KUALA LUMPUR: The Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves, Selangor, near here, will be mobilising over 1,000 volunteers to assist the Thaipusam celebrations on Jan 18 by ensuring compliance with the standard operating procedures set by the government

       The temple committee’s honorary secretary, C. Sethupathy said that so far, over 500 volunteers were from the public who had registered for the task, while the rest will be made up of the temple’s committee members and worshippers.

       "These volunteers will assist in ensuring social distancing by the devotees and visitors, the scanning of the MySejahtera QR code before entering the cave temple and adherence to the other SOP,” he added.

       Sethupathy said the temple was making the final preparations for the religious celebration by tightening the SOP and ensuring compliance in curbing the spread of Covid-19.

       He said the temple committee was also handling the online registration for devotees who would be carrying the ‘paal koodam' or milk pots so as to smoothen the procession during the celebration without any laxity in adhering to the SOP set.

       Thaipusam is celebrated by Hindus throughout the world in the month of ‘Thai’, the 10th month in the Tamil calendar to commemorate the incident in which Lord Murugan received the holy spear from his mother, Parvati to destroy the evil Soorapadman, and return peace and prosperity to mankind.

       During the Thaipusam celebration, Hindu devotees would fulfil their vows by carrying the 'paal koodam', considered the most sacred item, as well as beautifully-decorated 'kavadi' up a flight of 272 steps to the cave temple.

       Sethupathy said the Thaipusam celebration would start on Jan 16 with the silver chariot procession, carrying the idols of Lord Murugan and his two wives, goddesses Valli and Devi Theivanai from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, here, to Batu Caves starting at 10 pm and the expected arrival at 10 am the next day.

       The return procession from Batu Caves will start at 4 pm on Jan 9 and arrival at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple late at night the same day with both processions involving only 70 members of the temple’s management while members of the public are not allowed to attend.

       On Wednesday (Jan 12), National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique announced that the carrying of the 'paal koodam', prayers and chariot procession would be allowed but without the kavadi for the Thaipusam celebration this time.

       The SOP set for the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, Batu Caves includes the number of visitors not exceeding 6,000 each day, a limit of 100 persons for the ‘paal koodam’ and 30 minutes for each prayer session followed by sanitation at the temple site.

       In Malaysia, Thaipusam is also celebrated in big way at the Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple located on a hill in Penang and Arul Subramaniar Temple, close to the Cheruh limestone hills in Ipoh, Perak. - Bernama