Alan Teh Leam Seng is feeling the charm of Deepavali in Klang’s Little India
THANKS to the rain, I am now left with no other agenda for the remainder of the afternoon. While waiting for the traffic lights at the junction of Jalan Tengku Kelana and Jalan Dato Hamzah in Klang to change, my quick thinking tells me to take advantage of the fast approaching Deepavali celebrations in the royal town of Selangor.
Turning right a little further up, I am fortunate to find an empty parking lot at a small side street along Jalan Taliair.
Klang’s main thoroughfare, Jalan Tengku Kelana, is a good place to start my walkabout. After all, it is home to one of the largest Indian business in Malaysia, with the others being Brickfields, Jalan Ampang and Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur and Lebuh Pasar in Penang.
The origin of the large Indian population here can be traced all the way back to the 19th century when steamers plying the Madras-Penang-Port Swettenham route brought in tens of thousands of Indian migrants from South India seeking a better future in this land that was then known as British Malaya.
Some of those who disembarked at Port Swettenham (today Port Klang) chose not to venture further and found jobs or set up businesses in Klang town as well as its surrounding areas.
As more and more shops opened up in Jalan Tengku Kelana and its smaller tributary streets like Lorong Tingkat, Lorong Rembau, Jalan Pulasan and Jalan Yeo Guan Hup, this thriving area soon became a magnet for new arrivals from ports lining both sides of the Indian sub-continent well into the mid-20th century.
In the process, the Indian migrants brought along their customs and traditions, including the celebration of Deepavali.
JALAN TENGKU KELANA
Right up to this very day, the shops around Jalan Tengku Kelana is a hotbed for commercial activity as people flock there to purchase textiles and clothes as well as ingredients for making festive goodies and sweetmeats in preparation for the Festival of Lights.
Among the savoury snacks made at home during Deepavali is athi resam, which is a puff made by frying a dough of sugar and ground fermented rice flour. This sweet is offered to the goddess of the stove during the festival as an offering to ensure that there is enough food for the family throughout the year.
Apart from the other items that are popular with shoppers during this festive period like gold jewellery, pottery and decorative items for the home, the presence of large containers filled with what appears to look like rocks on the five foot way of several shops sets me on the path to find out about Sambrani, a type of solidified resin extracted from the bark of several tree species from the genus Styrax.
Known also as kemenyan in Malay, it is used in the manufacture of perfume, scented candles, essential oils and medicine. Valued for its sweet vanilla-like aroma and fixative properties, Indians burn Sambrani on hot coals as a form of incense for use during thanksgiving prayers and pujas (prayer rituals) performed before the family shrine as well as at temples on Deepavali morning.
A little further up, I notice a subtle but yet delicious smell wafting in the air. The scent soon leads to a quaint restaurant selling a variety of festive delicacies and Indian sweets. Among the popular ones are jalebi, murukku and vadai. Apart from a mind-boggling variety of laddu, shoppers also go for the fudge-like barfi, semia and Kaju apple, which looks like a miniature apple, made of cashew.
Standing by the sidewalk while enjoying several pieces of piping hot Imarti, I take time off to watch people go about their Deepavali shopping. With shops on both sides of the road filled to the brim with festive goods of every imaginable kind and makeshift stalls spilling onto the back alleys, the fierce competition among traders here in Klang’s Little India bodes well for shoppers as they are not only spoilt for choice but also assured of reasonable prices.
The shops enjoying the most business are the ones selling traditional clothing and textiles. New clothes usually in the form of traditional Indian attire are a must during Deepavali as they represent a new start and a hope for the individual to become a more successful person.
Men usually shop for the dhoti (cloth knotted around the waist and extends to cover the upper parts of the legs) and angavastram (cloth draped across the shoulder) while women keep an eye out for sarees (colourful fabric draped around the body) and choli (blouse).
Traditionally, clothes with bright colours are favoured during Deepavali while black coloured ones are avoided as their association with death is considered inauspicious.
JALAN TINGKAT
Upon reaching the end of Jalan Tengku Kelana, the route takes on a slight incline along Jalan Tingkat. Interestingly, the entire right side of the road is lined with makeshift stalls selling garlands made of fresh flowers.
The pookaarar and pookari, men and women, respectively, who weave flowers with practised precision into garlands, wreaths and long strings, are mostly second-generation florists who inherited the business from their parents or close family members.
The blooms are mostly sourced from the main flower producing region of Cameron Highlands while a small number are acquired from suppliers in nearby Banting, Morib and Kuala Selangor.
A quick look around reveal that their eye-catching creations feature primarily brightly coloured and fragrant flowers like marigold, chrysanthemum, jasmine and orchid. During Deepavali, garlands are used as religious symbols of respect to honour deities.
Despite their busy schedule, the florists here are very friendly and are more than happy to share knowledge about their religion. According to them, Deepavali has been celebrated in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years and although it is observed by all Hindus, there are distinct variations in the practices and the way it is celebrated in different regions of India.
At the same time, this festival that commemorates the triumph of good over evil as well as light over darkness, is also celebrated by Indians of other religions such as the Sikhs and the Jains.
The myth related to Deepavali tells of a cruel and oppressive demon king, Naraka, who was feared by his people. Hoping for a way out of their misery, the people prayed to Lord Krishna for deliverance and he responded by killing Naraka in battle.
While celebrating their freedom, they likened Naraka’s rule to darkness and his slaying as the banishment of darkness to welcome light. As a result, houses are brightly lit during Deepavali to remind everyone that darkness can only be removed through light.
Apart from purchasing decorative oil lamps from shops located along Lorong Rembau, which runs parallel with Jalan Tengku Kelana, shoppers also keep an eye out for brightly coloured table cloths and other home decor items for their homes.
The reason for this is because Deepavali is also associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty. Many believe that Lakshmi brings wealth and good fortune only to homes that are brightly decorated and clean.
PARROT ASTROLOGER
While retracing the route back to the car, I come across a middle-aged Chinese couple seeking the services of an elderly Indian man who appears to double up as a palmist as well as a parrot astrologer.
I have read at length about these fortune tellers who use green parakeets to foretell the future of their clients but never had the opportunity to see one in action until now.
The services of these fortune tellers are sought by those who want to know what their future holds. Their questions usually concern family welfare, health or an impending trip abroad. Those who seek answers as a couple usually want to know about life after their union.
Most parrot fortune tellers in Malaysia originate from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. They take up this occupation as it has been in their families for generations. As there are no formal schools to attend training, it is up to the elders of the house to adopt an interested family member as an apprentice.
The process starts with the client providing the fortune teller with his or her name, age and birth date. Then, the soothsayer carefully lifts the cage door and instructs his pet to select a card after saying the client’s personal details out loud.
The bird, known also as astrologer parrots or Tarot-reading parrots, then calmly walks over to a stack of 27 fortune cards and starts sifting through them until one is selected.
It picks up the thick and heavy card in its beak and waddles over in a rather comical manner to its owner and drops it into his waiting hand. In return for its effort, the parrot gets a delicious titbit which it savours upon return to its cage.
While most of the cards contain the images of Hindu deities, others bear the picture of the Buddha or even Virgin Mary with Infant Jesus. The fortune teller reveals his client’s future based on the image in the chosen card.
Those who are lucky enough to get favourable results leave with a smile on their faces and feeling supremely confident that the deities are on their side. On the other hand, the fortune teller would advise those whose fortunes are less favourable to visit the nearby Sri Nagara Thandayuthapani Temple to make offerings and seek guidance from the deities.
The temple at Jalan Bukit Jawa was built with funds raised by the Klang nattukottal chettiar merchants. Known also as the Sree Raja Rajeswary Temple, after its patron deity, this ornate place of worship serves as the main cultural hub for the Klang Hindu community.
As in most parts of the world, parrot astrologers in Malaysia are experiencing their sunset years, due to diminishing customers who consist primarily of the elderly. With the technologically savvy younger generation shunning their services under the excuse of unproven prediction credibility, it is only a matter of time before these fortune tellers fade into history.
Pictures by Alan Teh Leam Seng