Escape the jam during Thaipusam

Tomorrow is Thaipusam and the moment Thaipusam is mentioned, some may visualise all those colourfully decorated kavadis, religious songs and yellow-attired devotees. But, for some it may be the heavy traffic, rubbish, loud music and crowd.

So, what is Thaipusam actually? Thaipusam is a religious observance where devotees fulfill their vows, seek blessings and guidance. It is a day to honour the time when Lord Murugan, the god of war, received a spear from his mother Parvati, the Hindu goddess of fertility and love, to help him slay a fiendish demon.

On this day, devotees carry the kavadis or paal kudam (milk pot) to ask for forgiveness, keep a vow or offer thanks to Lord Murugan. The actual kavadi consists of a short wooden pole surmounted by a wooden arch. Pictures or statues of Lord Murugan or other deities are fixed onto the arch. The kavadi is decorated with peacock feathers and a small pot of milk is attached to each end of the pole.

But why does this auspicious festival seem troublesome to some people in Malaysia?

It’s none other than the long line of vehicles on the road causing traffic jams and the rubbish accumulated at the end of the day. Although Thaipusam is just one day, it’ll be busy for one whole week.

Not just Indians, but people from other races and even other countries tend to come over to Batu Caves, Penang, Ipoh and other temples that observe the rituals to experience it. So, this also contributes to the overcrowding during Thaipusam.

So, what can we do to ease this situation?

Since the main concern is the heavy traffic, we can opt for public transports rather than driving there. If you prefer driving, then plan for a carpool. This will ensure to somehow reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

And if you’re driving, it is best to follow navigation tools such as Waze which provides information on the best time to travel to a certain destination. It also has the feature to reroute if it detects building up traffic.

One more thing you can do when you’re driving is, turning the radio on. Nowadays there are live updates on traffic in most radio channels. This will help you to plan your journey so you don’t have to get stuck anywhere.

Other than that, it is also important to make sure the environment is clean. If everybody can be responsible over the rubbish they create, there will not be litter all around at the end of the day.

You just have to make sure that you throw everything in the garbage bin provided. At times, there are possibilities of you encountering a bin that is already overflowing, and you’re left with no other choice than to just leave it at the side. Therefore, if each of us can bring a bag to take back whatever rubbish we have, then the issue is almost settled.

Anyhow, Thaipusam is a once a year affair and it is important for us to compromise among ourselves as we live in a country rich in cultural diversity. It is our responsibility to showcase our unity to the rest of the world. So, let us all join hands to make this happen. Have a safe Thaipusam!!