Happy Lunar New Year 2023

Tomorrow is the Lunar New Year (Jan 22nd 2023) and many of us are all geared up to usher in the Year of the Water Rabbit (癸卯).

 

Some of us may still be busy with last minute shopping whilst others are already back in their hometowns with their family for the customary reunion dinner tonight.

Technically it is still the Year of the Water Tiger (壬寅) as the first day of the Year of the Water Rabbit occurs on Li Chun (立春 - Beginning of Spring) which falls on February 4th.

 

 Wishing all my readers a Happy Lunar New Year!

Counting Down to Thaipusam 2023 - 49 More Days

As the year comes to an end, it is time to prepare for the coming year. Tomorrow (December 20th) marks the start of the 48 day fast (mandala viratham) for those who intend to carry kavadi (burden) for the coming Thaipusam (in February 2023).

In Malaysia, Thaipusam falls on February 5th 2023. Whilst the Pusam star in the month of Thai in 2023 reaches the highest point around 1.13pm on the 4th of February 2023, the festival is officially set for the following day.

This is because Thaipusam can only considered to begin after the Theertochavam ceremony of Lord Muruga's Vel (bathing of the divine spear) had been carried out and that ceremony can only be conducted in the morning. Hence Thaipusam officially falls on February 5th in 2023.

Carrying the kavadi (burden) is no easy feat and the preparation includes a 48 day fast. This fast or mandala viratham must be completed before the day of carrying the kavadi, and entails austerities like sleeping on the floor (no beds or soft bedding), taking only sattvic diet, taking only cold baths, abstaining from sex, and for men they will not shave or cut their hair in this period.

So today is 49 days to the actual day of Thaipusam in 2023 and we are all looking forward to the festival next year minus all the SOPs of the pandemic.

The Hill, the Mist and the Leaf Monkeys...

Penang Hill have always been close to my heart, ever since I first set foot on this hill station when I was about four or five years old. I remember enjoying the photo sessions by my dad with my mum and my brother at Bellevue Hotel, and loving the cool crisp air and the lovely flowers in the garden. On the other hand I also demonstrated this irrational fear of the misty and cold Summit Road during that first trip; maybe it was because at that age, I perceived that the foggy and misty road were swallowing up people who walked into it and cried when my parents wanted to take us for a walk along Summit Road.

 

Since then the love for the hill has grown  tremendously with the numerous hiking trips up the hill done with family or friends. Each and every hike to me is like an adventure with a whole new world opening up to you if you keep your eyes, nose and ears peeled, especially for someone who loves plants and birds.

Of late, I haven't had the opportunity to go up Penang Hill ever since the pandemic, until today. Despite not hiking but joining the weekend crowd on the funicular railway, it was indeed an eye-opening trip for me to see how many things up there have changed since the pandemic.

 

The weather was good, and the rolling mist adds to the allure and charm of the hill station. What caught my eye was at the abandoned quarters on the old Waterfall Road. The back end of the dilapidated quarters have now become the playground for a group of dusky leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus obscurus). I guess when humans move out, nature takes back.

 

One of the dusky leaf monkeys playing at the back of the abandoned quarters along the old
Waterfall Road.

I then went to the clearing by the abandoned Convalescent bungalow to enjoy the 'mossy forest' feel of Penang Hill. That area and the adjacent area now occupied by the Habitat used to be my favourite hang-out area when I am up there, just to get some peace of mind.

 

 

For me, the hill has changed a lot since my childhood, but I guess everything keeps evolving and moving forward, and all we can do is reminisce the past and enjoy the present!

 

Dumbells anyone???

Bypath C - love the mist.

A little repair is needed :-)

All in a day's work...

Bringing Iron Rod Puppets to Life - Kim Giak Low Choon Teochew Puppet Opera

In Penang, the Kim Giak Low Choon Teochew Puppet Troupe (金玉楼春潮州木偶剧团) needs no introduction here in their hometown as they are one of the groups that are actively promoting and keeping the tradition of Teochew iron-rod puppet opera alive. Whilst they have performed in numerous shows organised by various government agencies and NGOs in the promotion of local intangible cultural heritage, I still enjoy their performances more when it is performed in a more traditional setting viz. in temple celebrations.

Such shows that usually performed in conjunction with a deity's birthday are called 酬神戏 (chóu shén xì) in Chinese and literally means Rewarding the Gods performance. There is this feel of the 'realness' in the show when they perform on the temple opera stage, with all the temple stuff around and not in a 'sanitised' set up. Plus if you block the intended audience of the show (the gods or spirits) when watching or shooting them, they would not be asking you to move aside, right?

I managed to catch Kim Giak Low Choon Teochew Puppet Troupe recently in such a setting during the Goddess of Mercy birthday celebration at Yuan Ying Gong (Hor Kai Kong) temple in Pulau Tikus, Penang. As always, their performances is joy to watch and shoot. The lack of audience during the performance there also meant that it was easy to maneuver around the front of the stage to capture the puppets and puppeteers in action.

Masi Magam Theppa Thiruvizha 2022 @ Penang

The Masi Magam Theppa Thiruvizha celebrated by the Sri Singamuga Kaliamman Temple in Teluk Bahang, Penang is one of the lesser known but truly unique festival celebrated here. This festival, which usually occurs at the end of February or early March every year, has been celebrated by this temple annually since the early 1900s.

So what is Masi Magam?

Masi Magam is a Hindu festivals popular with Tamils and is celebrated when the Moon is in the Magha/Magam nakshatra (star/asterism) during the Tamil month of Masi (Feb - March), hence the name Masi Magam. The Magha star is α-Leonis (Regulus) in the Western constellation of Leo and in Hindu astrology this star is associated with power and royalty.

On this auspicious day, it is said that prayers done is very efficacious in removing afflictions in life, particularly those associated with ancestors (pitru dhosa) as the Magha star is controlled by Ketu (lunar descending node) which governs past actions and ancestors.

Temples in Southern India (as well as Southern Indian temples of the Tamil diaspora like in Malaysia) will usually hold temple festivals i.e. Thiruvizha on this day where the temple idols will be paraded out on temple chariots and taken for a ceremonial bath in a body of water (Theerthavari). Devotees will then take a dip in this body of water as it is believed to be blessed thus capable of relieving past afflictions and wash away bad karma.

So now we come to Theppa Thiruvizha... instead of parading the idols in chariots, the Sri Singamuga Kaliamman Temple in Penang does it by boat, hence it is called a Theppa (i.e. a float or decorated boat) Thiruvizha! This unique way of celebrating the festival here calls for a specially built, beautifully decorated and brightly lit boat that will carry the deity out to sea in the evening as the sun sets, with fireworks going off before she is given the ceremonial bath out at sea.

It is, I believe one of the only temple in Malaysia to carry out a Theppa Thiruvizha for Masi Magam. And to add to the stunningly lit float that stands out against the darkening evening sky, devotees also release floating lamps onto the water, and the sea in that area magically transforms into this mesmerizing sparkling sea of lights.

In the past, this festival at Teluk Bahang Penang usually attracts up to 40k devotees and tonnes of photographers all wanting to participate and catch a glimpse of this amazing event. However, the number of participants are very much less this year, and there wasn't much of a crowd at all since we are still in the pandemic. In fact you could even count the number of photographers present with both hands!

2022 actually marks the 115th year that the temple has carried out the celebration in this unique fashion, and despite the various restrictions presented by the Covid-19 SOPs and the current Omicron wave, I must say they have managed to pull it off very well to keep this tradition alive.

So next time you are in Penang around February - March, do check out the Masi Magam Theppa Thiruvizha here.

Thaipusam 2022 - Another year of the festival under the pandemic and the pandemonium of SOPs

Amidst the last minute announcement of new SOPs by the government for the festival, which threw confusion and chaos amongst devotees as to what is allowed for the festival, Thaipusam 2022 kick-started in Kuala Lumpur last night with the silver chariot carrying the image of Lord Murugan and his consorts leaving the Sri Maha Mariammam temple in town for Batu Caves at around 10pm.

Whilst the crowd was less at the temple compared to pre-Covid times, it was still a sizeable crowd as many thronged to witness the event personally after being unable to do so last year. With restricted stoppages and less devotees offering archanais along the way, the chariot reached its destination in the wee hours of the morning today on 17 January.

Thaipusam falls on the 18th of January, and due to the last minute announcement of the rules by the government, there will be no kavadi carrying allowed at temples in Malaysia this year. However milk pots are allowed and hence it is expected the festival will be a little toned-down as compared to before the pandemic.

Happy Thaipusam 2022 to all!

Comtemplation in the Market...

A fresh seafood seller seemed to be deep in thought whilst waiting for customers to come by at Psar Chas in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This photo was taken in 2015... and with the current pandemic, I too sometimes wonder if we can ever be the same again like in pre-Covid times.

Interestingly, the word for market in Khmer is Psar... which is probably a derivative from Champa or the Malay word Pasar, which came from the Persian word Bazar. The influence of East - West trade on the word usage for market is indeed interesting.

Memories of Jogja Istimewa -The Endog Abang Lady

A rather unique festival celebrated in Jogjakarta, Central Java is the Sekaten festival that usually last for a week, commemorating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. One of the features of this festival is the abundance of ladies selling red eggs on skewers decorated with bits of paper known as Endog Abang (in Javanese endog is egg and abang is red - literally red egg).

The Endog Abang seller...

 

This photo of the lady selling Endog Abang was taken just outside one of the entrance to the Jogjakarta Palace during the 2015 Sekaten celebration. Whenever she sells a few Endog Abang, she will then proceed to make a few more from her supplies of red eggs stored in the woven basket in front of her.

Can Malaysia Survive Another Covid-19 Lockdown?

On Wed 13th January 2021, Malaysia will enter into yet another lock-down as the escalating case numbers of Covid-19 cases are getting out of control. This is in spite of the fact that in the middle of last year (2020), we were one of those countries praised for the excellent handling of the Covid-19 situation; all it took was a by-election and everything has gone south ever since.

Yet Movement Control Order 2.0 may just be the last straw that broke the camel's back, as the country's economy which hadn't recovered since the first lock-down despite the relaxation of the lock-down several months later might not be able to take the brunt of another lock-down. The signs are obvious, especially small businesses that had shuttered their doors due to the pandemic.

An empty Petaling Street on a Sunday... Wonder how many customers did the old uncle
selling Ban Chang kueh (peanut pancake) gets each day?

If you take a walk in Kuala Lumpur's inner city areas like Petaling Street, you can definitely see the effects of the previous lock-down on small businesses. No longer bustling with people and with only a few stalls still open for business, Chinatown is now a ghost of its former self and actually looks more like a ghost town! Even on weekends, you could stand in the middle of Petaling Street, stretch your arms out and spin around without hitting anyone. The photo above was taken on a Sunday, just days before the second lock-down, and you can see how empty Petaling Street is.

Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but I truly hope that after this Covid-19 pandemic is over, the old uncle selling the peanut pancake will still be there.... hopefully!

So Long... Farewell Penang Ferry Service

As the year draw to a close, we bid farewell to 2020 and also the historical Penang Ferry Service, which will make its last trip today, ferrying both vehicles and passengers to and from Penang to Butterworth.

The ferry service, which started off as a passenger-only service by Quah Beng Kee and his four siblings in 1894, was later upgraded to became a vehicle and passenger service in 1925.

The operations of the ferries were later taken over in 1924 by Penang Port Sdn Bhd., a subsidiary of the Penang Port Commission (formerly Penang Harbour Board), and in 2017, it was then transferred from Penang Port Sdn. Bhd. to the Malaysian government owned Prasarana Malaysia for a token sum of RM1 and rebranded as Rapid Ferry.

I remember as a kid all the ferries were painted yellow and it was a joy when we crossed the straits as we would get down from the car to watch jellyfishes bobbing in the sea as the ferry passed by. 

Later on these ferries were given a coat of multicoloured paint (as in the picture taken in 2014) and in 2017, some of these iconic ferries even had attractions of Penang painted on them!

The iconic Penang Ferry (Pulau Angsa) as seen in 2014 from the Hean Boo Thean floating
temple in Weld Quay, Penang.

 

Alas the ferry service will come to an end as 2020 closes... and this Penang iconic monument with 125 years of service history will be relegated to mere mentions in history books and our fond memories of the past. Farewell to our beloved Penang Ferry!

Flower Power... the Florists of Chalai Bazaar Trivandrum

Chalai Bazaar in Trivandrum, Kerala India is a colourful and bustling market, and one of those where you have got be a little brave, and walk down the alleyways to shops hidden beyond the main thoroughfare. From plastic household items to fresh fruits, highland tea to hardware, and metal cooking pots to underwear, anything that you need in your house or for personal use, you can get it here.

 

But what I liked most are the florist/flower shops that are found here. Some only do the traditional Indian flower garlands and loose flowers for prayers, whilst others also sell modern bouquets for happy occasions and wreaths for funerals. So the next time you are in Trivandrum, spend some time in Chalai Bazaar and try to spot those shops and corner stalls that sell flower power, the florist of Chalai Bazaar.

Streets of Kathmandu... Rugs for Sale

Looking back at the streets of Kathmandu... a Nepali rug seller with his goods hung out on display on the sidewalk of Tridevi Sadak, which is a stone's throw away from the famous Thamel district, photo taken in June 2016.

Errr.... Om Namah Shivaya Che Guevara???

Nine Emperor Gods Festival: Bizarre Body Piercings When the Spirits Descend...

Counting down to Nine Emperor Gods Festival which is only 13 days away (or 12 days to the eve of the festival), let us talk about one of the more intriguing visual aspects of this celebration.

Besides the yellow flags and vegetarian stalls, one of the many iconic images associated with the upcoming Nine Emperor Gods Festival you see on the internet are those of bizarre and extreme body piercings done by Thai spirit mediums (Mah Songs). Not only are the piercings large, the items used leaves little to the imagination and are often unreligious but consist of mundane household objects... bicycle, step-ladders, stand-fan, blades, swords, etc.

A spirit medium with a big rod through his cheek connected to a small push bike during the
2019 Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Festival procession

Whilst we seldom see such bizarre practices here in Malaysia, there are a few local mediums that do it, and there are also temples whom 'employ' mediums from Southern Thailand for this festival as a means to attract devotees and visitors to flock to their temple to witness this spectacle, as in the case of Kuala Pilah Nine Emperor Gods Temple.

Medium with lucky charms hanging from his cheek piercing. whilst the rod may look short and
unimposing for now, they will connect huge flages to both ends of the rod for the procession
through the town later on.

So why do these mediums carry out such bizarre piercings? Well, some believe that by inflicting pain or mutilating themselves, the gods that possesses the spirit medium are transferring bad luck and averting misfortune from the devotees onto themselves.

Piercing the cheek of a medium in trance....

Also the blood that flows from self-inflicted wounds are believed to be 'divine' blood as it flows from a body that carries the divine spirit, and thus is used to make 'blood talismans' i.e. talisman with blood from self-mutilations smeared onto them. That is why you see in the pictures here the mediums have talismans and lucky objects hanging from their piercings as to empower them with this 'divine' power.

Having a metal bar pierced through your cheek isn't a typical
job for the faint-heated or the uninitiated.

Next post in this countdown to Nine Emperor Gods 2020 series:

• Fire and Purification - The Nine Emperor Gods Festival

Previous post in this countdown to Nine Emperor Gods 2020 series:

• Will the Show Still Go On after Covid-19?? - Countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020

Will the Show Still Go On after Covid-19?? - Countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020

Amongst all of the culture and performing arts groups affected by Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia, one group that stands out as receiving the brunt end of the deal are they opera troupes that perform for temple celebrations and festivals. This year has seen all of their appointments being canceled, including those for Nine Emperor Gods Festival that is drawing near. The question is will they survive the pandemic and still be there when it all ends? Or will the final curtain fall on them...

Looking back at these pictures of the ritual performance for the invitation ceremony of Jinjang Nine Emperor Gods Festival in 2019 by the Chinese opera troupe there brings back good memories; and our prayers goes out to them that may we see them again in 2021...

Next post in this countdown series:

• Nine Emperor Gods Festival: Bizarre Body Piercings When the Spirits Descend...

Previous post in this countdown to Nine Emperor Gods 2020 series:

• Looking Back at Familiar Faces in Sacred Spaces  - Countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020
  

Nine Emperor Gods Festival - All About The What, Who, Why, When and Where of this Festival

What is the Nine Emperor Gods Festival?

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (九皇爷诞) is a popular festival celebrated in South East Asia, particularly in areas that are the focal points of the Southern Chinese diaspora, like Phuket in Southern Thailand, Penang and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Singapore and certain areas of Indonesia.

This festival is sometimes known as Vegetarian Festival or Tesagan Gin Je in Thailand. Interestingly, this festival does not exist in Mainland China or Taiwan, and is distinctive to the Chinese diaspora outside China. Unique to this festival is the 9 day duration (10 days if you include activities on the eve of the festival), and devotees that wear white and use white or yellow candles and joss-sticks to pray instead of the usual red ones.

A lantern with nine lamps (高燈 or 九曲燈 - pic below) is raised on the eve of the festival to inform the gods that the celebration is happening at the location and an invitation ceremony, that is usually very festive, to invite the Nine Emperor Gods from a body of water usually happens later that day.

At the end of the festival, the Nine Emperor Gods are sent off back to the body of water that they were invited from, usually with another procession consisting of priest, mediums and devotees.

Who are the Nine Emperor Gods (九皇爺 / 九皇大帝)?

The exact origin of the Nine Emperor Gods (九皇大帝) worshiped is unclear, and there are many versions of the origin of this worship. The practice seems to be an amalgamated practice of Taoist Li Dou (Big Dipper Prayer) mixed in with folk spirit worship.

The Nine Emperor Gods are sometimes said to be the nine sons of Dou Mu (斗母), the Mother Goddess of the Taoist pantheon and hence a lot of Nine Emperor Gods temples are called Dou Mu Gong (斗母宮) - literally the Mother of Dipper Star Palace. There is also the version that associates the Nine Emperor Gods with nine Ming Dynasty heroes who fought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty that were beheaded.

In some places like Ampang, there is another version linking the Nine Emperor Gods as a product of the secret society (Hong Secret Society - 洪門會) trying to hide their activities from the law. Regardless of which story you believe in, the worship of Nine Emperor Gods are very popular with the local devotees and their efficacy in answering prayers attested to.

Why do people worship these Nine Emperor Gods?

Whilst there are many (muddled) versions of how this festival started, it all points down to being able to seek help from a higher source to help them with their lives. The festival is a chance for them to pray for a better future, or to purify themselves by participating in rituals associated with this festival such as bridge crossing and fire-walking. Also one can engage Taoist priest to conduct luck opening or luck increasing ceremonies during this festival which is said to be very efficacious.

When does this festival happen?

This festival is celebrated from the 1st day to the 9th day of the 9th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The dates usually fall around late Sept to mid Oct in the Gregorian calendar. Bear in mind that the festival actually starts on the eve of the celebration with the nine lamp lantern pole raising.

• In 2020 - 17th till the 25th of October.
• In 2021 - 4th till the 13th of October.
• In 2022 - 24th of September till the 3rd of October.
  

Where can I read up more about this festival?

• A good start is this academic paper by Cheu Hock Tong entitled -  The Festival of the Nine Emperor Gods in Malaysia: Myth, Ritual, and Symbol.
  
• Read my past postings in 2016 to find out more about the little details of this festival:
  
• ⇒  Nine Emperor Gods Festival Countdown - 11 More Days until...
  
• ⇒  Nine Emperor Gods Festival Countdown - 1 More Day.
  
• Google it...there are lots of resources and views on the festival online.
  

What is this 'Zhai' (斋) banner that I see on food stalls all about?

During this festival, one will surely not miss the yellow coloured banner with the character 斋 (zhai), usually in red. On the surface, this 'zhai' seems to represent the food ie vegetarianism that is associated with this festival, but in actual fact the Chinese character means abstinence or fast. So what do the devotees supposedly fast from?

1. Meat/animal products including dairy and eggs ( this includes wearing leather garments/items)
   
2. Five pungent root vegetables (onion, garlic, leek, garlic chives, spring onion) - although some only abstain from garlic.
3. Alcohol (allowed in some places, especially where beer companies sponsor the temple banners).
   
4. Sexual contact.
   
5. Negative actions, feelings and thoughts.

Hence the food that is sold for this festival is more akin to vegan food (minus the pungent vegetables) than just being vegetarian. Also the cooking utensils and eating cutlery must also be clean and have not come in contact with animal/meat products.

In reality, this festival is not just about the food being 'pure', but  the other aspects of the abstinence should be practiced in order to achieve the purification and blessings associated with the festival.

Who are the half naked guys in costumes running around?

Those are the spirit medium that are part and parcel of this celebration. During the invitation ceremony, they also serve to usher the spirit of the nine emperor gods to descend (besides the priest's incantations), and to conduct certain rituals for the benefit of the devotees which includes empowering talismans, fire-walking etc.

Why do these mediums self-immolate and take on bizarre body piercings?

One is to purify the space and also to protect the devotees. The blood shed from this immolation is a form of self-sacrifice, and since they are supposedly possessed by deities when doing so, the blood has protective power that can be used to clean a space, or empower talismans.

The bizarre and sometimes brutal piercing also serves to prove to devotees that they are indeed possessed by gods, as they appear to feel no pain, and the wound heal quickly once the piercings are removed.

When can you see these spirit mediums in action?

The deities are usually called upon to possess the mediums during rituals associated with the festival such as the lantern pole raising ceremony, the invitation ceremony, on certain days where they feed the heavenly armies that guards the temples, during processions to bless the area and devotees, and during rituals like bridge crossing or fire-walking.

Where does this festival happen?

Like they say, it is all about location, location, and location - basically wherever there are Nine Emperor Gods temple.

Phuket does the spirit mediums (as well as the festival) to the utmost intensity and fervor that is unmatched in other places. However if you are squeamish about brutal piercings, huge crowds and firecrackers going off at every corner, then Malaysia and Singapore are more suitable for you as a start to look into the festival.

Just look out for huge temple flags/banners or yellow lanterns set out along the roads leading to the temple, usually emblazoned with the Chinese words 九皇大帝 (Nine Emperor Gods) and you will be able to find them.

Next post in my countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020 series: Looking Back at Familiar Faces in Sacred Spaces - Countdown to Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2020

Take note that the festival this year (2020) will either be scaled down or cancelled altogether in many places due to the Covid-19 pandemic (click to read post - So Near Yet So Far - A Different Nine Emperor Gods Festival for 2020.)

Please check with the respective temples if they are holding the festival and if one can attend the various ceremonies that they carry out.