Thaipusam TourChandra's private tour for 2008 Penang Thaipusam
Nothing is more special then a Thaipusam Tour for Chandra to showcase the one very special festival in Penang, the Thaipusam. During Thaipusam, the crowd are usually over half a million people and you can imagine the traffic jam it will create. So would you believe me, most locals will choose to stay home except for those staying in the vicinity. Or the other would be the regular local devotees. The crowd is filled by 70% of people from all over Malaysia, Singapore and as far as Australia and United Kingdom.
But with Chandra, you got a yearly devotee who knows how to zig zag through the massive crowd of 600,000 people. It is not a joke, let me tell you. And I know as I followed him to pray to Lord Muruga. Some of the things you get to see on this tours will be piles and piles of coconuts being laid by the roadside by the devotees. See how important the coconuts is too the devotees here. Read how the Chetty uses peacock kavadis, loud trumpeter and music to accompany the street procession. Colorful bulls used to pull the 130 years chariot begins the three days Penang Thaipusam. So Chandra's Thaipusam tour is organized to give you this privileged and privately guided Thaipusam festival for 2 days. It is going to be 2 full days of colorful festivities event. Experience from years of following the festivals, Chandra is able is to take you there for the action. It won't be a second guess when some event will happen. Many of the visitors would love to have photographs of this much sought out festival, so well known in the world. We are able to take you to the action place, the happening area of the Thaipusam. First Day of Chetty Tour
Pick up at 5.30am is important to witness the sacred moment when Lord Muruga statue is taken out. And if you want a clear view, you have no choice but to go very early in the morning or you missed the best part. You need to stand in the crowd with thousand sandwiching you in this tiny street as all wanted a glimpse of the first lighting of lamp to offer their sincerest wish to Lord Muruga. You just have to be there to witness this moment. You see shuttle bugs trying to capture that specific special moment. This street procession will take approximately 8 hrs to reach the Chettiar Temple so what Chandra will do is take you to some places significant to the devotees. You get to see the devotees preparing their kavadis. No two kavadis have the same decoration. Or husband and wife team preparing their sugar cane pole to carry their baby up to the hilltop temple as a mark of fulfilling their vows to Lord Muruga who has borne them a child. You get an opportunity to visit 3 temples where devotees assemble to start their journey in various forms of penance and acts. If you are game, eat the free vegetarian food or drinks offered by devotees along the way. Thaipusam is a season of charity. As one devotee fulfills her or his penance by carrying kavadis or skewering their mouth, another would be distributing food or drinks. This kind of generosity is synonymous in Penang or Malaysia. Don't worry, Chandra knows which stalls offer the best free food.
Chandra will also drive you to see colorful panthals (refreshment sheds) along the route for the Thaipusam procession. By 4pm, you will then be taken to the hotel to rest as the afternoon can be very hot. But you can be assured almost all the activities on Thaipusam has been covered in Chandra's Thaipusam Tour. Bring a fully charged camera or enough batteries for your videoing. If first day is too much, wait till you come the second day. And at this part, you see a transformation! It is beyond your imagination. The roads are not crowded with cars but 600,000 people. Evening TourDevotee wanting to beat the heat, does their penance to Lord Muruga in the evening. Starting from 9pm, this goes on till the evening of the second day. If you still have the strength, this should not be missed as many children and woman devotees make up this group to fulfill their vows. Second Day of Kavadi TourOn the second day, we will pick you up at 9am and maneuvers our way through the crowded streets to watch LIVE how the devotee pierce their body. It is not for the weak or faint hearted, let me warn you first.
Here you see hundreds of devotees being hooked up in preparation for their walk either in hooks or puling the chariot of Lord Muruga. Every year, we see different stunts being performed, not that we are in favor nor was it a requirement by the Gods. The only thing we can say, you will go back a changed person with awe and respect for these devotees. Many foreigners pierce their body felt Penang devotees are very spiritual. You will get an opportunity to walk 2 hours with the kavadi devotees and feel the spirit of Thaipusam. After that, those still wanting to walk all the way can do so. If not, Chandra will be stationed somewhere along the route to pick you up and take you to 2 Temples where the Thaipusam festival is at its peak. Then mid day, you have a vegetarian lunch at one of the best food panthals in the temple ground. After lunch, walk around the temples, the street and feel the Penang Mardi gras. At 4pm, back to hotel for those who had enough. It has never rain on Thaipusam, the heat can be quite a challenge for first timers. Remember to bring your hats, dark glasses or umbrellas. Casuals will be fine for the Thaipusam Tour. Keep your jewelries to the minimum. Evening TourNight scene of kavadis carriers are different from the first night. Good for those who wants to take more photographs. Prices for van package
2 Pick Up Points
PaymentNo accommodations is include in package. We require 50% of the total price of a tour to be paid in advance. Need a hotel, why not booked into this hotel and experience the old charm of Penang like in the good old days. For Tour enquiries, please use fill up the form. Go to Top of Thaipusam Tour Page Back to My Island Penang Home Page
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