Women's restrooms and new tiles at Batu Caves to be ready for Thaipusam

KUALA LUMPUR: Maintenance and repairs at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple, Batu Caves, which include the provision of women's toilets and new tiling, are expected to be completed by Thaipusam next month.

The temple committee chairman, Tan Sri R. Nadarajah, said about RM6 million has been spent to date to carry out repair and maintenance works at the place of worship.

"Before this, we spent RM5 million to build two complexes at the temple and then added the cost to build special toilets for women.

"We are also speeding up this renovation so that it is ready for use by devotees during Thaipusam," he said after performing the Pongal ceremony at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple located at Jalan Tun H. S. Lee here today.

He added that various traditional activities of the Indian community would be featured at the National Pongal Unity Celebration to be held at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves on Jan 19.

Nadarajah said the celebration, which would last from morning to night, would be attended by MIC president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran and his deputy, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

Earlier, Nadarajah, who is also chairman of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, officiated the harvest festival, or better known as Pongal, with his wife Puan Seri Mallika, in the presence of more than 100 devotees.

A devotee M. Manokari, 65, who attended the temple with his friend Josephine, 72, said he never missed the opportunity to participate in the Pongal ritual at the temple every year even though he had to travel for an hour from Shah Alam, Selangor.

"We woke up at 5 am today and took the LRT (Light Rail Transit) to get here as this is one of the oldest temples in the country and I feel joyous coming here every time," he said.

Meanwhile, president of the Sri Ayyanreeswarar Temple in Setapak, Datuk Perumal Chinnaya, said the tradition of celebrating the Pongal festival at the temple, which began 30 years ago, was no less lively this year.

A devotee of the temple, Datin Jayam Shanmugam, 71, said she had visited the temple for Pongal every year since the 70s.

"Without a miss, I would come to this temple every year for Pongal after celebrating at my home and by 7.30 am I would be here already," she said.

Meanwhile, Little India, Brickfields, was observed to be bustling with activity as early as 7.30 am with most temples filled with Hindu devotees to partake in the Pongal ceremony before starting their daily work.

-- BERNAMA