Prayers light up Deepavali
> Hindu devotees arrive at temples early for religious rituals
KUALA LUMPUR: The excitement of Deepavali was felt nationwide yesterday as Hindu devotees left their homes in the early morning to perform religious rituals at temples.
Among the major temples visited was the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Jalan Tun H. S. Lee, which was filled with devotees from 7am.
After performing the rituals, they visited the houses of families and friends to celebrate the Festival of Light which was also enjoyed by those from other communities.
Other than attending Deepavali open houses, the public also took advantage of the holiday to spend time with their families and perform other leisurely pursuits.
A Bernama survey around Little India in Brickfields and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman found the areas quiet, with many stores closed.
In KLANG, the Sri Nagara Thandayuthapani Temple was the focus of Hindu devotees in the district offering prayers.
A check at the 120-year-old temple located in Jalan Tengku Kelana, found people had started to throng the temple since 9am.
In MALACCA, Hindus started filling up temples since 8am. Other than Hindu devotees, foreign tourists also visited temples such as the Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple in Jalan Tokong, which is among the oldest temples in the state, that opened in 1781, to experience the celebration and see the temple, that features elements of Dutch architecture.
In SEREMBAN, about 200,000 Hindus celebrated Deepavali moderately with religious activities at the 200-year-old Sri Balathandayuthapani Temple.
State Human Resources, Plantation and Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman J. Arul Kumar said he hoped the Deepavali celebrations would bring blessings to all Hindus for a better future.
In PERAK, the festival was celebrated merrily despite a drizzle in several areas.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said in a Facebook post that he hoped the festival this year would further strengthen family values, friendship and goodwill among all communities.
The state-level Deepavali celebration would be held on Nov 11 at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Buntong in Ipoh, with Sultan Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah scheduled to launch it.
In JOHOR BARU, Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian attended a Deepavali open house organised by his special officer, M. Murugan, at the Dewan Majlis Bandaraya Iskandar Puteri, Taman Universiti.
In GEORGE TOWN, many visited the Sri Mangalayanagi Amman Temple in Bukit Tengah.
Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy held an open house at his residence in Seberang Prai which saw hundreds of people attending, including state and federal leaders.