Thaipusam TourMr. Chandra's private tour for 2008 Thaipusam PenangNothing is more special then a Thaipusam Tour for my friend Mr. Chandra. Mr. Chandra is the husband of Mrs. Pearly who has the my-island-penang.com website. For Mr. Chandra, being an Indian, Thaipusam is one of the most important festivals on the calendar. This year it will all take place on 22 and 23 January 2008. The Thaipusam in Penang attracts every year easy half million people. People from all over Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and even Australia and the UK come to visit. Mrs. Pearly told me that many Malaysian simply stay home because it's too crowded. This is of course with the exception of the regular local devotees and those who stay in the area.
Why would you come on Chandra's tour?One thing I learned over the years traveling, if you go to something special without a good guide you miss something essential. Mr. Chandra is an Indian, he knows how to maneuvers through the crowds but more important, he can tell you details only an insider knows. Some of the things you get to see on this tours will be piles and piles of coconuts being laid by the roadside by the devotees. Mr. Chandra will explain a lot of things only an Indian can tell you. Like what? Like the meaning of coconuts for a devotee, or who Lord Muruga is. The meaning of the kavadi and why it is is happening right here at this place in the heart of Penang. Trust me, Mr. Chandra is not only pleasant company, he loves to tell you about his culture and he knows what he is talking about. You will learn more from him then reading a book. What to bring?Our tour does not include food and drinks but we will bring you around for some exciting food experiences. A bottle of water is essential because it will be hot in the sun. And don't forget to bring your camera, extra batteries and tapes to film. You will have plenty to shoot. And don't forget sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat or even an umbrella, though it never rains at Thaipusam, the sun can be burning. Leave the valuables in the hotel at the counter, you won't need it anyway except for a little pocket money. Now what does the tour include? Let's go through our program! First Day of Chetty Tour We will pick you up at the hotel at 5.30 AM. This is important to witness the sacred moment when Lord Muruga statue is taken out. And if you want a clear view, you have no choice but to go very early in the morning or you missed the best part. It's an essential moment and all who are at the scene will want to have a glimpse of that moment. This street procession will take approximately 8 hrs to reach the Chettiar Temple. Mr. Chandra will take you to some places significant to the devotees. You will get to see the devotees preparing their kavadis. No two kavadis have the same decoration. Or husband and wife team preparing their sugar cane pole to carry their baby up to the hilltop temple as a mark of fulfilling their vows to Lord Muruga who has borne them a child. You get an opportunity to visit 3 temples where devotees assemble to start their journey in various forms of penance and acts. Highly recommended is the free food and drinks offered along the way. All is of course vegetarian, something Mr. Chandra will further explain. He knows all the stalls and will recommend the very best food (and personally I am looking forward to see what he will recommend, and yes, yours truly will be around too) Thaipusam is a season of charity. As one devotee fulfills her or his penance by carrying kavadis or skewering their mouth, another would be distributing food or drinks. This kind of generosity is synonymous in Penang or Malaysia.
Mr. Chandra will also drive you to see colorful panthals (refreshment sheds) along the route for the Thaipusam procession. By 4pm, you will then be taken to the hotel to rest as the afternoon can be very hot. But you can be assured almost all the activities on Thaipusam has been covered in Mr. Chandra's Thaipusam Tour. Evening TourDevotee wanting to beat the heat, does their penance to Lord Muruga in the evening. Starting from 9pm, this goes on till the evening of the second day. If you still have the strength, this should not be missed as many children and woman devotees make up this group to fulfill their vows. This part of the tour is additional to the normal 2 days. See below for the details. Second Day of Kavadi TourOn the second day, we will pick you up at 9am and maneuvers our way through the crowded streets to watch the live skewering being perform here. I have to warn you a little. You will see literally hundreds of devotees with hooks in their body, spears through their mouth or pulling the chariot of Lord Muruga. Mrs. Pearly explains: "Every year, we see different stunts being performed, not that we are in favor nor was it a requirement by the Gods. The only thing we can say, you will go back a changed person with awe and respect for these devotees." You will get an opportunity to walk 2 hours with the kavadi devotees and feel the spirit of Thaipusam. After that, those still wanting to walk all the way can do so. If not, Mr. Chandra will be stationed somewhere along the route to pick you up and take you to 2 Temples where the Thaipusam festival is at its peak. And trust me, 2 hours is gone before you know it.
Then mid day, you have a vegetarian lunch at one of the best food panthals in the temple ground. This lunch in itself is an experience and no, I am not going to explain more! After lunch, walk around the temples, the street and feel the Penang Mardi gras. At 4pm, back to hotel for those who had enough. Evening TourNight scene of kavadis carriers are different from the first night. Good for those who wants to take more photographs. Prices for the packageWe have two packages available.
The package does not come with accommodation and meals (except the lunch on the second day) though we can arrange a comfortable hotel for you. Book now your Thaipusam tour with Mr. Chandra. Not convinced the Thaipusam is worth a visit? See my report of the Thaipusam 2007 and some photos I shot at the second day of the festival The Thaipusam Tour 2008 will be the first major event in 2008, don't miss it! Book now! Back to the top of Thaipusam Tour with Mr. Chandra Back to Pulau Pangkor.com homepage Grab this swicki from eurekster.com
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