A couple of contacts who visited Batu Caves this morning told me that the turnout for the Thaipusam festival early this morning was distinctly smaller, perhaps 30-40 per cent fewer people compared to last year.
Remember, this is despite Thaipusam now being a public holiday in KL from this year. One would have expected a bigger turnout with people having the day off there.
One source told me that he felt the turnout was about 30 per cent lower. Another told me that it was more than 30 per cent but not as much as half. Either way, the calls for a boycott appear to have had a signficant impact.
Share your Thaipusam experience with me in the comments below, okay…
The second source told me that during the same time (early morning) last year, the entrance to Batu Caves site was jammed. But not today.
And this year, you could actually approach very close to the altar with the paal koddum unhindered by a sea of humanity.
A couple of stall owners grumbled that business had been poor. They had apparently paid RM2,500 for a small stall and RM5,000 for a bigger one. Even the eating stalls/areas were not crowded.
Yet another source told me that many people had instead gone a couple of days earlier to fulfil their vows. And when they were asked for their chits (indicating they had paid RM5) upon presentation of their paal koddum, many just refused to pay – and there was nothing the temple authorities at Batu Caves could do about it.
But from what I hear, there have been huge crowds elsewhere, especially at the Pandamaran temple in Klang, which used to see only several thousand in previous years.
Over in Penang, the Thaipusam crowds have been overwhelming, according to one contact at the scene. Near the race course, a panthal (rest stop for those carrying kavadis) selling Makkal Sakthi (People Power) T-shirts and CDs has been enjoying roaring sales. The panthal is also displaying pictures of the Hindraf Five.
“The response has been fantastic,” said my contact. “Many young people are wearing the Makkal Sakthi T-shirts and greeting each other with cries of Makkal Sakthi. Their was such a peaceful yet strong spirit of camaderie among those present. “
He excitedly told me that the crowd this time was “100%” more than last year and he had seen buses from out of town. Surprisingly, the police have taken a low-key approach thus far.
The official Thaipusam organisers in Penang had announced a ban on political parties setting up stalls along the road leading to the Waterfall Temple. This could be linked to SMS messages that are believed to have been circulating, asking people to boycott the MIC stall – which would have left the DAP stall as the centre of attention.
Similarly, Ipoh and Sungai Petani are believed to have experienced huge turnouts this year, but I await confirmation of this.
Thaipusam festivities at the Batu Caves Temple in Kuala Lumpur have been somewhat lackluster this year. It is marred by a below-average turnout, believed to be attributed to an apparent boycott campaign.