The day of Thaipusam
Dear flist,
Another group of photos, this one is taken on the actual day. I didn't really walk 3KM. *cheated* 'coz I stay quite near to the hill temple. Once more, please bear with me as I navigate around this linking jargon. The links will take you to an external page, i.e. photobucket and also opens up in a new page. It might be a bit big, so it's not dial-up friendly. Anyone eek'y about blood and body piercing please skip over.
Took my lunch (which I nicked from the stall just across my house, they serve FREE FOOD to devotees only at lunch hour - 12noon - 2pm, or if the food finished early) to fortify myself for the walk. Ha~ i think only about 0.5km or less. Here's where I got the FREE FOOD, well almost, how can I take a photo of me queueing? Haha~ So I took a photo of those after me. *grin*
Managed to upload a video, wonder if you can view it.
One of the things I like - and I dubbed thee Sticks Dance *chortle* It's a Video.
Grabbed these TWO photo from Online photo gallery of a local newspaper
Steep climb for devotees in KL - Batu Caves. 272steps, I remembered counting them as a primary student (not even in my teens yet) and moaning about it when someone made me lost count. The brochure told us it was 272 steps. Was it?;
Lion dance in this event? Chinese ethnic culture mixing with this Hindu festival? Why not? My country is a mixed culture country. *grin*
A few pictures of kavadi bearers, look closely, they are not allowed to talk while in trance.
Front of a kavadi bearer ; Back of the same kavadi bearer ; Same kavadi bearer in dancing mode.; Child-size kavadi bearer?; Smaller version of those elaborately decorated kavadi with hooks
Strings attached to small hooks pulling skin of devotees
Falling down?;
Up close with one of those strings and hooks attached devotee.
Bane of my ear-drums for the last few days
Super speakers! Think of a few stalls having similar speakers, though might be smaller version, think of the numbers! Many stalls equal many speakers. *fainted*
Competitive in decorative design for stalls?
B|braun's employees made this palace-like stall
Streets are over-run by people. Look! No cars! People jams. From what I see, yeah, there's aren't a lot, who would want to come out under the hot midday sun? The nights will be jam-packed with people. Where did those people come from? Geezz
Where the carriage carrying the Hindu god rest before making the trip back the day after Thaipusam
Temples
That's the temple I mentioned, up in the hill. I have no idea how they bring the Hindu god all the way up there. Must really ask my Indian friends.;
Preserving heritage in a glass cabinet. This is another temple just at the foot of the hill that all devotees go to.;
Resting place for the top half of some of the kavadi bearers. They can't really take the whole thing up, you know. It's kinda steep.
Animals in the festival
Elephants! 5 bucks per ride! Any takers? Ha~ Getting a little giddy on see them, had no luck the last few years to spot any elephants when people keep telling me, yes, there are elephants in the temple. ;
Look! Monkeys on the side while I was treking up the steps towards the temple. Oops! I didn't count those steps, It's less then those in Batu Caves, KL.
Different type of kavadi... they pull heavy things, look at the amount of strings and hooks on his body.
Strings and bottles;
The kind of thing they pull at the back. It will surely look really good at night with those lights. And yes, they pull it, with wee bit 'pulling and pushing' help from their friends. ;
You don't want to mess with them. They looks kinda fierce. All those piercing, through their tongues like a cross. *shudders* Look what they are pulling, massive big thing!
As an end note, the later the evening, the more people will crawl out from wherever they comes from. So, I choose the good one or was it bad? To walk under the midday sun. Ah~ so hot! Burning hot. Makes me remember, the "Mad dogs and Englishmen" song. I think I got a headstroke or something *grin*
It's almost 10pm when I post this, there are still some kavadi bearers outside. And jam-packed with people like sardines. Would love to show you some pictures but I tried, the photos that turn out are horribly dark, can't see a time or just a blur of lights and dark shapes.
Another group of photos, this one is taken on the actual day. I didn't really walk 3KM. *cheated* 'coz I stay quite near to the hill temple. Once more, please bear with me as I navigate around this linking jargon. The links will take you to an external page, i.e. photobucket and also opens up in a new page. It might be a bit big, so it's not dial-up friendly. Anyone eek'y about blood and body piercing please skip over.
Took my lunch (which I nicked from the stall just across my house, they serve FREE FOOD to devotees only at lunch hour - 12noon - 2pm, or if the food finished early) to fortify myself for the walk. Ha~ i think only about 0.5km or less. Here's where I got the FREE FOOD, well almost, how can I take a photo of me queueing? Haha~ So I took a photo of those after me. *grin*
Managed to upload a video, wonder if you can view it.
One of the things I like - and I dubbed thee Sticks Dance *chortle* It's a Video.
Grabbed these TWO photo from Online photo gallery of a local newspaper
Steep climb for devotees in KL - Batu Caves. 272steps, I remembered counting them as a primary student (not even in my teens yet) and moaning about it when someone made me lost count. The brochure told us it was 272 steps. Was it?;
Lion dance in this event? Chinese ethnic culture mixing with this Hindu festival? Why not? My country is a mixed culture country. *grin*
A few pictures of kavadi bearers, look closely, they are not allowed to talk while in trance.
Front of a kavadi bearer ; Back of the same kavadi bearer ; Same kavadi bearer in dancing mode.; Child-size kavadi bearer?; Smaller version of those elaborately decorated kavadi with hooks
Strings attached to small hooks pulling skin of devotees
Falling down?;
Up close with one of those strings and hooks attached devotee.
Bane of my ear-drums for the last few days
Super speakers! Think of a few stalls having similar speakers, though might be smaller version, think of the numbers! Many stalls equal many speakers. *fainted*
Competitive in decorative design for stalls?
B|braun's employees made this palace-like stall
Streets are over-run by people. Look! No cars! People jams. From what I see, yeah, there's aren't a lot, who would want to come out under the hot midday sun? The nights will be jam-packed with people. Where did those people come from? Geezz
Where the carriage carrying the Hindu god rest before making the trip back the day after Thaipusam
Temples
That's the temple I mentioned, up in the hill. I have no idea how they bring the Hindu god all the way up there. Must really ask my Indian friends.;
Preserving heritage in a glass cabinet. This is another temple just at the foot of the hill that all devotees go to.;
Resting place for the top half of some of the kavadi bearers. They can't really take the whole thing up, you know. It's kinda steep.
Animals in the festival
Elephants! 5 bucks per ride! Any takers? Ha~ Getting a little giddy on see them, had no luck the last few years to spot any elephants when people keep telling me, yes, there are elephants in the temple. ;
Look! Monkeys on the side while I was treking up the steps towards the temple. Oops! I didn't count those steps, It's less then those in Batu Caves, KL.
Different type of kavadi... they pull heavy things, look at the amount of strings and hooks on his body.
Strings and bottles;
The kind of thing they pull at the back. It will surely look really good at night with those lights. And yes, they pull it, with wee bit 'pulling and pushing' help from their friends. ;
You don't want to mess with them. They looks kinda fierce. All those piercing, through their tongues like a cross. *shudders* Look what they are pulling, massive big thing!
As an end note, the later the evening, the more people will crawl out from wherever they comes from. So, I choose the good one or was it bad? To walk under the midday sun. Ah~ so hot! Burning hot. Makes me remember, the "Mad dogs and Englishmen" song. I think I got a headstroke or something *grin*
It's almost 10pm when I post this, there are still some kavadi bearers outside. And jam-packed with people like sardines. Would love to show you some pictures but I tried, the photos that turn out are horribly dark, can't see a time or just a blur of lights and dark shapes.