KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 400,000 people descended on the Sri Subramaniar Temple at Batu Caves for prayers and penance in celebration of Thaipusam today.
Swarms of devotees bearing kavadis and carrying milk pots made their way up the 272 steps leading to the limestone cave which Hindus hold sacred.
While the Hindus participated in the worshipping, the spectacle also drew tourists to Batu Caves.
Albert Tancreadi, a 35-year-old IT executive from the US said that he comes to Malaysia every year for Thaipusam, as this is the place he met his recently departed wife, Maria, seven years ago.
“I religiously come here to Batu Caves every year during Thaipusam and try relive and visit places that I was with her. I am all about work and I am detached from relationships throughout the year. However, I make it a point to visit Malaysia during Thaipusam and relive my moments with my late wife,” he said, without elaborating on details of her passing.
Highlights of the celebration included silver chariot which carries the Lord Muruga idol from the Sri Mahamariamman temple at Jalan Tun HS Lee Kuala Lumpur to Batu Caves. The chariot is lit with colourful light-emitting diodes (LED).
Sri Subramaniar Swamy volunteer electrician of more than 20 years, Ravichandran Perumal, told theSun that the change from the normal light was to reduce power consumption and heat.
“We managed to bring down the power consumption which was 70 amps previously to merely 12 amps this year,” he said. “This goes a long way as we have managed to save in the usage of fuel in our generator. In the past, we had to refill halfway through the journey.”
Ravichandran volunteered his servives as an electrician as an act of penance to Lord Muruga.
“I was given the opportunity to volunteer for the chariot when I was 20 by the Batu Caves Sri Mahamariamman Temple Devasthanam chairman, Tan Sri R. Nadarajah,” he said.
The Silver chariot will leave Batu Caves at 4pm tomorrow (Jan 22) and is expected to reach the Sri Mahamariamman temple at Jalan Tun HS Lee Kuala Lumpur at 3am at the Sri Mahamariamman temple at Jalan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur the day after (Jan 23).
