KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, January 28, 2015 (Free Malaysian Today): Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, an ad hoc apolitical human rights group working across the political divide, has called on Hindus this year to boycott Thaipusam at Batu Caves if the Committee insists on desecrating an ancient Hindu rite and practice, “milk abishekam”( showering ceremony), by employing motorized equipment to shower the milk from the devotees onto the Deity.”Devotees should observe Thaipusam at other temples in the country which observe the right practices according to Hindu rites.”
“Hindraf is totally mystified and appalled by the attitude of the Batu Caves Committee,” said Hindraf Chief P. Waythamoorthy (waytha@hindraf.co) in a statement. Waytha said the matter was brought to Hindraf’s attention through a video on You Tube which has since gone viral. Waytha alleged that the Committee had no regards for the feelings of thousands of devotees who had undertaken severe penance to participate in showering their “paal kadum” (pots of milk) in the final ritual, abishekam, during Thaipusam.
“The purpose of showering the milk on the Deity (abishekam) is a process of cleansing oneself of sins and to satisfy any debt bondage to the deity,” explained Waytha. “This practice is observed worldwide in India, Fiji, Sri Lanka, South Africa, USA, U.K, Australia and Singapore, among other places, during the Thaipusam month where milk is being showered individually by the priests who normally chant mantras as they do so. “There are no mantras chanted under the motorized method intended to be practiced in Batu Caves.” It not only desecrates Hindu rites, he reiterated, but also insults the individual devotee who had painstakingly undertaken severe penance to fulfill their devotion to the deity.
See video of “motorized abhishekam”–audio is the workers talking to each other about making adjustments to the position and flow of the setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH7gO8QeWrQ