procession, led by the Chettiar community in the state, boasts a peacock-themed kavadi alongside the silver chariot carrying the statue of Lord Murugan.
Thaipusam in the state is made even more festive with the introduction of the gold chariot in 2017, which carries the ‘vel’ (spear), the sacred weapon of Lord Murugan.
The gold chariot began its journey at 6 am from Lebuh Queen to the Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga, followed by the 131-year-old silver chariot, which departed an hour later from the Nagarathar Kovil Veedu Temple on Penang Street to the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple in Jalan Air Terjun.
The chariot procession, accompanied by the traditional Indian musical instruments ‘Mridangam’ and ‘Natheswaram,’ is expected to reach its destinations before midnight.
A walkabout by Bernama along Jalan Magazine and Jalan Datuk Keramat found the ceremony to be lively, with police officers stationed around the area, while hundreds of thousands of coconuts were piled along the 10-kilometre stretch of road before being smashed onto the ground as part of a religious ritual, which is one of the highlights of Thaipusam celebrations in Penang.
A devotee, K. Dharmeendran, 35, said that joining the silver chariot procession has been a family tradition since 2008, and it continues this year, with a new family member.
“...my wife S. Sivaneswary, has joined us. We got married last November,“ said Dharmeendran, who works at a bank in Butterworth.
For S. Sarrmetha, 19, who has carried the paal kudam (milk pot) since she was five, this year is particularly special as she wishes to pray for healing after she and her mother, V. Prabhawathy, 40, were involved in a serious accident in May last year.
Sarrmetha, who is currently studying medicine at a private university, shared that both she and her mother sustained various injuries, but they are grateful to be healthy again.
“The doctor informed us that my mother might not be able to walk for up to eight months, but miraculously, she was walking again within just four months. So, for Thaipusam, we came together to thank Lord Murugan,“ she said.
Andrea Henry, 35, from Germany, shared that this was his first time witnessing such a religious celebration and described the hooks with the cups as something interesting to see.
“It looks painful to me, but the devotees had them affixed with ease and calmness. I’ve never seen anything like this before, with hooks at the back (of the devotee’s body) and all the rituals. It’s very beautiful to witness,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Timur Laut district police chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad, when contacted by Bernama, said that both chariot processions proceeded smoothly, and so far, there have been no untoward incidents reported.
“I personally went on-site to monitor the procession, and so far, traffic has been somewhat slow, but it is still under control. Officers are on duty 24 hours throughout the Thaipusam celebration,“ he said.
Thaipusam celebrations in Penang are also famous for the more than the elaborately decorated 100 stalls known as ‘Thaneer Panthal,’ that provide free vegetarian food and drinks to devotees.
Hindu devotees will celebrate Thaipusam tomorrow to commemorate the event when Lord Murugan received the sacred spear from his mother, Goddess Parvati, to defeat the evil power of Soorapadman and restore prosperity and well-being to humanity.
