Thaipusam is an annual Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadam.

The temple at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, has been known to attract over one million devotees and tens of thousands of tourists. The procession to the caves starts at the MahaMariamman Temple in the heart of the city and proceeds for 15 kilometers to the caves, an 8-hour journey culminating in a flight of 272 steps to the top.

This is a short record of the pre-dawn hours of Thaipusam in 2006, at Batu Caves.

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Makkah, revered as the holiest site of Islam is a city to which a pilgrimage known as the Hajj, is required of all Muslims who can afford to go. Located in Makkah, al-Masjid al-Haram, the Sacred Mosque, is regarded by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth and both the moqsue and city itself is off-limits to non-Muslims.

During the Hajj, as many as up to three million Muslims can be found at the holy city, and during the minor pilgrimage or Umrah, as many as one million Muslims have been recorded. The focal point of Makkah is the Ka'bah, which was built by Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail).

Madinah, or pre-Islamically known as Yathrib, is the second holiest city of Islam. Its religious importance is derived from the presence of Masjid al-Nabawi or the Mosque of the Prophet, which was built on a site adjacent to the Prophet Muhammad's home. His home later became part of the mosque when it was expanded by the Umayyad caliph al-Waleed ibn AbdelMalek. The first mosque of Islam is also located in Madinah and is known as Masjid Quba, the Quba Mosque.

While religious devotions were of the utmost importance, I managed to snap some photos with a small digicam. This photo-journal follows my entry into the holy land from Jeddah, followed by a visit to Madinah, before finally entering Makkah to perform my Umrah.

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Founded in January 1936 by Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, Kalakshetra is a cultural academy in India for the preservation of traditional values in Indian art, especially in the field of dance and music. The institution has since achieved national and international recognition for its unique style and perfection.

A highly acclaimed Indian classical dance exponent from Kalakshetra, dance master Sri J. Surya Narayana Murthy performed the Classical Dance Saga earlier this year at the University of Malaya, together with the dancers of the Sivasakthi Dance Academy of Kuala Lumpur.

Some of the Ragams performed included the Bhairavi, Nattai, Manji, Ragamalika, Adi, Arabhi and Surati.

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Making up only 0.5 per cent of the country's population, a large number of the Orang Asli are still located in the remotest areas of Malaysia's rainforests. The Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli, JHEOA - Department of Orang Asli Affairs, estimates that currently less than 100,000 (0.4 percent of the country's population) Orang Asli people remain in the remote pockets of Peninsular Malaysia. Many were relocated from their ancestral lands under resettlement schemes - some by choice, others by force - to make way for agriculture, development projects and introduction into the mainstream. However, large numbers of Orang Asli still prefer to reside in the alternate world of Malaysia's rainforest.

In comparison to the rest of the population, the Orang Asli still lacks modern education, economy and health. JHEOA faces substantial problems to provide basic health treatment and medications because of the remoteness of villages, many which are inaccessible without 4WD vehicles, boats and helicopters. Although government medical programmes exist to assist these communities, some are nearly unreachable due to the harsh terrain.

Under a medical aid program, the Malaysian four-wheel drive community carry doctors and medications to remote Orang Asli villages and set up weekend clinics. This project is in cooperation with the Ipoh General Hospital, which provides the volunteer doctors, specialists such as paediatricians and gynaecologists, medications, multivitamins and other necessary items to treat the Orang Asli.

Part of this text is extracted from an article by Sidah Salleh

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At about 300feet above sea-level, the village of Pos Simpo is located far in the jungles of Kelantan and about 30 km from the logging town of Gua Musang. It houses about 100 Temiars of the Orang Asli tribe, many of who were driven out from their ancestral lands by logging activities. A large number now live in government houses further down the mountain, near Kuala Betis under a resettlement scheme where they plant bananas and other crops to make a living.

Modernisation arrives slowly to Pos Simpoh and the other surrounding villages like Kampung Dangdut and Pos Jadeh. Many of the young men from the village now find work in factories and construction sites in Gua Musang. Children travel to Kuala Betis, about 20 km away, and live in hostels near the school and return home only during weekends or public holidays.

Under the medical aid program, Pos Simpo was visited by two doctors from the Ipoh General Hospital with cartons of medications, multivitamins and other necessary medical items.

Part of this text is extracted from an article by Sidah Salleh

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Under a medical aid program, the Malaysian four-wheel drive community carry doctors and medications to remote Orang Asli villages and set up weekend clinics. This project is in cooperation with the Ipoh General Hospital, which provides the volunteer doctors, specialists such as paediatricians and gynaecologists, medications, multivitamins and other necessary items to treat the Orang Asli.

After setting up a weekend clinic at Pos Simpo with two doctors from the Ipoh General Hospital, the team heads home to Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Part of this text is extracted from an article by Sidah Salleh

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The women wear fresh flowers and leaves in their hair, while the men pose in fancy headgear. Children poke their heads out of windows and wave; their smiling faces beaming with the contentment of living far away from the cities but close enough to touch the clouds. The people of Pos Simpoh, an Orang Asli village far in the jungle of Kelantan, living the simple life of the Temiars.

Part of this text is extracted from an article by Sidah Salleh

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With a total of 35 million Muslim Chinese at last count, China's Islamic heritage dates back some 1400 years ago. Brought to the Chinese heartland by Saad ibn Waqqas (ra) during the reign of the third Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (Allayhi Rahma, ra), Islam was well received by the Tang emperor Yung-Wei, who encouraged a widespread adoption of the religion in view of its inherent similarities to the principles of Confucianism.

Different Muslim ethnic groups were pitched against themselves during the Ch’ing Dynasty through the ruling Manchu's divide and conquer strategy, giving rise to a continued supression of Islam which continued through to the Maoist Cultural Revolution. Religion was anathema, and practicing Muslims were forcefully dealt with.

China declared religious independence in 1978 and finally changed its policy in 1985. With decades of suppression, Chinese Muslims are now relearning their faith and religion. Many are now immersed in Islam with an almost fanatical fervour typical of those who are reconciled with which they have been robbed.

The road to true religious independence which is free from any form of social stigma is one that will take a long time to establish, but it is one that is trudged unwaveringly, by many Muslims in China.

Initial stage of a long term photo project

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On the 26th December 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history, the Indian Ocean earthquake, struck off the western coast of Sumatra. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

The Indonesian province of Aceh took the full brunt of the earthquake and tsunami, with Banda Aceh being the closest major city to the earthquake's epicentre. Around 232,000 people are dead or missing in the area, with more than 440,000 people displaced from their homes.

While the initial fervour of the international community cools off, many local Acehnese are still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Those who have lived through the tragedy view it in a benign manner, where the shaking earth and the fearsome waves are a reminder of God's power and of His overpowering love.

Surprising as this may seem to an outsider, they reflect a common sentiment in Aceh, the most Islamic province in the largest Muslim country in the world. The belief that this was and still is, a trial, grows stronger than ever. And the belief that the ordeal will lessen their sins for a better self, and a better life, rings true even for the victims who have suffered the most tragic of losses.

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The objective was to observe and document the socio-economic activities of the Klias Peninsula communities (especially of the forest-dependent communities living within the vicinity of the forests), to explore options for their alternative livelihoods, and to gain a deeper understanding of their habitat requirements and the significance of ecosystem linkages. These photographs would later be used by UNDP Sabah for a variety of communication materials for resource development such as eco-tourism, and environmental education programmes in the local schools.

This assignment was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sabah, and encompassed the Klias Peat Swamp Forest Conservation Area.

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One of the most popular Punjab festivals is Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year’s Day which occurs on the first day of the month of Vaisakhi. Held on the 13th April of the Gregorian calendar, Vaisakhi is a North Indian Harvest Festival which is celebrated all over North India, where it is especially colourful in Punjab.

Vaisakhi is considered by Sikhs as a deeply religious day because the Tenth and last Guru, Gobind Singh, baptized the Sikhs into the Khalsa (The Elect) at Anandpur in 1699AD. This led to the creation of the ‘panj kakars’, or the five Ks - Kesh, (unshorn hair), Kanga (small wooden comb in their hair), Kechera (a pair of shorts), Kara (a steel bangle), and a Kirpan (a short dagger), which have since become the Sikhs’ distinctive signs. The Guru further enthused their valour by calling them Singh (lion) and Kaur (princess), which has now become the suffix to every Sikh’s name.

In 2005, Malaysia’s first-ever Vaisakhi national open house was held at Padang Timur in Petaling Jaya. The event was attended by a 20,000-strong crowd, where many outstation visitors came in more than 50 buses to partake in the celebrations.

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For nine days on the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar every year, devotees of the Jiu Wang Yeh (Nine Emperor gods) Taiost Sect celebrates the terrestial visit of the Nine Emperor gods who inhabit the stars of the Northern Heaven. Worshipped as the patrons of prosperity, wealth and good health, they are believed to be the nine sons of the Queen of Heaven - the holder of the Books of Life and Death.

The story goes that they were wanted by the Qing authorities for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When finally cornered at a shore by soldiers, a giant red sea turtle appeared and ferried them to safety. This miraculous escape by water is the source of belief that they traverse through the waterways. Temples dedicated to them hold ceremonies on the eve of the ninth moon that extend to the rivers, shores, and other types of waterways in a bid to invite and welcome them landwards. During the duration of the festival, eager devotees would purify themselves through the chanting of prayers. They will dress themselves in white and inhabit the temple grounds where a strict vegetarian diet is adhered to.

The Festival of the Nine Emperor gods is an event that is observed only by the secular temples of the Star Deities sect.

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To the Hindu Balinese, the natural world is held in balance by two opposing forces, the benign and malign.

In the Barong dance, this balance of power is dramatized, of which the titular role is the Barong, a mystical creature representing the spirits who are the protectors of humanity, and its nemesis Rangda, a manifestation of the evil spirits.

The dance is mystical in nature, and the masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, requiring a priest's blessing before each performance. It is believed that if Rangda’s influence during the play is too strong, a weak performer will injure himself with his keris towards the end of the performance.

The Barong dance stages the drama of Kunti Sraya, depicted from the main episode of the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

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