Glorious sight: The ‘Silver Chariot’ making its way to Batu Caves.
KUALA LUMPUR: Waves of Hindu devotees thronged the Batu Caves Temple following the “Silver Chariot” procession from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee here in conjunction with Thaipusam today.
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam honorary secretary R.T. Sundaram said more than 1.6 million people were expected at Batu Caves today, with 200,000 Hindus performing rituals in the annual religious event.
“The temple management has made thorough preparations to accommodate the festive crowds," he told Bernama yesterday.
Thaipusam, celebrated in the month of Thai – the 10th month in the Tamil calendar – also marks when Lord Murugan, or Subramaniam or Kartikeya as he is also known, received the Vel or divine spear from his mother, Parvati, so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Sundaram said the silver chariot carrying the deities Lord Murugan and his two consorts Valli and Theivanai from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple started at 10pm on Sunday in a slow procession, covering 13km to Batu Caves.
Sundaram said the silver chariot with the deities would return to Sri Maha Mariamman Temple at 4pm tomorrow.
He added that they had given the chariot a facelift this year by widening its size, adding wheels and replacing the silver after 30 years.
Sundaram said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was expected to witness the celebrations at Batu Caves today.
Visitors can also check out a special exhibition celebrating 125 years of Thaipusam featuring 200 photographs which chronicle the development of the festival since 1891. The exhibition will be open to the public until Feb 8.
Meanwhile, a Bernama survey of Batu Caves yesterday found thousands of devotees had begun fulfilling their vows by shaving their heads, carrying pots of milk and offering prayers to beat the crowd today.
Devotee G. Ayanar, 68, from Felda Palung 8, Negri Sembilan, who was with his grandson G. Kesavan, 17, and an acquaintance, K. Murali, 43, said they had walked from Senawang via Sungai Besi to fulfil their vows.
“I still want to maintain the tradition of walking 70km once a year to celebrate Thaipusam at Batu Caves, to offer prayers and to seek the deity's blessings for the family,” he said.
Murali said he would shave his head in gratitude for the well-being of his family after surviving a robbery in 2010.
