Thaipusam, a Hindu festival is celebrated by Hindus in the month of Thai (around January or February). The eve of Thaipusam is a special occasion in Penang. Practically all of the island is involved in the festival. The silver chariot leaves early in the morning from Queen Street and travels along Chulia Street, Carnavon Street, Magazine Road, Dato Kramat Road, Polo ground and arrives at the Waterfall temple in the evening. Thousands of coconuts are crashed as this silver chariot carrying Lord Subramaniam passes each booth/stall along the way. Moru (light yogurt with salt, curry leaves, green chilies and fried onions) cold syrup and orange drinks are served to everyone who stops by at these booths. Tamarind rice with chick peas, or pooli sor, sweet ponggal rice and meehoon is packed and given away too. At some booths, vegetarian meals are served to anyone who steps in. Who did these booths belong to, you may ask? Well, factory workers’ union, corporate bodies, companies and individuals rent these space for the booths from the City Council. These booths are decora with lights, the borders of the booth are fenced with leaves. At the entrance of these booths, there would be a banana tree or two with young bananas still hanging on it. This is a sign of welcome and if you see during any Hindu wedding or temple celebrations, there is surely the banana tree tied to the sides of the entrance. Inside the booth, long tables with benches will be set for people to sit while enjoying the meal. Plastic cups with the cold drinks would be served with the meal. It was really a nice feeling to get to sit and eat with people from all walks of life no matter what caste or religion you may belong to. It taught us humility. The weather in January and February in Malaysia is relatively hot so the devotees following the chariot feel the heat as they walk bare footed but the ground is kept cool by sprinklers from City Council water lorries, My papa would cycle and pay his respects around 11 am when the chariot reached the intersection of Brick Kiln Road and Dato Kramat Road. He would bring home half a coconut which was filled with 2 bananas, betel leaf, betel nut and a little packet of bhiputi (ash from the pooja). That was his way of appreciating other religions although he was strong in his own faith.
Special preparations are done a few days before Thaipusam. Booths are built and decorated with lights and flowers. A large picture of Lord Muruga is placed at the top entrance and devotional songs are played during this time. On the road in front of the booth, a large kohlam is drawn with multiple colours. Food and drinks are prepared to be served duringThaipusam. There were specially two large booths put up alongside each other at the entrance of the Penang General hospital by its workers. You see, their quarters were just opposite the road from the hospital so they collected enough funds to build the booths. Here, something interesting happened which I would share with you. It was the flower opening ceremony. The lotus flower was made out of tin and it was huge, the petals were painted beautifully and with strings were tied together to form a bud and this was placed in a fountain. The chariot made its way to this location at around 2 pm and the guys using some form of mechanism with the strings opened up the lotus flower and from it a doll would be sent with a garland for Lord Muruga. The priest accepted this garland and returned the gesture with a gift of blessed piece of cloth from around Lord Muruga. This process of going back and forth continued for a while and people would applaud the string players as they succeeded each time with the garland. The devotees from the booth would also offer a platter with fruits (bananas, apples, oranges, betel leaves, betel nuts and coconut) and fragmented joss sticks for their pooja to thank Lord Muruga. The chariot stopped here for about an hour for the large number of poojas to be done before proceeding towards Polo ground.
On the morning of Thaipusam day, we would leave our house on Northam Road, walk by Argyll Road, then Dato Koyah Road and reach the bus stop at Penang Road Chowrasta market. We would wait for No. 7 bus but it would come packed to the maximum from the Jetty. People from across the mainland would get in after they crossed the channel in the evergreen ferries and upon reaching Penang island board the No. 7 and Sri Negara bus to get to Waterfall temple. Although extra buses were put for service, the crowd was too huge,some standing on the steps. After about an hour wait, we would manage to get on the bus and reach our destination. Along the way, we would see kavadis making their way from Dato Kramat Road towards Waterfall temple passing Polo ground. Both Papa and Ma would hold our hands tightly as we made our way through the crowd to get to the temple below and later make it up the winding steps to the hill temple. Kavadi bearers passed by us while their group chanted ‘Vel vel’ praising Lord Muruga. Once papa took us to the hilltop, after we paid our respects, we found a spot and sat down on the mat laid on the floor and had a nice Chettiar lunch. I can still remember the taste till today as I have never come across another such lunch all these years. The payasam was smooth and delicious, the dhall and vegetables so tasty that I long for it again as the fragrance still lingers on in my nose. On our way down, there were thousands of beggars sitting on both sides of the steps and papa would give us 1 cent coins which he had saved in a little tote bag for a year to be given to the beggars. Fifty years ago, a few 1 cent coins could buy something. While walking out of the crowd near the temple down below, we would buy rice snacks, roasted yellow dhall, sweet meats to enjoy at home. Vendors would be selling the 3 types of snacks at various locations along the way. We would wait again for the bus or after waiting long and if we were lucky would get a taxi home. It was a long tiring day but a happy one.
The next day after Thaipusam, the chariot would make its return at sunset and reach Queen Street in the early morning. Booths are set us similar to the day before and here drinks and light food is served but the route is different this time. On the intersection between Transfer Road and Sri Bahari Road, our neighbours would put up a booth to serve vegetarian mee hoon, uppuma, hot coffee and cold drinks. They would also play devotional songs from 7 pm onwards to make the religious mood. Before falling asleep we would set the alarm clock at 3.30 am to be able to see the beautiful chariot with glimmering lights when it reached near us at 4.00 a.m. Excitement made it difficult to fall asleep but the songs and music could be heard from afar. These songs have a sentimental value and when played, still gives me the goosebumps. Muruga, muruga….allugenthe solluge Murugua is one song I have grown to love. I may not know the meaning because it is in Tamil but it definitely talks of a deity who personifies beauty. Vel Muruga and Murugan kupputhu are a few hits in my memory bank. People make wishes and when these wishes come true, they break coconuts. I still visualize the thousand coconuts crashed on the ground before Lord Muruga when someone got cured from an illness, or succeeded in their business. My Chinese neighbours picked up the pieces of the coconuts (so they would not be swept away as waste by Council workers) and later grated at the machine so they could use the coconut milk for kuih kapit (love letters).
While growing up, I learnt that in order to carry a kavadi one should observe certain rules for a month like being a vegetarian, living a simple life by sleeping on a mat instead of a luxurious bed, refrain from anything evil including sexual desires. All these makes one holy to enable the needles be pricked onto the body without pain. The devotee feels enlightened when Vel Vel is chanted and finds it easy to continue with the difficult journey ahead. I have also seen a guy rolling on a plastic sheet all the way from Queen Street to the Waterfall temple. Blessed is such a Hindu devotee who pleases Lord Muruga.
