Thaipusam is coming up in 8 more days, and yes this year it will be very different in Malaysia due to lock-downs brought about by Covid-19. Missing from this year's celebration would be the chariot procession, kavadis and huge crowds at Batu Caves, Penang and Ipoh as we are under lock-down that will most likely be extended beyond the festival date.
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| A couple carried their child up Batu Caves as a sign of gratitude for Lord Muruga's blessing, one day before the second Covid-19 lockdown in Selangor. |
Even so, some devotees managed to fulfill their vows of carrying paal kudam (pot of milk) or their baby as a sign of gratitude before the lockdown was imposed. Hopefully this will be the only year that the festival's age old traditions were broken, and we can return to nomalcy next year.
Vetrivel Muruganukku Arogara!
UPDATE: MKN has announced that all Thaipusam activities are NOT ALLOWED in temples within Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional MCO (CMCO) states in Malaysia.
UPDATE 2: The Thaipusam chariot procession of Batu Caves, Penang and Ipoh has been granted permission to be held but under tight security with no devotees allowed.
