Festival almost went unnoticed
Published on: Thursday, October 23, 2014
KOTA
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KINABALU: One can be forgiven for not realising it was Deepavali yesterday (Tuesday). All had been quiet in the run-up to the Festival of Lights here, much like elsewhere in the State. But this is not surprising on account of Indians in Sabah numbering no more than 15,000 and the fact that not all are Hindus.Hence, the kaleidoscope of colours and sounds as well as the aroma of traditional delicacies that fill the air in Brickfields' Little India over in the peninsula were noticeably absent.Neverthelsss, the celebration was by no measure any less significant in Sabah which declared the occasion a public holiday in 1998 when it was SAPP's turn to helm the State during the rotation of the chief ministership. SAPP, now in the opposition, was at that time a partner in the State Barisan Nasional coalition.
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As elsewhere, the kolam or rangoli, is synonymous to the Festival of Lights with its intricate patterns, made out of coloured rice powder, adorning many a house entrance of those celebrating the triumph of good over evil.One such elaborate design, albeit a painted one, decorates the entrance to the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Hindu temple, here. "Our life needs to be colourful like this kolam … life should be filled with lights and colours. The colourful ones like this are called rangolis. "We use coloured rice to decorate them," said Ghaithiri Anen who was scrubbing the floor of the temple on Tuesday.It is a Hindu belief that the geometrical patterns and designs applied with rice flour at the entrance to a home, invites Goddess Lakshmi into the household, and drives away evil spirits. It is largely a South Indian tradition, practised widely in Tamilnadu.
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As for lights, which during Deepavali is commonly seen lit on kuttuvillaku (oil lamps) it is significant in Hinduism because it signifies purity, goodness, good luck and power. The existence of light means the non-existence of darkness and evil forces. The belief is evil spirits and forces become active when there in no light. So, lamps are lit in every corner of the house to weaken these evil forces.Though on a much smaller scale, these traditions are also observed by the Sabah Hindu community religiously each year. To see this for yourself, all one needs to do is turn up at their open houses during Deepavali.Food-wise it can also be tough for those who want to cook up a storm with many traditional ingredients being scarce but one local enterprise, S. Mugan and Sons, a shop in Petagas has been supplying festive items for Deepavali and a variety of traditional fare for locals in the State since 1956. "There are items that cannot be found here, so the Hindus, and for that matter Indians, here will have to buy them in Kuala Lumpur," said Anjammal Perumal, who owns the family business with her husband, Selvaraju Shanmugan and daughter, Sumati Selvaraju.Laddu, curry powder and a wide array of condiments, oil lamps, murukku, are also sold by them.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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