MALAYSIAN THAIPUSAM FESTIVAL..

Thaipusam, the Hindu Festival, is mostly observed by the Tamil community in Malaysia. At the Batu Caves temple in Kuala Lumpur, the Nattukotai Chettiar Temple of Penang and the Sri Subramaniam Temple in Ipoh the occasion is celebrated on a grand scale.

This festival is to commemorate the occasion where Parvati gave Murugan a vel (spear) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.

Carrying the kavadi by devotees is a physical burden through which devotees implore for help from the God, Murugan.

They prepare themselves for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayers and fasting. Kavadi bearers also observe celibacy and take only satvik (pure and clean) food. Many of them will shave their heads too.

The kavadis can be in many forms. Most will just carry pots of milk, which was the norm, while others will practice mortification of the flesh by piercing their skin, tonques or cheeks.

A believer getting
her head shaved

Even female devotees
shaved their heads.

In a trance.

A devotee with pierced
skin leading the way.

The compulsory bath.

Piercing the skin.

Kavadis can be in all forms.

A young devotee.

A pair of loving parents
soothing their child.

WESAK DAY IN MALAYSIA.

Wesak Day is a day observed by Buddhists all over the world. It is celebrated by all the different sects of Buddhism as the birthday, enlightenment and  the passing away of Gautama Buddha. Buddhists will gather at their respective temples before dawn to offer hymns, flowers and candles in prayers. Devotees are also called to avoid all kinds of killing and to eat vegetarian food. The following photographs showed some of the celebrations and practices at the Enlightened Heart Buddhist Centre (a Malaysian Tibetan Buddhist temple) at Ampang, Ipoh, Perak.

The sunning (to draw power from the sun)

 of the 60m X 12m giant thanka (painting)

 of the Sakyamurni Buddha at the
Buddhist Enlightened Heart Buddhist
 Center near Ampang, Ipoh.

The beginning of reversing

the position of the giant thanka.

At the end of reversing.

Everybody helps to return the
 giant thanka back to the temple.

Bathing the Buddha.

Devotees seeking blessings.

A devotee seeking
blessing for her family.

Devotees carrying an image
of a Tibetan deity during

circumambulation ritual to seek blessings.

Devotees signing on tiles
as donations to the temple building fun.

MALAYSIAN SPIDERS.

St. Andrew's Cross spider (male).
Habitat: Sunny parts of the forest.

Jumping Spider (female).
Habitat: Foliage in garden,
wasteland and jungle.

Lynx Spider.
Habitat: Shrubs in garden
 and secondary forest.

Red and Silver Spider
Habitat: As a kleptoparasite,
they are normally found in
 the webs of other larger spiders
stealling the meals of the host.

Golden Web Spider
(Female. The tiny legs on the
 web belonged to some
unfortunate males eaten
by the huge female.
The tiny males can be seen
 hanging around the web.)

Big Jawed Spider.

Big Jawed Spider.

A nest of babies.

Spiders are classed as Arachnida of the order Araneida. They have their own characteristics of:

a. The abdomen is attached to the aphalotthorax by a narrow waist.

b. Normally the abdomen of spiders has no segments.

c. They posses spinnerets for producing silk.

Spiders can be divided roughly into the:

1. Web Weavers.

2. Hunters.

Oriental Pratincole (Glareola Maldivarum).

Although a wader, the Oriental pratincole normally hunt while flying. They live in the open country and are often seen near water in the evening catching insects. The bills are short and are adapted for aerial feeding. Their long pointed wings, long forked tails and short legs are their characteristics.

These photographs were of a pair of them feeding their two babies out in the open. Surprisingly though, these birds were known to only breed in the northern states of Malaysia. To see them here in Perak with their brood is something new.

At the moment of take off.

A pair of eggs on the ground.

One of the parents regurgiting

food for its babies.

This baby is very smart
for it stayed very still for
 along, long time.

An adult in flight.

At the moment of take off.

Another baby is chirping for its food.

A soft landing.

One of the parents with its
chicks. They are
clamouring for food.

Sometimes the parents
 move a meter away before
take off. While at other time
 they just fly knocking the
 babies off balance.

A baby running to the parent for food.