Friday 10 February 2012

Penang Thaipusam 2012

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It was Thaipusam, a Hindu festival celebrated on the day of the Pusam star in the month of Thai (between January and February). It commemorates the day Lord Muruga received a vel spear blessed by Mother Shakti. With it, Lord Muruga vanquished the demonic forces and liberated everyone.

Penang Thaipusam:: Endurance
Hooks pierced at the back of a devotee
In South East Asia, the Penang Thaipusam is arguably of the grandest scale. 800,000 Hindu devotees from different parts of Malaysia make their pilgrimage to Penang on this day. Even non devotees - locals and foreigners alike - flock to the island to witness this religious festival. Guess what, there're also photographic tours hosted by professional photographers - accommodation, food, photography workshop and even a handphone with a local SIM card for use during the trip, all in one package!

While many people from afar take the trouble to come and experience this unique event, most locals take it for granted. We'd rather sleep in on this precious public holiday. When I was a small kid, my parents used to bring me to the Thaipusam but it has been a long while since I last went to one. So this year, I decided to brave the crowd and take some shots at the festival. It was also my first time photographing Thaipusam.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Portrait Shots At The Kaki Lima

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BB @ Ipoh Collage
A collage of Zhi's portraits taken at a five foot way
Just a quickie on a collage I put together a few days ago. I like these photos because the arches in the background add an extra dimension to the shots. Found them while I was looking through my hard drive. They were taken during an earlier trip to Old Town, Ipoh where Zhi's grandma lives.