Happy Chinese New Year

Wishing all my friends and family a Happy Lunar New Year. May the Year of the Goat bring you happiness, prosperity and good health. Gong Xi Gong Xi.

Thaipusam 2015 @ Penang

Thaipusam is the annual feast held in honour of the Hindu deity Murugan or Subramaniam, who particularly has a large and popular following by the Indians of South India.

Celebrated in the Tamil month of Thai, the name of the festivals comes from the Pushya (Poosam) star that reaches the highest position overhead ans is the brightest during the month of Thai, hence Thai - poosam. The Pushya stars corresponds to the Western constellation of Cancer, the three stars being gamma, delta, and theta Cancri (Asellus Borealis, Asellus Australis and theta Cancri)

Traditionally, this festival celebrates the empowerment of good against evil, with Lord Murugan being given the magical and powerful spear or javelin called Vel by his mother, Pavarti to vanquish Soorapadman, the evil Asura/demon that was terrorising the heavens.

During this festival, devotees that had previously made a vow carry burden in the form of kavadis or milk pots as a sign of thanks to Lord Murugan for his blessings and protection. This 'burden' is sometimes taken to a rather graphic level, with self-mortification that involves skin, cheek and tongue piercings.

A kavadi being given last minute touch-ups two days before the Thaipusam festival in Penang.

In Malaysia, the local Hindus who are predominantly from Southern India celebrate this festival in no lesser scale than those in India. Batu Caves in Selangor and the Waterfall Temple in Penang becomes two popular focal point for this festival.

There were a certain number of Chinese devotees who had piercings and hooks.

This year, I followed the festival in Penang, and really enjoyed the atmosphere there. Not only local Indians join in the celebration, but Chinese who believe in the divine strength of Lord Murugan do so as well, thus giving rise to a very unique representation of the festival. Viewers beware - some images might be disturbing to you.

A spear cheek piercing.

The devotee turns the piercing to keep it from becoming 'stuck' to the pierced flesh.

Hooks to pull a kavadi. There were three of them pulling a chariot-like kavadi.

Coconuts spinning as they were being smashed by devotees. The entire section turns into a wet, coconut smashing frenzy.

She is a shot put champion - Coconut smashing at Jalan Dato Keramat. This stretch of road is where a large number of coconuts were smashed.

Removing the 'burden' at the Hilltop Temple (Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple).

The piercing being removed by another, who seemed to be an expert in doing it quickly and painlessly.

Lord Murugan being carried on a palanquin at the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple

One of the priest at the temple who were involved in the ceremony of carrying Lord Murugan around the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple.

Bangkok Chatuchak Flower Market

One of the the places that any gardener should visit when in Bangkok Thailand, is the Chatuchak Market. Whilst this market is more well-known for the weekend stalls that sells everything from clothes to nick-knacks, books and crockery, many do not know that the internal road that goes around the market is transformed into a humongous plant nursery cum garden center on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Waterlilies in all sorts of colours.

The sellers apparently come in on Tuesday night to set up the stalls, and the market goes into full swing on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, most of them would have packed up and cleared out. 

Lovely orchids and cheap too... Flowering Vandas as low as 50baht (~ RM5).

With the stalls there, the Chatuchak market area is transformed into a sea of colours and textures - from all sorts of common garden plants to the rare and exotic. Here you can find all sorts of trees for sale, in all sizes, with roots wrapped in burlap and ready to be transported to your garden. Waterlilies in all sorts of colours imaginable, roses and orchids that are so bright and cheerful that makes you think for a moment that they are not real to bulbs and seeds that you didn't believe existed. All sorts of garden decorations, pots and planter boxes, tools and even chemicals and fertilisers are on sale at this market.

Various types of slipper orchids on sale

What to see:

All the different types of flowering plants, herbs, fruiting trees and even large ornamental plants that can be transported to you if you are willing to pay the price. Waterlilies are astounding, and so are the various types of gingers and orchids on sale - they look like a supermarket shelve with lots of rhizomes/bulbs in containers.

The colours and scent from the waterlilies on sale will make your head spin.

All sorts of Hibiscus flowers in pots for only 50baht.

Bromeliads and various pot plants for sale.

Elatior begonias

More waterlilies

Golden Ficus deltoidea (Mas cotek emas).

Also do take a look at the various garden ornaments that are reasonably priced, as well as planter boxes, pots and vertical pot holders.

Cutesy garden ornaments and containers

All sorts of garden ornaments

How to get there:

You can easily get there via public transport (i.e. either one of the trains)

MRT

•  Kamphaeng Phet Station
• Exit Chatuchak Market (enter the market fenced area directly)
• Exit Kamphaeng Phet - there are some curio stalls but have to walk across the pedestrian bridge and enter the fenced up market area (through the books section).

• Chatuchak Park Station.
• Exit ChatuchakPark - walk down the road

BTS Skytrain - Mo Chit Station

• Cross the road to the MRT station side and walk down the road (facing the traffic).