Thaipusam

Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Every year, the Tamil community in Kuala Lumpur celebrate Thaipusam, a religious festival which is said to originate from the occasion when the goddess Parvati gave Murugan (Kartikeya), her son, and “commander-in-chief” of the Gods, a spear with which to defeat the demon Soorapadman.

The festival is famous for the Kavadi Attam, or “burden dance” which is a ceremonial sacrifice performed by devotees who perform a pilgrimage over several kilometres leading to the temple at Batu Caves whilst enduring various types of physical stress. In its simplest form this could be by carrying an urn containing milk, or by carrying a decorated canopy. More extreme forms of devotion involve skin piercing on the back or by a spear through the cheeks. Some devotees strive to include all the above and even add tethers to the back piercings which are constantly in tension by an attendant following behind. Thousands of worshippers, joined by tourists from all over the world attend the festival and it is a public holiday in several states in Malaysia. It takes place every January or February depending on the appearance of the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai.

Yves Saint Laurent

Jardin Majorelle, Marrakesh, Morocco

The mention of Marrakesh evokes images of souks, snake charmers, and unrelenting sun. These are probably the lasting memories of many who visit this exotic city located near to the southern reaches of the Atlas Mountains. Morocco is within easy reach of Europe but in terms of ongoing wanderlust, it is a bit of a cul de sac. It is possible to travel through Morocco into the vast expanse of Africa but only in properly equipped overland vehicles or by the intrepid solo traveller who will accept any kind of transportation for the long journey south. Most travellers therefore visit Morocco as a one-off vacation and set out to visit the tourist hot spots using local guides.

When browsing the possible destinations, many may overlook the Jardin Majorelle. This is a beautiful oasis in the heart of Marrakesh, created by the French artist Jaques Majorelle over a span of forty years in the early part of the twentieth century. Long after Jaques Majorelle’s passing, the garden was purchased by Yves St Laurent and Pierre Bergé who had fallen in love with the garden on their first visit to Marrakesh in 1966. They restored and improved the garden, creating an awe-inspiring and beautiful space. Yves St Laurent died in Paris in 2008 and his ashes were scattered in the rose garden of Villa Oasis, which stands within the garden, and a memorial was erected in his honour.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Chinese New Year, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"Gong Xi Fa Cai!" ...with several Chinese Malaysian friends this is something that has been cropping up in my WhatsApp messages over the past few days and conveniently for all Malaysians, this year, the new year falls at a weekend so most people have taken at least a three day weekend and traditional Chinese families will extend that to a week or more as they take their annual break to visit relatives and enjoy the Reunion Dinner and other festivities. The festivities this year are ushering in the Year of the Dog and my visits to various places in Kuala Lumpur over the past two weeks have been enhanced with the annual displays by Lion Dance troupes who frantically drive in their trucks from venue to venue across the country to put on shows at shopping malls, businesses and schools and colleges.

This year for the first time, I also visited a Chinese Temple at Chinese New Year because I have a friend who although brought up as a Muslim, has a father who is of Chinese descent and she has traditionally visited a temple to offer prayers once a year. Such is the multi-cultural nature of South East Asia, and Malaysia in particular.

Chinese people have been settled in Malaysia for 200 years or more and although they are a minority ethnic group, their presence is significant and virtually every town and city has a thriving Chinese community, traditionally engaged mainly in trading, retail and business.

Here are some pictures of Chinese New Year in Kuala Lumpur.