Kota Kinabalu: The true spirit of harmony could be felt by Malaysians of all races who visited the Deepavali open houses on Monday.
In Kota Kinabalu, thousands of devotees and Deepavali well-wishers thronged the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam temple at Bukit Padang for early morning prayers and vegetarian meals.
Non-Muslims politicians joined the festivity to shake hands in their campaigning drive among the multi-racial crowd.
A final year student at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Farzanah Adutra Laily Khan Zeb, 27, from Semporna, said traditional Indian dishes such as tosai, vadai and maruku are among the must-haves whenever she attends a Deepavali open house.
She said her presence at every Deepavali open house was always welcomed by friends who celebrated the festival in Sabah or in the peninsula.
“Today is not the first time I celebrate Deepavali with my Hindu friends. Before this, I wore sarees and today I’m wearing a Punjabi suit which was a gift from my friend.
“Celebrations like this reflect the peace and harmony prevailing among our multiracial population. Therefore, we need to continue to maintain the harmony and understanding that has been forged,” she said when met at the Deepavali celebration organised by the Kota Kinabalu Hindu Temple Association and the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam Temple in Bukit Padang, here.
Farzanah attended the event with her two other friends, Veynnishaa Kumarappan, 25, from Ipoh, Perak and Hema Balamurugan, 24, from Klang, Selangor who are also final year students at UMS.
Veynnishaa said she relished the warmth and camaraderie shared by various communities during the Deepavali open house.
Hema, who is celebrating her third Deepavali with her friends in Sabah, said such event could overcome her feeling of longing to be with her family.
“The joyous atmosphere can still be felt in Sabah and of course this experience will be missed,” said the Food Science student.
