In Photos: Battling COVID-19, Malaysia holds main Hindu festivals without devotees

Some pilgrims took the opportunity on the last day before a restriction on travel to bring offerings to the Hindu god Murugan ahead of the Thaipusam festival on Jan. 28. The final part of the pilgrimage to the temple involves climbing 272 colorful stairs. Photo by Alexandra Radu.

KUALA LUMPUR — For the first time in 120 years, a Hindu festival known to draw 1.5 million pilgrims and tourists every year will take place without worshippers. 

An estimated 1.9 million Hindus in Malaysia will celebrate Thaipusam at home on Jan. 28, with temple ceremonies broadcast live on social media. Since Jan. 13 and after a steep increase in COVID-19 infections, Malaysia has banned inter-district travel and all types of gatherings, including religious events.

The Batu Caves temple complex, the biggest Murugan temple in Malaysia, grew over the years from a modest shrine into a major pilgrimage site. Since 2016, it houses a 42.7-meter statue of Murugan, the tallest statue in Malaysia and third tallest statue of a Hindu deity in the world. Photo by Alexandra Radu.

What are Hindus celebrating on Thaipusam?

Tamil Hindu communities around the world (with origins in South India and Sri Lanka) observe Thaipusam each year during Thai, the fifth month in the Tamil calendar. The festival is dedicated to Murugan, the Hindu god of war and victory. 

According to Hindu mythology, Murugan saved humanity by defeating demon armies with a spear named Vel, a holy weapon that he received from his mother, the goddess Parvati. The Vel, which embodies spiritual knowledge and wisdom, is worshipped as a manifestation of Murugan. 

Most devotees bring offerings like paal kudam - bowls of milk- which are usually carried on the head. Once they reach the temple, the milk is ritually poured over the statues of the deity by priests chanting mantras.Photo by Alexandra Radu.

During Thaipusam, pilgrims go on journeys of penitence to temples of Murugan all around the world, bringing offerings, fulfilling vows and seeking blessings. The devotees carry a wide range of offerings, from bowls of milk (paal kudam), fruits and flowers to kavadi, handmade shrines of Murugan weighing up to 80 kilograms. Some pierce their skin or cheeks with spears or hooks and enter trances as they walk and dance in the rhythm of bhajan Tamil religious music. 

Thaipusam is celebrated not just in India and Sri Lanka, where Murugan is honored by millions of Tamil worshippers, but also in the Tamil Hindu diaspora—in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji and other Hindu Tamil communities.

In previous years, extended families would attend Thaipusam together, helping their loved ones in fulfilling their pilgrimages. In this image from Thaipusam 2018 a family of devotees climbs the 272 stairs to Murugan's temple bringing offerings. Photo by Alexandra Radu.

The Malaysian Thaipusam

The largest Thaipusam celebration in the world takes place in Malaysia’s Batu Caves temple, a majestic limestone cave on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. For the last 120 years, the worship of Murugan at Batu Caves grew exponentially from a humble altar when the first Thaipusam was held in 1892, to the impressive temple complex that exists today. The festival day each year has drawn more than a million visitors to the caves.

During the 2018 Thaipusam, more than a million devotees brought offerings to Murugan's temple. Some carried handmade shrines of the god illustrating various moments of his life. Photo by Alexandra Radu.

This year, for the first time in its history, the Malaysian Thaipusam will honor Murugan without pilgrimage journeys to Batu Caves.

The ceremonies are drastically toned down, with only a minimum number of priests participating, observing strict social distancing rules. The worshippers were advised to observe the celebration from the safety of their homes, and, in order to facilitate that, the temple rituals are broadcast online on social media.

Hindu devotees received blessings in the Murugan temple located in the main cave at Batu Caves on the last day the temple was open before the start of the Movement Control order on Jan. 13, 2021. Photo by Alexandra Radu.

The festival traditionally begins with a silver chariot carrying the shrine of Murugan, in a 9.4 miles procession from the Sri Maha Mariammam temple in central Kuala Lumpur to the Batu Caves temple marks the start of the festival. 

The procession is usually followed by priests and about 10,000 people, on a 16-hour journey. Moving along the streets of Kuala Lumpur accompanied by bhajan religious music, the silver chariot would stop at the major Hindu temples along the way, where rituals are performed. 

The silver chariot arrived at the Batu Caves temple at 5:30 a.m. after a swift journey, marking the beginning of the festival. The temple remains closed for the public for Thaipusam for the first time in 120 years. Photo by Alexandra Radu.

This year, the silver chariot procession quietly took place in the waking hours of Jan. 27, the eve of Thaipusam, in a silent procession along the empty streets of Kuala Lumpur. Happening under strict lockdown rules, the event allowed only 10 temple committee members to follow the chariot. The procession was closed for public attendance and was accompanied by “over 200 police personnel, on duty to safeguard the journey,” according to the temple secretary, C. Sethu Pathy. The sound of the bhajan music was replaced by the police sirens of the motorcade accompanying the chariot.

The Batu Caves temple will remain closed for the public on the day of the festival, with ceremonies officiated by a minimum number of priests broadcast live on social media. 

“During Thaipusam this year the temple will not be closed. It will be opened as usual and all rituals will go on as normal. Only the general public and devotees are not allowed. All prayers will go on as usual in all temples as per the agamas (religious norms),” said Pathy.

“During Thaipusam this year the temple will not be closed. It will be opened as usual and all rituals will go on as normal. Only the general public and devotees are not allowed. All prayers will go on as usual in all temples as per the agamas (religious norms),” said C. Sethu Pathy.

Celebrating at home

Daanish Jegatheswaran, 26, and his extended family have been attending Thaipusam for more than three generations.

“Now, my father has passed it on to me and this is my 11th Thaipusam that I am celebrating together with my family. We wouldn't miss it for the world because it's such an important celebration for us, a time to receive blessings from Lord Murugan,” said Jegatheswaran, who usually carries kavadi as an offering for Thaipusam.

This year, Daanish and his family, like the entire Hindu community in Malaysia, will observe Thaipusam from home.

“Since this year everyone should quarantine, we are performing the prayers and rituals that we learned from our ancestors at home. We perform simple prayers for the Lord and abhisheka, the sacred bath for Lord Murugan. In this ritual, we pour a sacred mixture containing milk, honey and ghee, over the Lord,” he said.

Alexandra Radu is a photojournalist based in Bucharest, Romania. She has been published in Al Jazeera, the New York Times, Religion News Service, Reuters and AP, and her images have won awards at the Religion News Association Awards for Religion Reporting Excellence in 2017, 2018 and 2019.