Tag Archives: indian

Thaipusam 2013 – Part 1

Posted on by
Reply

I arrived at Batu Caves at about 5am and was greeted by a pair of spinning LED kavadis under the moonlight. Traditionally, a wingman pulls the hooks attached to the bare back of the kavadi bearer. Now, we have two guys behind pushing a mini electricity generator on a trolley. Lol.

Instead of firing a flash, I used a slow exposure so the kavadis drew neon trails on the camera’s sensor, creating a beautiful light show.

The Thaipusam ritual of carrying of a kavadi is considered penance for one’s sins or the cleansing of one’s soul. Some bearers pierced their tongues or cheeks with a small spear or skewers as a gesture of unwavering devotion.

The annual Thaipuam Festival at Batu Caves Temple in Malaysia attract over a million devotees, visitors and tourists. It is one of the largest such celebrations outside the of state Tamil Nadu (India) where it began.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f4, 1.6 sec.

Thaipusam 2013 - Part 1

The Silver Chariot

Posted on by
Reply

The Silver Chariot

The annual festival of Thaipusam saw thousands of Hindu devotees take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur last night. The 15-km procession of the golden statue of deity Lord Muruga on a silver chariot started around midnight and ended at Batu Caves just before noon.

Photography Tip: To add some glow to the chariot, overexpose it slightly and apply either some greasy  fingerprints on the lens filter or use a software haze or fog filter.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 500, f3.5, 1/30 sec.

This Full HD video I shot takes you from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Chinatown to L.A. (Leboh Ampang).

Pongalo Pongal!

Posted on by
Reply

Pongal (also spelled as Ponggol in Malaysia and Singapore) is the Thanksgiving or Harvest Festival celebrated in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India. Tamil families in Malaysia also place sugar cane stalks and hang sugar cane flowers on their doors during this  mid-January festival.

Pongal refers to the “boiling over” of milk. The overflowing signifies abundance and prosperity. Sugar cane symbolises  sweetness and happiness, I was told. It is only one part of the many rituals and traditions that involve grains, fruits, flowers and milk.

Spotted this makeshift stall off the back of a truck in the Setapak Hot Springs area, earlier today. The owner told me he bought the canes from a plantation in Kapar and is selling them at RM 5 per stalk. His son helps out weaving decorative garlands from the sugar cane flowers.

The four-day festival observed in the Tamil calendar month of “Thai” begins on January 15. Happy Ponggol Festival!

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f10, 1/320 sec.

Pongalo Pongal!