Foreign Tourists Awed With Thaipusam Celebration

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- Foreign tourists are awed with Hindu devotees on Thaipusam's 125th celebration at Sri Subramaniyar Swamy temple, Batu Caves here Tuesday. Hundreds of them flocked there, with some having travelled thousands of kilometres, just to witness one of the most prestigious celebrations in the Hinduism calendar in Southeast Asia. An Italian tourist, Mattia Malavenda, 34, said he appreciated the beauty of the culture in Malaysia and considered Thaipusam as one of his 'must see' events as this was his first time to witness such a mesmerizing celebration in his life. "I have never seen such a huge crowd here. It is very nice, traditional and fantastic. It was something different to me as this celebration never exists in my country," he told Bernama here Tuesday adding that he had been in the country for ten days touring the peninsula. In his excitement, he climbed 272 steps of staircase leading to the temple inside the cave together with 1.6 million Hindu devotees and tourists swarming the area to join the festivities. Seen among the sea of Hindus were kavadi carriers, bare-footed devotees and shaven heads in conjunction with the festival, which is an official event in the national tourism calendar. Devotees thronged the Sri Subramaniyar Swamy temple there to fulfill their vows and to seek penance for their sins in conjunction with the festival. An American, Kevin Mcnulty, 41, said it was his first time to see the celebration despite having stayed in Malaysia for about three years to follow his wife, who worked here. Mcnulty, who lived in Ampang, said he was fortunate to have the opportunity to come to Batu Caves as he loved the music featured in the festivities. "I just love the music. It makes me alive and make others happy," he said, adding that the local authority and the temple's management should provide more public dustbins in the area. Another American, David Anderson, 25, said it was his first visit to witness Thaipusam celebration and was mesmerized by the Hindu devotees' religious ritual when some of them shaved their heads bald, carried heavy kavadi as a symbol of their atonement and climbing high staircases just to offer their prayers. "I love the music and most of all I like there are a lot of kiosks for me to buy souvenirs," he said. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA