01 Feb 2007
Ranjeetha Pakiam and Marilyn Gerard
KUALA LUMPUR: After a 13-hour journey through the city centre, the chariot carrying the Hindu deity Lord Muruga arrived at the Sri Subramaniam Swamy Temple in Batu Caves.
Thousands stood at the entrance of the temple to welcome the chariot, which marked the beginning of the Thaipusam festival.
The chariot left the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee at 12.30am yesterday in a grand procession which stopped at several temples along the way to Batu Caves in Gombak.
At 1.30pm, the chariot arrived and was greeted with chants of vel, vel from the excited crowd.
Despite the blazing afternoon sun, thousands of eager devotees jostled for a spot to get close to the chariot and receive the blessings from the priests.
A few people had already begun carrying the kavadis and paal kodum (milk pots) to avoid the huge crowds expected in the evening.
Among the crowd were tourists who had come to witness the largest Hindu festival in Malaysia.
Many were awed by the golden statue of Lord Muruga which stood 42.7 metres at the foot of the hill.
Most of them climbed up the 272 steps leading to the temple inside the magnificent limestone caves.
About 1.5 million visitors are expected to visit the Thaipusam festival this year.
Source: NST
Showing posts with label Selangor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Selangor. Show all posts
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
Midnight closing for some shopping centres
Sunday January 14, 2007
PETALING JAYA: Selected shopping complexes may be allowed to operate until midnight in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2007.
Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim said the move was to attract more tourists, especially Middle Eastern visitors to literally “shop until they drop.”
He said the extension of hours had been discussed with several local councils and also the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
“The shopping industry is one of the major contributors to the country's tourism revenue, accounting for at least 20% of takings,” he said during The Summit Subang USJ 9th Anniversary Celebration here yesterday.
“Last year's tourism revenue was estimated at RM37bil, and it is expected to increase this year with a projection of 20 million tourist arrivals,” he added.
Lim said any move to extend the shopping hours would, however, be market driven, rather than be made compulsory.
“We're not rushing into any decision yet as the pros and cons of such a move are still unclear.”
He urged industry players to provide more opportunities for local Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to display their products instead of just carrying foreign brands in shopping complexes.
Source: The Star - Nation
PETALING JAYA: Selected shopping complexes may be allowed to operate until midnight in conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2007.
Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim said the move was to attract more tourists, especially Middle Eastern visitors to literally “shop until they drop.”
He said the extension of hours had been discussed with several local councils and also the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
“The shopping industry is one of the major contributors to the country's tourism revenue, accounting for at least 20% of takings,” he said during The Summit Subang USJ 9th Anniversary Celebration here yesterday.
“Last year's tourism revenue was estimated at RM37bil, and it is expected to increase this year with a projection of 20 million tourist arrivals,” he added.
Lim said any move to extend the shopping hours would, however, be market driven, rather than be made compulsory.
“We're not rushing into any decision yet as the pros and cons of such a move are still unclear.”
He urged industry players to provide more opportunities for local Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to display their products instead of just carrying foreign brands in shopping complexes.
Source: The Star - Nation
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