GEORGE TOWN: Before dawn broke, hundreds of devotees in Gottlieb Road here began carrying paal kudam (milk pots) up to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Waterfall Road.

       Among them were sisters R. Lavennya, 20, Swarnie, 18, and Bhawary, 16.

       The three siblings, who were there to pray for their education as well as for their parents’ well-being, each carried a pot of milk up to the temple.

       Lavennya, who will complete her Form Six studies in May, said they prayed for their education journeys.

       “Most importantly, we are here to pray for our parents’ health and well-being.

       “We hope they will always be blessed with good health,” she said when met in Gottlieb Road yesterday.

       Vibrant trio: Sisters Bhawary, Lavennya and Swarnie carrying paal kudam as they make their way to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

       Nicholas Fletcher, 50, and his daughter Sailani, 18, from Batu Ferringhi, were spotted carrying two pots of milk towards the temple.

       Fletcher said he had been carrying the paal kudam annually for the past 16 years.

       “I am doing a special prayer, hoping for the Covid-19 pandemic to come to an end this year.

       “This is my only wish as I really hope that the pandemic will end soon. I believe many others will be wishing for the same thing,” Fletcher added.

       Sailani said she also prayed for a good education pathway.

       “I want to pursue dentistry and hope everything will work out well for me,” she said.

       Checks showed groups of people queuing up to enter the temple during the festival.

       Our turn soon: Hindu devotees waiting to start their journey to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

       Along Gottlieb Road, devotees were seen preparing their milk pots for their journey to the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple as early as 5am.

       Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram Penang branch chairman Thanabalan Nanda Kumar said devotees had been coming in groups since Sunday.

       “We set up a station at the junction of Gottlieb Road for our priests and volunteers to provide ritual assistance to devotees carrying the paal kudam.

       “We want to help them carry out their vow fulfilment from start to finish according to the proper religious way.

       “This is to ensure that we can continue to celebrate the festival in a proper manner,” he added.

       Retired headmaster K. Rajamanikam, 69, who completed his prayers at around 9am, said he spent an hour queuing up to enter the temple.

       “It was a long wait but other than that, I would say that it was well- organised.

       “There was no problem for devotees to fulfil their prayers,” he added.