With it being two more days before the eve of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021, the Ampang Nine Emperor Gods temple (安邦南天宮) is unusually calm and quiet compared to pre-Covid times. The usual stream of people dropping off rice, oil and other foodstuff as donations and offerings were completely absent this year.
However, there were more devotees present than in the previous week, probably making use of the weekend before the temple closes its doors for the festival to place donations and pay for coil incense to be lit on behalf of them during the festival by the temple staff. Outside, within the temple grounds, the dragon joss sticks were already
up, and I was informed that more are coming on Monday. Towards the end of the day, more
devotees turn up to offer their prayers in lieu of doing so during the
festival as the temple will only allow their committee and limited
number of members to attend the prayers during the festival to avoid any
over crowding issues.
The unusual calmness and lack of activity during this time of the year does feel pretty disturbing, especially if you are so used to the chaos and cacophony that is the hallmark of the temple gearing up for the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. So here's to a quiet and uneventful Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021.
Important Dates:
Eve of 2021 Nine Emperor Gods Festival: 5th October 2021 (Tuesday)
First Day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival: 6th October 2021 (Wednesday)
Ninth Day of Nine Emperor Gods Festival: 14th October 2021 (Thursday)
