Late at night, the excitement along the streets in Kuala Lumpur is palpable; a large crowd of pilgrims gather in front of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Chinatown for the procession of Lord Murugan’s silver chariot. And as soon as the gates open, gasps of awed reverence ripple across the crowd; lighting up the dark sky in a fluorescent display of silver and white, is the utsavamurti (the idol form) of Lord Murugan, the Hindu Tamil god of war.
An annual three-day celebration dedicated to the deity, Thaipusam is held on the full moon day (pusam) in the Tamil month of Thai (January-February). Preparations for the festival begin as early as months, if not weeks, prior to the main event.
