KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time ever, the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, Batu Caves' silver chariot will make its traditional Thaipusam journey here with the participation of just 10 people.
The public has been banned from participating in the procession due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The chariot procession, which started in 1983, is normally accompanied by 10,000 Hindu devotees and takes about 16 hours to complete – but this time, its journey will end in about three hours without making a stop at any location.
The temple's committee chairman, Tan Sri R. Nadarajah, said the 10 people accompanying the 7.3-metre-high chariot would include the driver, electrical technician, lighting man, a temple priest and five committee members.
The silver chariot ferrying the statues of Lord Murugan and his two wives Dewi Valli and Devi Theivanai will begin its journey from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Jalan Tun H.S Lee here, at 2.30am, Jan 27 after a prayer ceremony.
"The chariot is expected to arrive at Batu Caves at 5.30am to 6 am, on the same day. It will return to the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple at 2.30am on Jany 29," he said, today.
He stressed that the chariot will travel to Batu Caves, which is renowned for being home to the biggest Lord Murugan statue in the world, with a height of 42.7 metres, without any traditional musical accompaniment and will be strictly supervised by the police.
On Sunday, Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said only the journey of the chariot bearing the statue of Lord Murugan to Batu Caves is allowed this Thaipusam.
Nadarajah promised that the standard operation procedures (SOP) set by the National Security Council (MKN) and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would be complied with during the journey.
He also urged Hindus not to take part in the procession and not to turn up at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple on Thaipusam day on Jan 28 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thaipusam is a festival celebrated by Hindus worldwide in the month of 'Thai', the 10th month in the Tamil calendar, to commemorate Lord Murugan's receipt of a holy spear from his mother, Dewi Parvati, to eradicate the evil force, Soorapadman, and bring back peace and prosperity to humankind. – BERNAMA