Thaipusam Day 1

Day 1 in the Dark

I got to Batu Caves station around 2315 so there was less than an hour before Thaipusam officially starts. There was a bottleneck entering the Batu Caves temple grounds. The crowd was unbelievable. We shuffled through the commercial area where just about anything was on sale: food, henna-ing services, dresses, altars, music, icon, AirAsia, mobile phone packages … you name it!

Errr … perhaps they missed one. I always thought a kavadi-bear would be quite cute. Imagine a teddy bear with hooks on its back and a skewer through it cheeks or tongue. Maybe I’d better commercialise it for next year.

Despite all the commercial activity, there was absolutely no hassle or bother with any pesky sales people. On a more distasteful and disgraceful note, there was a fair bit of political propaganda by the National Front to win the hearts and minds of Hindu Indians, who of late have been rather disgruntled.

I found the route that leads up to the temple steps just before midnight. I parked myself there to watch the procession of devotees with their kavadis … which ranged from just a simple jug of milk, to ornate racks, to elaborate carriages which they pull with hooks in their backs.

Some devotees, in particular children and the elderly were very weak from their fasting or long walks to the temple (not everyone walks from the city). Others appeared to be in a trance with fairly blank looks.

Devotees claim that the piercings and barefoot long-distance walking don’t hurt.  I suppose it’s like anything … if it hurts, you’re not doing it right?!

Some devotees dance to music played by their supporters. The highlight for me is when those with multi-tier rack-style kavadis start dancing.  Their metal frames flex considerably and with all the peacock feathers stuck on them, they do bounce and sway beautifully.

While no one appeared to be in any pain, one man appeared to find his kavadi too much to bear. His supporters had a chair handy and he sat down at various points and was repeatedly given leg massages. There were a number of devotees smoking some cigars and I wonder if they are of the funny variety which help numb any pain they may have.

Some parent had their young ones on their shoulders walking up the stairs to the temple. I thought “That’s the heaviest kavadi (burden) of all. You don’t just have it for one day a year; you have it for twenty years. And you can have several of them all at the same time”.

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I stayed till 0100 and wanted to take the bus back (to avoid walking through dark quiet streets from the other side of the river in KL city). Being night time and with such horrendous crowds, I had no idea where to find the buses. So I ended up taking the train back as it was just too easy. But I guess if I had come by bus, I probably wouldn’t have found the railway station!

Back in KL city, there were still pockets of activity with people eating even at nearly 0200. So I didn’t feel too unsafe. I was in bed by 0200 after a very rewarding unplanned outing.

Day 1 in Broad Daylight

I headed back out to Batu Caves after breakfast, arriving around 1000. There were noticeably more non-Indians in daylight compared to my earlier visit.

I more or less took the same possie by the trail to the temple steps to watch the devotees make their way up with their kavadis.

There was a woman devotee that really stood out for several reasons. Firstly, she had a rack-style kavadi; I haven’t seen any woman carry one so far. Secondly, unlike the generally emotionless or blank trance-like state that most people seem to have, she appeared to be struggling with fatigue. However when her supporters start drumming and playing music, she gets somewhat delirious and somehow gets energy to dance.

On the subject of music, I happened to see the hymn sheets that some were using.  To my surprise, they weren’t written in Tamil script by transliterated into the Roman script!  Perhaps many young Malaysian Tamils can’t read very good Tamil?

I found my way to the river where devotees prepare themselves with their kavadis. This is where they bathe, have themselves pierced and don their kavadis. Like anywhere in Batu Caves, there was a frenzy of activity and lots of drumming and music. The atmosphere cannot be easily described.

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I stayed around till about 1300 when I thought I’d better head back. I didn’t want to get heatstroke. I was soaked with sweat and had been drinking heaps but it’s good to be careful as I have to be in top form for Sipadan and Mt Kinabalu!

I arrived back into the city and 1400 and headed to KLCC (Twin Towers) for lunch and to cool off with an ais kacang. Then I stayed in air-conditioned comfort of my room from 1600 onwards with except while getting dinner. Such bliss after a hot and sweaty day out!