In
the previous post, we have done with the religion and faith of Indian in
Malaysia. Now let’s get started! Anybody here who is interested to know about
their fun festivals?
1)
Diwali
Hindus
all over the world will celebrate Diwali. Diwali or also known as Deepavali or
the festival of lights symbolizes the victory of good over evil and is
celebrated in the seventh month of the Hindu calendar. This is usually in
October or November. Literally, Deepavali is the original name from Sanskrit,
and it means row of lamps. Diwali is the contraction of the original name
Deepavali and may have been simplified during the British Rule of India. In
Malaysia, Deepavali for 2014 will fall on 22nd October instead of 23rd October
as announced earlier.
Typically, on the eve of Diwali,
offerings and prayers will be made to ancestors and deceased family members. On
Diwali or Deepavali morning, waking up before sunrise, Hindu will then do the
herbal oil bath ritual where oil is applied on heads and then a bath is taken. This
ritual known as ‘ganga snanam’ is the cleansing of impurities of the past year.
Prayers are held at the family altar, or they may go to the temples for the
Thanksgiving prayers. Diwali being a festival of lights symbolizing the victory
of good over evil will have their homes decorated with oil lamps. Burning the
oil lamp throughout the day as well as into the night is believed to ward off
darkness and evil. The doorways will be hung with torans of mango leaves.
The
entrances to their homes will be adorned with ‘kolam’, an intricate design
using rice flour and are believed to invite prosperity to the home.
Beautiful one, isn't it?
2)
Thaipusam
Generally, Thaipusam is a holy
festival celebrated by Hindus of Tamil origin from South India, as a
thanksgiving to their diety, Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Muruga). It
is perhaps the most elaborate and spectacular of all the Hindu festivals,
mainly due to the combination of what seems like a painful body piercing and a
religious practice.
During
the day of Thaipusam, devotees who have made their vows and prayers to Lord
Subramaniam will subject themselves to sacrificial acts in exchange for an
answered prayer. The devotees have, in the past asked for help, such as to get
well or to recover from their sickness, seeking forgiveness for past misdeeds,
childless couple asking for baby etc. In return they proposed to do a
sacrificial act if the request is fulfilled. This sacrificial act could be
carrying kavadi weighing several pounds which is attached to the body by
skewers and hooks, that pierce through the body.This is usually undertaken by
the really serious Thaipusam pilgrims and are usually by men.
A man is carrying kavadi.
In
Kuala Lumpur, Thaipusam has become an almost national seat for Poosam
celebrations. The venue of the Kuala Lumpur celebrations is a picturesque
shrine right inside a cave that lies many feet above the ground, and can only
be approached by a steep climb. This place, known as Batu Caves, is about eight
miles from the city, and a chariot procession carrying the image of the deity
to and from the place adds to the color and gaiety of the festival. Crowds from
all over the country throng to the cave, including people of all classes and
groups. It is above all a day of penance, on which all kinds of vows are
fulfilled. A 42.7m high statue of Lord Murugan was built at Batu Caves and was
unveiled in January 2006, having taken 3 years to construct.
Batu Caves - a place where there celebrate Thaiposam
3) Pongal
Pongal,
literally means "boiling over" is celebrated by Tamils all over the
world as a thanksgiving for a good harvest, and not just in India. Indians of
Tamil origin that had migrated to other parts of the world, including Malaysia,
continue to observed this festival with little changes to those observed in
India. The main celebration is to let the rice boil over with milk in a clay
pot. This will imply future fortune for the family. Moreover, The Pongal
festival is held through the first four days of the Thai month (Tamil month)
and is usually in mid-January. This Thai month is considered the luckiest month
of the year by the Tamil Indians.
Bhogi, first
day of Celebration
The
first day of the celebration is known as Bhogi and is the prelude to the next
three days of festivities.It is a day of purification for the soul and mind and
this is done by taking an oil bath using sesame seed oil.Then old clothes and
unused stuffs are thrown away and burnt. This basically marks the start of a
new beginning. The devotees will then offer their prayers to the rain God,
Indra. This is either done at homes or temples.
Pongal Day,
Second Day of Celebration
The
second day is the `Pongal' day and is celebrated by offering prayers to the Sun
God, Surya. Tamil devotees will go to temples and recite prayers, to thank the
Sun God for a good harvest. On this second day, they will also be cooking
special dishes to offer to the deities. Sweet rice known as 'Pongal' will be
cooked in a new clay pot, with fresh turmeric and ginger tied around it. As the
rice boils over and foams out of the clay pot, the Tamil devotees will shout
"Pongalo Pongal". Watching the rice boils and foams out of the pot is
a good omen as it means 'good blessing' and prosperity.
Once the Pongal is ready, it will be
offered to the Sun God, Surya, in gratitude for the blessings given. Indian
sweets, sugar cane, spices, etc. will also be part of the offerings to the
deity. They will later eat these offerings as an act of cleansing themselves of
their past sins. Although Pongal is a harvest festival, Malaysian Tamils are
not farmers. It is a tradition and believes that were brought over when they
migrated from South India.
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