Deepavali celebrated in harmony and muhibah

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindus in Malaysia today celebrated Deepavali in a harmonious and joyous l atmosphere.
The Festival of Lights was made more meaningful with the presence of people of all races who visited their Hindu friends and others who sent Deepavali wishes on social media through Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp.
In the federal capital, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak joined thousands of people at the Deepavali open house hosted by MIC at the Batu Caves temple compound.
The mood was further enlivened by the sound of music, beating of drums and the melody of flutes which accompanied traditional dances at the event which was also attended by MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and other party leaders.
The Prime Minister later attended the Deepavali open house organised by MyPPP at Little India, Brickfields here, before heading to similar event hosted by the Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) in Jalan Sentul.
In MALACCA, the Yang Dipertua Tun Dr Mohd Khalil Yaakob, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron and hundreds of guests attended the open house hosted by state MIC chairman Datuk M. S. Mahadevan, who is also State Company Affairs, Human Resource and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee chairman, at his residence in Taman Paya Rumput.
Members of the public, as well as foreign tourists, also took advantage of the Deepavali holiday to visit tourist attractions in Malacca especially in Banda Hilir, Ayer Keroh and Little India in Jalan Bendahara which was adorned with colourful decorations.
In JOHOR BARU, state MIC Youth head S. Balakrishnan hosted a Deepavali open house and his ninth wedding anniversary celebration at his residence in Jalan Berangan, Taman Kota Jaya, Kota Tinggi.
In conjunction with the holiday, various popular tourist spots in the state were also filled with visitors, such as the Legoland Theme Park, the Thomas Town indoor theme park and Sanrio Hello Kitty Town in Putri Harbour, the Johor Zoo, as well as the Austin Heights Water & Adventure Park.
In PERAK, although there was no official open house, the Festival of Lights and the cultivation of the spirit of merriment was strong with Hindus going to temples like the Kallumalai Sri Subramaniam at Gunung Cheroh, near Medan Istana, Ipoh for religious rites.
In PERLIS, the three main temples in Kangar, Arau and Padang Besar were the focus of Hindus who went to pray before returning home to welcome visitors.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim also attended the open house organised by state MIC chairman S. Vengadasamy in Pauh near Arau.
In KEDAH, the Festival of Lights was celebrated by more than 30,000 Indians, with most gathering at the Sri Subramaniya Swamy Devasthanam temple in Jalan Kuala Ketil, Sungai Petani since 8am to offer prayers.
"Like other festivals in the country, people of all races would visit the homes of their Indian friends to enjoy traditional foods like tosai, muruku, and appam," chairman of Kedah MIC Liaison committee Senator Datuk Jaspal Singh told Bernama.
In PENANG, the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga was full of Hindu devotees, while the Botanical Park and Youth Park were filled with people spending the public holiday in nature.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng attended the Deepavali open house organised by Deputy Chief Minister 2 P. Ramasamy and his wife at their home in Residensi Villa Mutiara, Penang on Oct 18, 2017.
In KELANTAN, about 6,000 Hindus celebrated Deepavali on a moderate scale by visiting temples in the morning.
Kelantan MIC Youth head P. Ganthiraja said despite being the minority in Kelantan, the Indian community were happy as the Festival of Lights was celebrated by people of all walks in the state.
In TERENGGANU, Hindus celebrated Deepavali at home after visiting the temples while tourist spots like Pasar Payang, Kristal Mosque and Losong Museum were filled with people enjoying the public holiday.
In PAHANG, Hindu devotees flocked to the Sri Mariamman Temple in Kuantan as early as 7am, while in SELANGOR, the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Section 7, Shah Alam and the Sri Nagara Thandayuthapati Temple in Jalan Bukit Jawa, Klang were filled with Hindus performing prayers in conjunction with Deepavali.
In NEGRI SEMBILAN, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and his wife, Datin Seri Raja Salbiah Tengku Nujumuddin, as well as leaders of the state BN component parties joined more than 500 people who attended the open house hosted by National MIC Information Chief Datuk V. S. Mogan in Rantau.
In SARAWAK, Deepavali is not a state holiday, but several temples in Kuching, including the Sri Srinivasagar Kaliamman Temple in Jalan Ban Hock and the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Batu Lintang were full of Hindus who went to pray.
In SABAH, the Yang Dipertua Tun Juhar Mahiruddin and wife Toh Puan Norlidah R. M. Jasni, along with Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman joined people of all races and religions who attended the open house hosted by Sabah MIC at the multi-purpose hall in the Likas Sports Complex, Kota Kinabalu. — Bernama