George Town / Island Archives - Page 162 of 172

Street View from Hong Kong Bar

A view of Chulia Street.

Penang Street Art (Chowrasta Market)

A steel rod wall sculpture in Chowrasta Market depicting how convicts from the old British empire who were brought in to Penang as laborers. Those who managed to regain their freedom later became small traders and eventually formed up the Chowrasta Market.

Penang Isle: Thaipusam Festival Scenes (II)

“The simplest kavadi is a semicircular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain.”

More scenes can be found HERE.

Penang Isle: Thaipusam Festival Scenes

For these devotees, they were pulling the large chariot for the Hindu goddess Kali via ropes which were hooked to the back of their bodies.

Piercing is very common for the devotees.

For some, it was a family affair.

Ropes with hooks attached at the back of the devotees.

Devotees usually prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting approximately 48 days before Thaipusam.

During this day, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). In Penang, the pilgrimage’s common destination is the Waterfall Hill Temple.

Hindus generally take a vow to offer a kavadi to a deity or god for the purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity.

More scenes can be found HERE.

Thaipusam in Penang

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community annually. In Malaysia, many Hindu devotees generally will flock to the Batu Caves in Selangor or the Waterfall Temple in Penang to celebrate this festival. One of the main highlights of the festival is the kavadi being carried by devotees seeking help from the God Murugan (as shown in the picture above).