JOHOR BARU: The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar joined the city’s Hindu community for a special Thaipusam lunch ceremony at the Sri Subramaniar Temple at Jalan Dato Esa here on Wednesday.
The Sultan arrived at the venue at about 12.05pm and was warmly greeted by a crowd of about 8,000 people who had lined the streets since early morning to welcome the ruler and to pay homage to Lord Muruga.
Sultan Ibrahim, who injured his right hand in a recent kitchen mishap, was seen with a bandage wrapped around his right palm. The injury prevented the ruler from his usual custom of shaking hands with the rakyat – but he nodded and smiled in acknowledgement of their greetings.
The Sultan, who spent more than an hour meeting with his subjects, was accompanied by his son, Tunku Temenggong Tunku Idris Iskandar.
Also present were Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed; Johor Unity and Human Resources Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan; and State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism executive councillor Datuk Tee Siew Kiong.
Temple chairman K. Arumugam and Vidnayathan presented a special garland and velvet attire to Sultan Ibrahim, in appreciation of his visit.
The event also saw 25 orphans from the Sri Ragavendra Association of Taman Kota Masai receive RM2,000 in the form of a mock cheque from the temple committee as a special Thaipusam contribution.
Among special activities held by the temple to celebrate the holy day were recreational sports, a blood donation drive, health screening check-ups and free haircuts.
In IPOH , the Sri Subramaniar temple in Gunung Cheroh here was the site of a vibrant celebration as more than 20,000 Hindus from all walks of life celebrated Thaipusam, the festival of thanksgiving and repentance.
Devotees were seen carrying clay or brass pots filled with milk, while hundreds of kavadi bearers were seen dancing to drum beats.
The celebrations attracted not only devotees, but tourists from Malaysia, the region and across the globe.
Isabel Maurice, 24, from the Philippines said that it was her first Thaipusam experience, and that she is already looking forward to joining the crowd again next year.
"I was so curious when I saw a lot of people walking barefoot and carrying something on their body. So I just followed them and it led me here, to this beautiful temple.
"It is a very colourful celebration. The children and adults are wearing colourful dresses," she added.
Meanwhile, state Deputy Chief of Police Datuk Omar Mammah said police personnel are monitoring the temple and its visitors to ensure the safety of the public.
"Everything is under control and no untoward incident has occurred so far.
“A total of 1,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state during this festival," he said.
Omar was speaking to reporters after distributing food at the Perak police contingent's 'Thaneer Panthal" (refreshment stalls) near the temple.
In KUANTAN , devotees clad in colourful attire converged on the main road leading to the Sri Sithi Vinayagar temple here to mark the Hindu holy day.
The sweltering heat did not deter celebrants from participating in the 6 km-long procession, with police and People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) members helping to control vehicular traffic as hundreds walked from Tanah Putih to Jalan Bukit Ubi here.
Chants of “Vel! Vel!” could be heard as the barefoot devotees proceeded to their destination while carrying paal kudam (milk pots).
Although there was only one kavadi bearer this year, traditional music helped liven up the atmosphere.
Upon reaching the temple, the devotees handed the milk pots to priests who then poured the milk onto the deities while chanting mantras.
S. Premila, 40, said she was joined by eight family members in carrying milk pots to the temple.
The mother of three said she believes that fulfilling their vows will help bring blessings to the family, including good health.
Meanwhile, lorry driver S. Jayabalan, 35, said it is high time the Pahang government declare Thaipusam a state holiday, as it would allow more people to participate in and attend the prayers.
The traditional first-day chariot procession will be held on Thursday, however, as the temple will be closed from 6pm to 6am due to the lunar eclipse.
*With additional reporting by T. N. Alagesh