spent 6 hours last night chasing a chariot. it was the annual festival of thaipusam where devotees throng the streets to walk the approximately 15km from Chinatown to Batu Caves. This could be an 8-hour journey culminating in a flight of 272 steps to the top of the cave where they break coconuts and pour the milk they have carried on a statue of Lord Murugan.
it was amazing! there were so many people on the streets. apparently 100,000 were expected, of all ages, shapes and sizes. some carried milk, others small kavadis and others - their children. the persistent drizzle did not dampen the spirits of the devotees who were out in force. they all seemed happy to be there and some had such a sublime look of devotion on their faces, that little old agnostic me felt a pang for such unwavering faith.
(other) tourists were also out to enjoy the happy and lively atmosphere.
i was especially impressed that most of the people were walking barefoot, even children who didn't seem any worse for the wear. it was interesting to note that most of those walking barefoot were women. guess we know who the stronger sex is.was also impressed by how there was free food and drinks along the way offered by charitable and commercial organizations.as my friend said, if it was chinese festival, everything would have a price tag.
the chariot made its way slowly passing by Hindu and Indian establishments, stopping every once in a while to bless them. After a while most of the crowd had overtaken the chariot and the first devotees started trickling into the caves at 4am. they were still going strong and started their way up the stairs with determination. Some women i saw rolled themselves on the path leading up to the stairs as a gesture of humility. we left the caves before the crowd came in and back-tracked (again by car) to meet the chariot in front of the famous temple on jalan ipoh. the night for me culminated with a display of fireworks illuminating the sky above the chariot.
