GEORGE TOWN, Jan 25 – While Hindu devotees are taking the streets of Penang to celebrate Thaipusam, foreign tourists indulged themselves in the bustling atmosphere of the festival. The foreigners were seen enjoying the sight of the Hindus’ tradition with some even tried to experience the culture by dancing with the devotees, wearing their clothes and trying their food.
“I purposely extended his stay in the state just to watch the parade. I’ve seen something similar to this in Myanmar, but there wasn’t any loud music or coconut smashing or anything like that. The celebration was very colourful, interesting and dynamic, and the people here are very friendly,” David Kegan from Ireland, who is on a road trip in Penang said.
David Campbell from England said that what he liked most about Thaipusam was the spiritual traditions and its cultural purposes. He said to him, the spiritual culture of Thaipusam is very magical, and it never ceased to amaze me to see these kinds of festivals every year. To really understand the celebration, he said that he had also tried a vegan diet for a month, similar to how the Hindu devotees did before Thaipusam.
