SILVER CHARIOT IN PENANG UPHOLDS 131-YEAR-OLD TRADITION FOR THAIPUSAM CELEBRATION

By Ratcharathan Rawe Shanggar

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- The Silver Chariot carrying the statue of Lord Murugan is set to keep intact a rich, 131-year-old tradition by leading the traditional Thaipusam procession on Feb 11, thus symbolising the grandeur of Hindu tradition that has been passed down for centuries from India to other countries with significant Hindu diasphora like Malaysia.

Nattukotai Chettiar Temple trustee Dr A. Narayanan said the century-old chariot, which was built in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India and shipped to Penang in January 1894, is currently undergoing refurbishing and cleaning with the final touch of putting a gleam on for this year’s Thaipusam celebration.

“We have been using the same chariot since 1894, only changing a few parts such as the chariot wheels and for this year the preparations took about three to four weeks before Thaipusam. We only repaired the damaged parts, otherwise we maintain the same structure.

“We also replaced the broken lights and previously we planned to change to light-emitting diode (LED) lights to decorate the chariot, but they were not bright enough, so we kept the incandescent lights (filament bulbs) so that it would be brighter, especially at night,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama at the Veedu Kovil Temple here recently.

He also said that as usual, the Silver Chariot will be pulled by two oxen in turns with 16 changes made using nine pairs of bulls to ensure that the animals do not get tired throughout the procession.

Narayanan explained that each pair of oxen will pull the chariot for a distance of less than one kilometre, considering that the entire procession of the chariot from the Nagarathar Kovil Veedu Temple on Penang Road to the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple on Waterfall Road only covers a distance of nine kilometres.

He said the use of bulls in the chariot procession was a tradition in honour of 'Nandi', the sacred bull considered to be the protector of the family of Lord Shiva in Hindu tradition. Lord Murugan is the son of Lord Shiva.

Narayanan said the wooden chariot was used for 35 years for the Thaipusam celebration in Penang before being changed to a Silver Chariot in 1894 which now stands 7.07 metres high and weighs five tonnes.

He also announced that the Silver Chariot would start its journey winding from the Nagarathar Kovil Veedu Temple in Lebuh Penang at 7am on Feb 10, passing through Chulia Street, Victoria Street, Maxwell Road, Jalan Datuk Keramat, Western Road and is expected to arrive at the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple before midnight.

For the return journey, he said the Silver Chariot will depart from the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple between 6.30pm and 7pm on Feb 12 and will arrive at the Nagarathar Kovil Veedu Temple before 8am on Feb 13.

The Thaipusam celebration in Penang is unique as it is celebrated a day earlier than Thaipusam, known as ‘Chetti Pusam’, which is a procession on the eve by the Chettiar community in the state carrying peacock kavadi along with a silver chariot in a procession.

A central part of the festival sees barefoot devotees carrying kavadis or a semicircular wood or steel structure balanced on the shoulders with vel skewers and hooks piercing the skin, tongue and cheeks in a sacrificial self-flagellation, asking for divine healing and fulfilling vows. Devotees chant ‘Vel, vel, (glory unto) Muruga’ in a cacophony of drums and cymbals, and smashing coconuts on the road as a ritual.

While the kavadi-bearing devotees is spectacularly entrancing for western tourists in the Silver Chariot procession, Penang Thaipusam features the procession of the two chariots. Unlike other states, Thaipusam on Penang island is more lively with the appearance of the Golden Chariot since 2017 carrying a ‘vel’ (divine spear), the sacred weapon of Lord Murugan, departing from the Maha Mariaman Temple on Queen Street at 6am (Feb 10) and arriving at the Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple on Jalan Kebun Bunga (leads to Botanic Gardens).

The celebration in the state is also famous for the rows of over 100 stalls known as ‘Thaneer Panthal’ which are festively decorated besides distributing free vegetarian food and drinks to devotees.

Hindus will celebrate Thaipusam on Feb 11, to commemorate the occasion of Lord Murugan receiving the sacred spear from his mother, Goddess Parvati, to eliminate the evil force of Soorapadman and restore prosperity and well-being to humanity.

In Malaysia, Thaipusam is also celebrated on a grand scale at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves, Selangor, the Arul Subramaniar Temple in Ipoh, Perak and the Sri Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Temple in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

-- BERNAMA