More than one million people are expected to gather at the three-day Thaipusam celebration in George Town this year, as many will come from near and far to fulfil their vows, said Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) chairman RSN Rayer. Rayer also mentioned that this would be the “Unity Thaipusam” year, where both chariots come together to draw in the crowd. He added that Thaipusam draws not only the Hindu crowd but also the Chinese community and tourists, who come to witness the celebration and take part in the prayers. There will be 150 panthals set up on the island, and 3,000 to 4,000 kavadi bearers are expected. There will also be 30 to 40 chariots being pulled, Rayer said during a press conference held at the Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga on Sunday (Jan 21).
Rayer urged devotees to take extra care of themselves due to the large crowd expected, especially with the rising Covid-19 cases. He suggested that those in the high-risk group should fulfil their vows and prayers earlier, if possible, to avoid the large crowds. If they really cannot avoid it and need to do it on Thaipusam day, Rayer advised them to put on their masks. Rayer added that this year will be extra special as both the golden and silver chariots are expected to move closer together with about 1km between them.
“We have held discussions with the Nattukottai Chettiar Temples committee and have agreed to come together this year. We hope both chariots can reach the respective temples at Jalan Air Terjun here by 11pm as in previous years the chariots have reached much later,” he said. In 2017, the dual chariot processions took to the streets here for the first time in 234 years to mark Thaipusam celebrations in the state. In recent years, both chariots moved hours apart, causing a delay, with devotees waiting hours to catch a glimpse of each chariot. Thaipusam falls on Thursday (Jan 25) this year, with the chariot processions being held on Wednesday (Jan 24) and Friday (Jan 26).
For more information, you can visit the full article here.
And for free rides in Penang during Thaipusam, check this link.
![[4mm Aperture] High-Quality Copper Gold-Plated Triple Thickened Cartoon Wild Traditional Braided Rope Accessories Sand Gold Color-Preserving Jewelry Strong Color-Preserving Sand Gold Ancient Method Gold High Color-Preserving Hypoallergenic Hypoallergenic](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
