All geared up for Thaipusam

GOMBAK: The preparation for Thaipusam tomorrow is in full swing in Batu Caves with most stalls opening until Wednesday.

Coconut supplier Pon Narayanasamy, 40, who has been operating during the Thaipusam festival for nine years, said business was especially good this year. “Because of the Maulidur Rasul (birthday of Prophet Muhammad) and Thaipusam holidays, it is a long weekend and more visitors have time for the festival over these four days,” he said yesterday.

Annual journey: A huge crowd accompanying the chariot during its journey from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam in Kuala Lumpur to Batu Caves in Selangor earlier today.

On a regular day, 17 shops operate within the temple compound but between 200 and 250 stalls are now opened for the festival. Amrit Kaur, 49, who was taking care of her daughter’s stall, said they had set up a shop for the first time in Batu Caves during Thaipusam. She said they usually set up stalls, which sell traditional attire, during Indian carnival events all over Malaysia.

Throngs of devotees and tourists were at the temple compound yesterday. Temple committee member Rivehemanda Batu Malai, 43, estimated over 20,000 people visited Batu Caves by noon. “The crowd has been coming in non-stop since Saturday evening. What’s more, we are expecting 1.5 million visitors on Tuesday (tomorrow),” he said.

To help manage the crowd, police were brought in on Friday and will be covering the whole compound as well as controlling traffic outside Batu Caves until Wednesday. Besides that, volunteers from the temple, members of Rela, St John’s and Red Cross, and almost 50 doctors were on standby. A temporary bus station was also set up outside Batu Caves to facilitate the extra transportation required during Thaipusam.

-thestar online.