Statue In The Caves (3)

A statue from Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Statue In The Caves (2)

A statue seen in the Hindu Temples at Batu Caves, Malaysia.

Statue In The Caves (1)

A statue seen in the Hindu Temples at Batu Caves, Malaysia.

Crows on Lamp Post

Crows sitting on a lamp post at dawn.

Lighted Prayers

Oil lamps are lit during Chinese New Year at the Maha Vihara Buddhist temple in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Birds at Dawn

A pair of pigeons at a lakeside watching the sunrise.

New Year Boy

A young boy is all dressed up in red traditional chinese clothing to celebrate Chinese New Year 2007.

This photo was taken at the Thean Hou chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The boy was told by his father to stand in front of a mandarin orange tree and pose for a photo. The child was obviously fascinated by my relatively large camera and looked curiously in my direction.

New Year Lanterns

Red lanterns are strung across an open courtyard at the Thean Hou chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The Lion Dance

Happy Chinese New Year!

This photo was shot at the Thean Hou temple located off Jalan Syed Putra in Kuala Lumpur. The Thean Hou temple is well known among the Chinese community in Kuala Lumpur and celebrates Chinese New Year with lighted lanterns and other amazing decorations.

Among the highlights at the temple are scheduled dances and performances and, of course, the customary Lion Dance.

I was busy shooting the interior of the temple (or rather, attempting some unique perspectives) when the Lion Dance troupe showed up and began their performance. It was difficult to maneuver among the crowd but I eventually managed to lob off a few decent shots of the lion. The above photo is one of them (probably the best I had considering the circumstances).

Take note of the lanterns lined up in the background at the top right side of the photo, because you're going to see more of it in my next posting.

The Oil Lamp

An elaborately designed oil lamp stands in a Hindu temple along Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur.

The Water Craft

A group of small fishing boats moored to a river bank.

Lost Time

A wristwatch lies partially submerged in sea water.

Like A Sore Thumb

A piece of wood covered in barnacles sticks out from the sand like a sore thumb. This photo was taken at a beach somewhere along the outskirts of Klang, Malaysia.

The Dead Machine

Spotted this at a seaside outside of Klang, Malaysia. It's part of an excavator that has been left to rust and rot. What a waste of good metal.

Thaipusam 2007 : Statuettes

Statuettes neatly lined up along shelves seen at the recent Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves, Malaysia. I believe the white statuette near the center of the photos is of Mahatma Gandhi.

Firelight

I kinda get the feeling of peacefulness and serenity. I guess the photo would have been better without the reflection of windows on it. But then again, this was shot impromptu at a local restaurant.

Thaipusam 2007 : The Barber

Another common sight during Thaipusam: the shaving of heads. Numerous makeshift stalls are set up all over the place to cater to the huge number of devotees.

Thaipusam 2007 : Sleeping Child

Thaipusam is tiring for everyone: devotees, visitors, tourists, photographers. It's no surprise then to find a father and daughter taking a nap under a makeshift table in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

Thaipusam 2007 : The Curious Child

A young boy, just having had his head shaved, looks curiously past a string of flowers towards the camera while his father (who also just had his head shaved), stands by the roadside watching a procession of kavadi bearers going by.

Thaipusam 2007 : In Trance

Don't panic. That's not blood. Forgive my ignorance for I do not know what the red stuff is actually made of, but I do know that it's called "kungumam" and is usually used to dot the forehead. Once mixed with water or sweat, however, it starts to look like blood.

In their trance-like states, devotees may grab the red powder and smear it over their tongues, making them look like they are bleeding to impersonify Goddess Kali.

While these practices are a fascination to watch and experience, many Hindu scholars abhor such acts as they are in fact going against the true Hindu religion. It is apparently written in the Thirumanthiram (a Hindu scripture) that a person must not hurt or torture his body which is akin to a temple as it houses the soul.

Reference: "The Real Meaning of Thaipusam" by Wani Muthiah

Thaipusam 2007 : Pulling

A Hindu devotee pulls on the tough cords hooked to his back. As gory as it may appear, there is no blood or noticeable pain.

This photo was intentionally processed to look lomographic with high saturation and out-of-focus imaging.

Thaipusam 2007 : Traders

Traders and merchants selling an assortment of wares to anyone and everyone at Batu Caves during the recent Thaipusam Festival.

Thaipusam 2007 : Hooked On You

Oooooh, that hurts! But actually no, it doesn't hurt because the person who got himself 'hooked up' is under a trance. Scenes like this are common at the Thaipusam festival held every year at Batu Caves and all over the world.

Interested to know a bit more about Thaipusam? Check out this link.

Propped

A row of wooden boxes lined up and propped against a hill of sand and stones.

Pottery

Pottery left behind on a beach outside Klang, Malaysia. There was a small Hindu temple nearby where these pots were used for certain religious rituals.

Red and White

Red and white coloured road barriers arranged by the side of a busy road, ready to be deployed.