Ampang Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021... A Celebration Behind Closed Doors

Today is the second day of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, and as expected, it was quiet but still smoky at Ampang Nine Emperor Gods temple. Other than the numerous dragon joss-sticks burning away inside the temple grounds, it actually feels more like a non-celebration, being rather calm and without the usual endless stream of devotees coming and going throughout the day.

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A Low Key Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021 for Ampang

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)

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• Previous post - Yet Another Year of Quiet Prayers behind Closed Doors - the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021

 

Yet Another Year of Quiet Prayers behind Closed Doors - the Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021

Yes it is almost time for Nine Emperor Gods Festival again, as it is just 6 more days before the festival begins. This year the festival begins on the 6th of October 2021 (1st day of the ninth lunar month) and ends on the 14th of October 2021 (ninth day of the lunar ninth month).

 

However, the festive atmosphere here in Malaysia is again missing this year as many temples here have either opted to hold simple ceremonies or to make the prayers a private affair only for the temple committee and senior members.

In fact almost all of the famous Nine Emperor Gods temples in Klang Valley are holding the prayers behind closed doors, for example Ampang Nan Tian Gong temple, Jinjang Bei Tian Gong temple, and Sg.Way Leng Eng Tian temple; the main reason being to prevent large crowds of devotees from thronging these temples, thus making adherence to Covid-19 SOP difficult.

 

Hopefully next year we will see some semblance of normality for such festivals, although returning to the way this festival were celebrated before Covid-19 does seems impossible for now.

 

• Next post - A Low Key Nine Emperor Gods Festival 2021 for Ampang 

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival 2021

It is again the Mid-Autumn Festival or better known as the Mooncake Festival. The mooncake shown here is a type of mooncake known as 公仔饼 (doll biscuit) or 猪笼饼 (pig basket biscuit). Traditionally, this biscuit is placed unwrapped in miniature bamboo and later plastic baskets that resembles the cages that pigs were transported in (hence piggy biscuit). Nowadays as to comply with food hygiene requirements, they are individually wrapped in plastic wrapper before being stuffed into the plastic cage.

 

 

This type of mooncake biscuit is basically made with the dough for the skin of the traditional (Cantonese style) mooncakes, and is a good way to utilise all the excess dough instead of letting them go to waste. In the past, they are moulded into various shapes including a simple, elongated oval shape, as long as they can fit into the 'cage'. Nowadays they are almost always moulded to look like a cute miniature pig.

Traditionally, they are solid, with no filling whatsoever as the purpose of this mooncake was to make use of the excess dough; plus it also doubles up as a cheap gift for customers who bought a lot of expensive mooncakes. Nowadays, mooncake makers do make them with simple filling like lotus paste or red bean paste.

Even though it isn't as popular as other types of mooncakes, nevertheless the sight of these piggy biscuit mooncakes always reminded me of the way  the Mooncake Festival was celebrated when I was young.

 

Another year of quiet Hungry Ghost Festival

As the Hungry Ghost Festival this year comes to a close, it has been another year of low key celebrations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

No large makeshift altars were allowed here this year. Instead, people are only allowed to do prayers in temples and also private offerings outside their homes.

 

And as we reminisce upon the festive celebrations of previous years, we hope that perhaps next year we will start to see some of these traditional festivities return to normal.

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.

Happy Hokkien New Year - Jade Emperor's Birthday

The Jade Emperor's Birthday falls on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year and for the Hokkien community it is regarded as their New Year. This year it falls on the 20th of February 2021 and in places where there are a large number of Hokkiens eg. Penang, this is usually a bigger and grander celebration than the first day of the Lunar New Year!

 

Usually families will prepare an altar for worshiping the Jade Emperor on the night of the eve of the festival (night of the 8th day of Lunar New Year) and when midnight comes, the prayers and festivities will commence, together with setting off fireworks and firecrackers to usher in their new year.

Devotees praying to the Jade Emperor inside the main
shrine of the Jade Emperor Temple in Air Itam, Penang.

For those that have neither the space nor the convenience to do the prayers at their place of residence, they would usually go to temples or to communal altars set up by the local community to worship the Jade Emperor together. In Penang, the Chew Jetty is one of those famous places where the communal worship of Jade Emperor on his birthday is practiced.

Alas, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, public celebrations have been cancelled this year and people can only do small scale prayers at home. Hence it was a pretty muted affair this year. Hopefully next year the festival will be back to being celebrated on a grand scale.

Happy Hokkien New Year!!

The 'Niu' Year...

Today is he 1st day of the Lunar New Year, and even though the Year of the Metal Ox had officially started on Li Chun (Beginning of Spring - 3rd Feb in 2021), many still associate the Lunar New with the change of the animal horoscope and hence assume that the year of the Metal Ox has just begun - which is a misconception.

 

Since we are not allowed to travel about and there are no temple fairs to shoot, nor are there any open houses or lion dances happening in KL this year, I have resorted to shooting household stuff related to Chinese New Year, which resulted in this 'Niu' Year (牛 - the Ox) image that can be used as an e-greeting image. Have a Happy Chinese 'Niu' Year!

Wishing All A Healthy and Happy Chinese New Year 2021

Wishing all my readers a Happy Chinese New Year 2021. This year the lunar new year falls on 12th Feb 2021 and today being the eve of the Lunar New Year (除夕 - chú xī), it is customary for Chinese families to hold thanksgiving prayers today for their ancestors, and then followed by a family reunion dinner later in the evening before ushering in the new Lunar Year in a few hours time.

Unfortunately for us in Malaysia, this year's Chinese New Year celebration atmosphere is rather sombre as we are not allowed to travel across state or district and family reunion dinners are only allowed for family members within a 10km travel distance.

新年快乐, 身体健康, 万事如意!

In this difficult time of the Covid-19 pandemic, I would like wish everyone a good year ahead, stay safe and healthy always! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Happy Li Chun (Beginning of Spring) 2021

Happy Li Chun to all... Li Chun (立春) or known as Beginning of Spring is a Chinese calendar solar term, and marks the beginning of a new Chinese zodiac year. Being a solar term, it has a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar, and usually falls on Feb 4 (plus or minus one day) - this year it falls on Feb 3rd at 10:58:39 pm and marks the start of the year of the Metal Ox (辛丑).

 

Chinese New Year is of course coming up, being only 8 days away. As this year's Chinese New Year (which is calculated based on a lunisolar system) begins after this year's Li Chun and ends before the following year's Li Chun, it is considered a 'Double Blind Year' as it does not meet with Li Chun either in the beginning or at the end. Traditionally a double blind lunisolar year is considered inauspicious for certain activity like marriage.

Thaipusam 2021... Looking Back on Past Celebrations

A blessed Thaipusam to all, and even though we cannot personally attend the festival in Malaysia this year due to Covid-19 lock-down, we can always look back at happy memories of Thaipusam celebrations in the past and hopefully next year we all can join in the festivities once more.

Bathing of the Vel at Sg, Batu river during Thaipusam... (Thirthochava Ceremony)

Eight More Days to Thaipusam 2021... A Different Thaipusam due to Covid-19

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.

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.

Happy Thai Pongal 2021

Colourful earthenware pot for sale for the coming Pongal festival.

 

If you had noticed stalls selling sugarcane stalks complete with leaves, colourful earthenware pots, flowers and coconut leaf garlands recently in past few days is because the Thai Pongal or Pongal festival is coming up tomorrow on 14th January 2021. This festival marks the beginning of the Thai month in the Tamil calendar.

 

The festival is known as Makar Sankranti and is one of the few Indian festivals based on solar calendar terms as hence will always fall within a day or two from 14 January and marks the transition of the Sun into Capricorn.

As the majority of Indians in Malaysia are from Southern India, the festival is celebrated as Pongal here, and the name actually refers to the rice milk porridge cooked on that day in earthen pots and allowed to overflow upon boiling (a sign of abundance) and is regarded as thanksgiving. The porridge is then offered to the gods and then to family members.

 

Sugarcanes for sale for Pongal

Specifically for this festival, the Sakkarai Pongal (short grained rice cooked in jaggery and milk and and then garnished with ghee, cashew nuts and raisins) is cooked in the morning of the festival. Three sugarcane stalks are usually tied in a tripod fashion and stood over the pot used to cook the Sakkarai Pongal, hence you see the sale of sugarcane stalks by the stalls.

 

Happy Thai Pongal 2021 from Malaysia!

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!

Menurun....

Menurun or going in trance is part and parcel of the practice of Datuk Kong (Keramat) worship by Chinese Malaysians. It is the one of the ways in which devotees can communicate with the deity or keramat, and this process of  menurun or 'inviting' the keramat to possess the body of the spirit medium entails the generous burning of kemenyan (Styrax benzoin) that at times can leave the entire scene whitewashed in kemenyan smoke!

As the deity or keramat can be a local saint, or tree spirit or even past rulers of the land, the appearance of the mediums in trance with these deities are different, reflecting the origin of the deity summoned. Once the deity has 'arrived' in the body of the spirit medium, they would be dressed accordingly, and served with the deity's favourite beverage or smokes before any consultation session starts.

With each of the keramat being a different individual, the spirit medium upon being possessed by them will also take on a particular mannerism and characteristics associated with the deity; those are supposed to be possessed by an old saint will suddenly have shaky hands and need to walk with a cane, others being possessed by local spirits of wild animals will violently growl and grunt and act like the animal spirit, whilst those that are previous rulers will take on a regal and distinguished appearance and countenance.

Something old.. Something new - the Merdeka 118

Something new is beginning to stand up in kuala Lumpur - the Merdeka 118 tower. As of middle of this year, it is the tallest construction site in the world. When completed, it will be the world's second tallest skyscraper.

The Merdeka 118 tower under construction as seen from an old part of KL (the Zhong Shan
building in Kg. Attap).

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.

Happy Deepavali 2020

Happy Deepavali/Diwali to all my friends who celebrate the Festival of Lights. May this festival bring you and your family brightness, joy and prosperity!