Veteran artist Long Thien Shih brings to life an epic Thaipusam night scene in his work called Thaipusam, Batu Caves (pastel sketch, paper, 2010), which shows beautifully lit up kavadis and worshippers congregating at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves. Photo: Long Thien Shih
The Hindu community today will celebrate Thaipusam, a festival that falls on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai .
The festival commemorates the day when Lord Murugan received the vel (lance) from his mother Goddess Parvathi to destroy the evil demon Soorapadman to save humanity.
The pandemic situation in the country has forced those celebrating Thaipusam this year to observe it at home on a moderate scale.
Quiet Thaipusam but celebration remains meaningful with fervent prayers 28 Jan 2021 / 18:20 H. Pix for representational purpose only. -Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Every year during the Thaipusam festival, the Sri Subramaniar Swamy temple at Batu Caves would be flooded in a sea of people comprising Hindu devotees from all over the country and tourists, both local and foreign.
Today, however, the crowds were absent from the temple, which was tightly guarded by the police, as Hindu temples nationwide adhered to the standard operating procedure (SOP) under the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Nevertheless, this year’s Thaipusam is just as significant and meaningful as Hindus marked the occasion with prayers at home, particularly for the country to be free of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Proposal not to observe public holiday for Thaipusam draws flak from Indian community 22 Jan 2021 / 22:16 H.
PETALING JAYA: Kedah Mentri Besar Mohammad Sanusi Md Nor has drawn brickbats all round for his proposal not to observe Thaipusam as a public holiday in the state.
Several parties, such as MIC, DAP and even Umno have chided him for what has been referred to as an outlandish decision.
There have also been calls for his immediate resignation as Kedah chief executive for his “incompetence”.
Sanusi had, on Wednesday, announced that Jan 28, the day when Thaipusam is celebrated, will not be a public holiday in Kedah while the country is still under the movement control order to fight the Covid-19 war.