Thaipusam 2008 – Lots of police, concert and faithful Hindu devotees

This is the first time I see so many police. They are stationed in groups of three around the roads leading to the Waterfall Garden. Normally, there are a couple here and there because of the huge crowd. But this year, the police are everywhere. I suppose they are wary of the Hindraf’s issue.

Thaipusam is one festival where you feel a certain profound feelings within you. It doesn’t matter what your faith is. Any human with a heart will be touched with the faith the Hindu devotees shown. When you see the people, in all shapes and sizes, young and old, strong and weak walking towards the temple to pay respect to Lord Murugan and then, up the hill where their final destination is, you know that there is faith.

Whether one has a faith, believe in God or profess to any religion, when one see how a kavadi bearer can have all kind of spears, metal bars, hooks and etc pierced across their cheeks, their tongues and bodies, one will know that with faith, it overcomes our human’s weaknesses.

This little boy looks so studious, accompanied by his parents.

I was hoping to see those parents who carry their newborn baby in a cloth cradle strung over sugar canes but probably they don’t do it at midnight.

But here’s the most faithful of all. Jeng, jeng, jeng……

The poor hubby, sitting down on the grass waiting for the crazy wife. It is very cooling and got lots of pretty Indian lasses to see, so never mind lah hor? This year, for some unknown reason (like election coming or maybe Hindraf), the facilities are much better than the previous years. DIGI has a huge stage with concert performance, there are tents every where with cooling fans and I think MPPP is working this year. Last year, MPPP did not come around to help clearrubbish until some politikus made noise. So, yes, thanks to the upcoming election, better facilties were given to the devotees.

I don’t know why I keep going back to the Thaipusam each year. I always take lousy photos because I am either too chicken to go near those kavadi bearers, too shy to take close up photos of the cute, bald headed, tumeric covered babies or just plain unskillful. I guess I like to be there because that’s when I can feel what faith is.

Christians are going to faint if I say this…….The life story of Lord Murugan bears some resemblance of Lord Jesus. There is something that gives me this feeling that probably, the story is somehow related in some ways, told in a different manner, in a different continent and the followers show their reverance in a different way. Please, don’t flame me. I am the kind of person who can accept others to worship in anyway they like as long as they strive to maintain peace and goodness for mankind.

Oh did I tell you that my dear hubby took me to the Waterfall Gardens on bike because the roads are not accessible to vehicle and traffic jam is horrendous? Two Lohs asked me the same question. One is my own son, one is some siao Ah Beng, “Eh, you cannot go on your own kah? Take the bike lah yourself lah!”

And the chao ah beng said, “But I thought all Ah Lians can ride bike wor.” Niamah!