The History & Origin of Durga Puja

Durga Puja - the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals entails ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days - Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Dashami - are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion.
Durga Puja Mythology: Rama's 'Akal Bodhan'


Durga Puja is celebrated every year in the Hindu month of Ashwin (September-October) and commemorates Prince Rama's invocation of the goddess before going to war with the demon king Ravana. This autumnal ritual was different from the conventional Durga Puja, which is usually celebrated in the springtime. So, this Puja is also known as 'akal-bodhan' or out-of-season ('akal') worship ('bodhan'). Thus goes the story of Lord Rama, who first worshipped the 'Mahishasura Mardini' or the slayer of the buffalo-demon, by offering 108 blue lotuses and lighting 108 lamps, at this time of the year.


The First Durga Puja in Bengal


The first grand worship of Goddess Durga in recorded history is said to have been celebrated in the late 1500s. Folklores say the landlords or zamindar of Dinajpur and Malda initiated the first Durga Puja in Bengal. According to another source, Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur or Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya organized the first Sharadiya or Autumn Durga Puja in Bengal in c 1606.


The 'Baro-Yaari' Puja and Beginning of Mass Celebration


The origin of the community puja can be credited to the twelve friends of Guptipara in Hoogly, West Bengal, who collaborated and collected contributions from local residents to conduct the first community puja called the 'baro-yaari' puja or the 'twelve-pal' puja in 1790. The baro-yaari puja was brought to Kolkata in 1832 by Raja Harinath of Cossimbazar, who performed the Durga Puja at his ancestral home in Murshidabad from 1824 to 1831, notes Somendra Chandra Nandy in 'Durga Puja: A Rational Approach' published in The Statesman Festival, 1991.


Origin of 'Sarbajanin Durga Puja' or Community Celebration


"The baro-yaari puja gave way to the sarbajanin or community puja in 1910, when the Sanatan Dharmotsahini Sabha organized the first truly community puja in Baghbazar in Kolkata with full public contribution, public control and public participation. Now the dominant mode of Bengali Durga Puja is the 'public' version," write M. D. Muthukumaraswamy and Molly Kaushal in Folklore, Public Sphere, and Civil Society. The institution of the community Durga Puja in the 18th and the 19th century Bengal contributed vigorously to the development of Hindu Bengali culture.


British Involvement in Durga Puja


The research paper further indicates that "high level British officials regularly attend Durga Pujas organized by influential Bengalis and British soldiers actually participate in the pujas, have prasad, and even salute the deity, but 'the most amazing act of worship was performed by the East India Company itself: in 1765 it offered a thanksgiving Puja, no doubt as a politic act to appease its Hindu subjects, on obtaining the Diwani of Bengal'. (Sukanta Chaudhuri, ed. Calcutta: the Living City, Vol. 1: The Past) And it is reported that even the Company auditor-general John Chips organized Durga Puja at his Birbhum office. In fact, the full official participation of the British in the Durga Puja continued till 1840, when a law was promulgated by the government banning such participation."


Durga Puja Comes to Delhi


In 1911, with the shifting of the capital of British India to Delhi, many Bengalis migrated to the city to work in government offices. The first Durga Puja in Delhi was held in c. 1910, when it was performed by ritually consecrating the 'mangal kalash,' symbolizing the deity. This Durga Puja, which celebrates its centennial in 2009, is also known as the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja currently organized by the Delhi Durga Puja Samiti in the lawns of Bengali Senior Secondary School, Alipur Road, Delhi.


Evolution of the 'Pratima' and the 'Pandal'


The traditional icon of the goddess worshiped during the Durga Puja is in line with the iconography delineated in the scriptures. In Durga, the Gods bestowed their powers to co-create a beautiful goddess with ten arms, each carrying their most lethal weapon. The tableau of Durga also features her four children - Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati and Lakshmi. Traditional clay image of Durga or pratima made of clay with all five gods and goddesses under one structure is known as 'ek-chala' ('ek' = one, 'chala' = cover).


There are two kinds of embellishments that are used on clay - sholar saaj and daker saaj. In the former, the pratima is traditionally decorated with the white core of the shola reed which grows within marshlands. As the devotees grew wealthier, beaten silver (rangta) was used. The silver used to be imported from Germany and was delivered by post (dak). Hence the name daker saaj.


The huge temporary canopies - held by a framework of bamboo poles and draped with colorful fabric - that house the icons are called 'pandals'. Modern pandals are innovative, artistic and decorative at the same time, offering a visual spectacle for the numerous visitors who go 'pandal-hopping' during the four days of Durga Puja.

Himalaya

Mythology


Whether it is in Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism or Jainism, Himalayas since ancient time has been a cradle of mythology. Interestingly, mythological tales make Himalaya more intriguing and mystical.


Hindus regard Himalayas as an abode of God Shiva and hence is regarded very sacred. Ancient Hindu scripture, Rig Veda, has referred to Himalaya as a deity. It is believed that a sage from India through meditation saw the image of Himalaya ranges in the stomach of Lord Krishna, the eight incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sama Veda has also inscribed Himalaya as the centre of the earth. Mahabharat boasts that Yudhishtra, the eldest brother of Panch Pandav, ascended Himalaya peaks to reach heaven and this pursuit is known as Swargarohini. Swarga means heaven and Arohini means ascent. Skanda Purana, sacred Hindu scripture, says that one can get free of all the sins by merely looking at Himalayas. From ancient times, sages used to travel to great Himalaya for meditation and spiritual enlightment.


Early Hindu mythology has it that during the rule of King Milinda, sage Nagasena enlightened the king about the divinity of Himalayas.  Several tales are intertwined with Himalayas; sons of King Sagar on the way to their kingdom after grand victory unintentionally stepped onto the path of a sage who at the time was in deep meditation. This broke up the sage's concentration and in extreme anger he instantly cursed the sons to turn into ashes. The sons pleaded for forgiveness and mercy. Eventually, the sage said the sons will be freed of the curse only upon sprinkling holy water of Ganga onto them. Bhagirath, a descendant of Sagar King, took upon himself the responsibility of freeing Sagar dynasty of this curse. Bhagirath meditated in Himalayas for years to please Goddess Ganga. So pleased was Goddess Ganga with the devotion and worship of Bhagirath that she agreed to flow onto the sons of Sagar King on one condition that Bhagirath must foremost has to worship Lord Shiva to release her from his matted hair which is where the goddess resides. Bhagirath did as he was told. Consequently, Lord Shiva released Goddess Ganga to flow from his hair. So powerful was the water flow of the goddess that Bhagirath could not control it and unfortunately the water out of control and extinguished the holy fire that sage Jahnu had set up for puja in the himalaya. Jahnu got very furious and angrily drank up the entire river. Bhagirath sought Jahnu's forgiveness and finally Jahnu released river Ganga from his ear. There is a mythology which also says that Jahnu released river Ganga from his thigh.  Eventually, the holy water of goddess Ganga was sprinkled onto the cursed sons of Sagar King and with this the curse was washed away.


In Tibet, Himalayas is worshipped as mother of the earth and looked upon as the greatest source of inspiration and perseverance. According to Tibetan mythology, Bodhisattva made an outlet through Himalaya and with this originated Tsangpo, great river of Tibet.   


Bhutanese mythology claims that Guru Rimpoche came to Bhutan riding on a flying tiger in the year 747 AD. He rescued Bhutan from demons and spread Buddhism in Bhutanese Himalaya.

18 Indians recovering well in Malaysia hospitals

Eighteen Indian tourists who were injured in a bus accident in Malaysia this week are recovering well and arrangements are being made to send the bodies of two victims to India, a top High Commission official said.


The tourists hailing from Punjab who met with an accident while returning from the popular Genting Highlands resort near here are all recovering well at the two hospitals where they were admitted, Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Vijay Gokhale said.


The deads were identified as Anita Aggarwal and Rajendra Kumar Aggarwal.


The envoy said that the High Commission was making arrangements to send the remains of the two victims back to India as soon as possible.


Gokhale praised the Malaysian government for the care and concern showed to the victims adding that the relatives of the victims had been notified of the incident.


Both were travelling with their spouses and were not related.


On Monday morning, the tourists, including a 2-year-old child, were in a chartered bus heading for Singapore when it crashed into a divider before landing on its side at the opposite lane of the Genting Highlands-Kuala Lumpur road.


The bus was following another bus carrying members of the same tour group, when the driver of the ill-fated bus swerved to the right to avoid crashing into a vehicle in front, New Straits Times said. The tourists were in their fifth day of an eight-day trip to Malaysia and Singapore.

Hindu Invocations in 14 US City & State Legislative Bodies

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has been reciting the Hindu prayers in California, Nevada, Alaska, Idaho, and Arizona, and many of these are reportedly the first Hindu prayers of these legislative bodies since their formation.


Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, will be delivering these prayers in the following city councils starting today:


City Councils of Henderson (Nevada) - May 18, 2010
Boise (Idaho) - June 8, 2010
Boulder City (Nevada) - June 22, 2010
Phoenix (Arizona) - July 7, 2010
Visalia (California) - August 2, 2010
Zed, has delivered prayers from ancient Sanskrit scriptures at the legislative bodies of the following cities and states:


Carson City Board of Supervisors (Nevada) - February 18, 2010
Sparks City Council (Nevada) - February 8, 2010
Alaska Senate and House of Representatives in Juneau (Alaska) - April 9, 2010
City Councils of Lincoln (California) - April 27
Yuba City (California) - May 4, 2010
Bakersfield (California) - May 5, 2010
Modesto (California) - May 11, 2010
Fresno (California) - May 13, 2010
Zed has already delivered Hindu prayers in United States Senate in Washington DC, Nevada Senate, Nevada Assembly, California Senate, New Mexico Senate, Arizona Senate, Arizona House of Representatives, Indianapolis Senate, Indianapolis House of Representatives, Colorado Senate, Colorado House of Representatives, Washington State Senate, Oregon Senate, Oregon House of Representatives, and Utah Senate. Most were the first Hindu prayers of these legislative bodies.


After first reciting in Sanskrit, Rajan Zed then reads the English translation of the prayer. Sanskrit is considered a sacred language in Hinduism and root language of all Indo-European languages. Zed recites from the Rig-Veda, the oldest scripture of the world still in common use, dated from around 1,500 BCE, besides lines from Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita, both ancient Hindu scriptures.


Zed starts and end the prayer with "Om", the mystical syllable containing the universe, which in Hinduism is used to introduce and conclude religious work. This includes the famous verse from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, "Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya", which roughly translates as "Lead us from the unreal to the Real, Lead us from darkness to Light, and Lead us from death to Immortality." Reciting from Chapter III of Bhagavad-Gita, he will urge the councilors to act selflessly.

Hinduism in Malaysia

Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest and most influential religions. It is extremely diverse. Different practices and beliefs occur in different countries, regions, and villages.
Hinduism was at one time widespread in Southeast Asia. From around 600 BC it extended from India into Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In most of East Asia it was later obscured by Buddhism and Islam. However, it still prevails in Bali and parts of East Java, and since the late 19th century has been reintroduced to peninsular Malaysia.
History and origins
The roots of Hinduism can be traced to around 1500 BC, but it was very different to the Hinduism of today. It was polytheistic and ritualistic and originally the rituals were generally performed at home. They gradually became more complex and a priestly class was created and trained in order to carry out the rituals. The priests thus became the means of access to the gods.
In 600 BC the people revolted against the priests, who had become controlling. A new form of Hinduism gradually developed, with more of an emphasis on personal meditation. Theistic cults began to develop, forming the basis of much of Hindu practice today.
As part of Hindu worship today, people use domestic shrines and rituals, local shrines and famous temples and pilgrimage sites.
Beliefs
Traditionally, Hindus viewed the cosmos as a sphere, enclosing several concentric layers of seas, continents, heavens and hells. 
Brahman is the ultimate reality; the ultimate source of all being. It is an impersonal, universal force that cannot be defined. The cosmos is an expression of Brahman. Most Hindus believe that they also are expressions of Brahman.
Atman is the soul or self, an inherent, eternal part of all living things. There are very many Hindu theories and definitions of Atman and its relation to Brahman. 
Maya is a central Hindu concept. Some Hindus follow the teaching that the physical world is illusory, or maya, and that Brahman alone is real. Others follow the concept that both are real and that the universe is an extension of Brahman. Another strand of belief teaches that Brahman and the universe are two distinct realities.
Time is cyclic rather than chronological, and also degenerative, moving from a golden age through two ages of lesser goodness to the present, degenerate age. At the end of every fourth age, a fire or flood destroys the universe and a new golden age follows, thus continuing the cycle.
Human life is also cyclic. Hindus believe in reincarnation: the soul is reborn after physical death into the body of another human or animal. The continuous reincarnation process is called samsara.
Karma determines each new birth. We reap what we sow, in the present and future lives. Some Hindu teaching suggests that ignorance keeps us locked in karma, and that we can be released by knowledge or enlightenment.
Moksha is release from karma, death, decay, anger, lusts and maya. This release is attained though understanding and detachment from worldly pleasures. It is a liberation from the wheel of life, death and rebirth, and moving towards enlightenment.
This enlightenment can be reached in three ways:
the way of action and ritual 
the way of knowledge and meditation 
the way of devotion 
Devotion is generally interpreted as commitment to God, who is approachable, offering salvation as a gift, not reward for effort. It is also sometimes interpreted as devotion to a deity. With devotion to God, we must also then be devoted to parents and elders.
The sacred cow
From ancient times, the cow has symbolised the universe and its gifts to humanity. Cows are givers of life, food, sacrifice and worship. They are not eaten and some Hindus are vegetarian. However, even where Hindus are vegetarian, the milk, urine and dung are generally used for food, fuel and ritual. In art, Krishna is often depicted as a cowherd.
Scriptures
Vedas: These are the oldest Hindu scriptures. Some people suggest that they record the religion of the Aryan peoples who settled in India around 1500 BC. They were nomads, probably from central Asia or the Baltic. Their religion included sacrifice to gods representing the forces of nature. 
Veda means ‘knowledge’. There are four Vedas, of which the oldest is the Rig Veda. Each is divided into four parts: mantras (verses or hymns sung during rituals, also called samhitas), brahmanas (explanations of the mantras), aranyakas (reflection on the meaning of the mantras) and upanishads. Upanishads are philosophical, poetic, mystic meditations on the nature of existence, atman, Brahman and the universe. Some people prefer a three-fold division of the vedas, with aranyakas and Upanishads counted as one.
Two epic tales
Ramayana 
This is 24,000 couplets on the life of Rama, a good king and an incarnation of the god Vishnu. In the Ramayana he is depicted as an Odysseus figure. A Ramayana dance is still performed in Cambodia and Indonesia. 
The Mahabharata 
The story of the Aryan clans, told in 100,000 verses composed over 800 years. This includes the devotional Bhagavad Gita or ‘Song of the Blessed Lord’, the most popular Hindu scripture.
Gods and goddesses
There are thousands of Hindu deities, but worship varies regionally. Some Hindus believe in a divine triad; manifestations of Brahman: Brahma (creator), Shiva (destroyer) and Vishnu (preserver). However, some believe only in one god, some believe in many gods, some in no god and some in several manifestations of one god.
Hinduism in Indonesia
Hinduism spread to Indonesia in the first century AD. Islam superseded it in the 13th century, except in Bali, which is now the largest Hindu region outside India. Hinduism is also still practised in much of Islamic East Java, and most Indonesian art is Hindu rather than Islamic.
Balinese Hinduism is characterised by pantheism and includes elements of Polynesian religions. Most gods are identified with nature. Brahma is associated with fire and volcanoes, as well as creation as in Indian Hinduism. The most powerful gods are those identified with mountains, lakes and the sea.
Other gods include:
Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa: the supreme unknowable god. 
Ancestors: these are the most approachable. The rites of the living enable the souls of the ancestors to reach heaven. The ritual is repaid by blessing from the ancestors and sometimes guidance via a medium. 
Ancient kings: also revered as important deities. 
Dewi Sri: the rice goddess. Shrines can be seen in rice fields, and daily food offerings are left to her. 
Saraswati: a female consort of Brahma and the goddess of wisdom, knowledge and the arts.
Hinduism in Malaysia
Around nine percent of the population of Malaysia are Tamil Indians, of whom nearly 90 percent are practising Hindus.
Hinduism spread to Malaysia very early, and was important until Islam arrived in the 15th century. Traces remain in the Malay language, literature and art.
Indian settlers came to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: labourers to work on rubber plantations and a few English-educated Indians, forerunners of today’s professional middle class. There is also a minority from Northern India.
Malaysian Hinduism is diverse, with large urban temples dedicated to specific deities, and smaller temples on estates. The estate temples generally follow the tradition of the Indian region from which the workers originate. Many people follow the Shaivite, or Saivite, tradition (worship of Shiva), of Southern India. 
Shaivism is a devotionalist grace-based concept and emphasises love for the deity, rather than fear.
Folk Hinduism is most common, including spiritualism, animal sacrifice and worship of local gods.
Since the Second World War a revival of Hinduism has occurred among Indian Malaysians, with the foundation of organisations and councils to bring unity or to promote reform.
Other points
Sin is caused by ignorance which produces bad karma.
Most Hindus do recognise one God, or supreme deity. However, often God is seen as an impersonal force, or one of many gods. Jesus is also likely to be identified as one of many deities.
Christianity is seen as a Western religion and Christians do not appear spiritually respectable because many eat meat and many are materialistic.
There are many paths to God.
To be ‘born again’ implies reincarnation. 
Pray for: 
Christian influence among the Malaysia Tamils: visa restrictions limit missionary work.
Possibilities of outreach from Indonesia and Malaysian churches.
Political stability and greater religious tolerance.
A resurgence of Hinduistic ‘patriotism’ and ‘nationalism’ is occurring in India, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is less militant in East Asia but nonetheless hinders Christian witness. 
The Balinese church, which is very new and small.

Najib with his ‘Nathekai’ (Dirty hand) in Thaipusam

Each year millions of people going to Batu Caves, Penang Thanir Malai temple and many other Murugan temple to celebrate Thaipusam. Most of us going for the festival for the prayers beside shopping and sightseeing, the moment we talk about Thaipusam Kavadi Attam a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of murugan is the one will come to our mind but do you know 80% of the devotees who going for Thaipusam donating in formed of gold, cash and archanai (offerings) to Lord Muruga?


What is puzzling my mind is what happens to all the gold and cash donated by the devotees? The donated cash and gold last seen will be brought to the Mariaman Temple via cargo container for the final counting but the management never once revealed to the public on the total collection. How much is the total collection? The gold value?


I would like to bring to everyone attention even the second richest temple in the world Thirupathi declared all the donation.


As an ordinary Indian citizen who attended this year Thaipusam celebration would like to know how much the total collection and how the cash collected on behalf of GOD Murugan has been utilized? Why the fund was not use to assist our poor Indian university students, Tamil school or helping to upgrade our Indian community in term of financially or economically?


How much does the government of Malaysia who ruled by the richest political party in the world UMNO gets in form of tax from our Indian festival? 


I believed Many of us are not aware the real reason or the meaning of Thaipiusam. Why the Hindu sangam and Temple committees not taking any initiatives to educate the public about the festival and set some form of guideline which I think will help us to understand the purpose of the festival and many more.


My since suggestion to the relevant party that the donation collected during the festival can also be channel to the religious education which is already in a danger zone among our Indian community in Malaysia. This also will help to reduce our community from convert to Muslim, which I believe due to lack of knowledge in Hinduism.


Anyhow UMNO is succeeding in their marginalizing agenda when MIC, Temple management, Hindu Sanggam and many other NGO, s who support BN government did not take any action to curb the corruption in all levels include the temple donation money.


Our beloved Prime minister Najib was garland with the most expensive MALAI, which estimated RM 4000.00 by the temple management and MIC. Why so much of money wasted in the MALAI when there’re many Indian are suffering out there. Do you think UMNO or any other Muslims festival will give you that kind of expensive garland to our Indian leaders in their festival?


I scratch your back and you scratch my back. I keep quiet when you take people’s money from the temple and you make sure you VOTE Barisan Nasional so that we can continue do Nathekai job (dirty job) for Indian community.


Hi friends please ask your self why should we Indians give the honor to PM Najib when he fails to help Indians: -


1.No special allocation for our Indian community to improve our social economy in yearly Budget


2.UMNO killing Indians in prison and police lock up


3.PM Najib has no guts to stop our Indian converting to Muslim


4.UMNO cannot stop temple breaking or gazette land for Hindu temples.


5.More than 150000 Indians in Malaysia are having red IC or even without birth certificate.


6.Tamil schools have not properly facilities under Barisan Government.


7.Many Indians in Malaysia are financially strained due to their ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ policy.


8.UMNO treat other Indian collusion party as low class or younger brother.


9.UMNO is not gazette permanent land for Indian residential area.


10. UMNO using gangsters like Perkasa, Pekida and Tiga line for threaten the Indian society.


All the above reasons will not allow Indians to give their Nambikai to PM Najib but he is just putting is Nathekai in Malaysian Indians life.


The temple committee and MIC should immediately STOP inviting any UMNO leaders to our Temple and Festival because this people have no respect for our Indian community. Ask yourself, MIC leader have ever UMNO leaders invited to their mosque?


Indian friends please join hand with me to request the Temple Management to declare the Hundial Money and Gold collected during the festival and put all the pressure to STOP them from inviting UMNO leaders for any of our festival.

Can Najib deliver his promises?

When come to garlanding VIPs and hero worshipping, nobody can beat the Indians especially the MIC leaders. They can be very innovative and grandeur in bestowing praises and apple polishing. The huge flower garland sized for 2 persons, the prime minister and his wife at one go, speaks volumes of Batu Cave temple chairman Datuk Nadarajah’s ability to apple polish and showering praises. Of course the garland must be purchased from donations and revenue of Batu Caves temple. I wonder whether the prime minister took home the huge garland. Otherwise what a waste it would be. But one wonder why do the temple committee shower such praises lavishly for the president of the party that segregated and made a section of Indians hardcore poor. The PM’s party has breed corruption, racism and nepotism that have spread to all nooks and corner of civil service. The Indians are direct victims and are facing the brunt of these evils scourges. PM Datuk Najib may request for “nambikai” trust on him but he befriends the very people who betrayed the ‘nambikai’ of Indian community. How to have ‘nambikai’ on the prime minister protects the very person who robbed the MAIKA holdings. Mr. PM the Indians are also watching and matching your deeds with words.


That’s not the end. A huge cardboard portrait of Datuk Seri Najib was displayed on the opposite side of the grand stand from which any VIP to Batu Caves would make speeches. So in this year’s Thaipusam, PM Najib was larger than lord Murugan both in person and in portrait. Since Datuk Najib took office in 2009, what policy change was made to make the Indians equal citizens in Malaysia? Government policies have made Indians 3rd class 4th class citizens and that they only deserve hampers and cash handouts. Batu Caves is an important tourist center and contributes to our tourism industry. Batu Caves have made Malaysia well known worldwide. Announcing 2 million for the cultural center is small compared to what Batu caves contributes to tourism industry.


PM Datuk Najib thinks allocating money for Tamil schools are great favour to Indians. Tamil Schools come under ministry of Education. It is government’s duty to provide and not announce as though they are doing a great favour. The recent collapse of the Tamil school roof in Serdang is an indication how they have deprived funds for Tamil schools all these years. The government doesn’t have a blue print to develop Tamil schools. Before 2008 they starved Tamils of funds and support with the hope that these schools will die naturally. Fortunately Indians played a crucial role in depriving the 2/3 majority and BN losing 5 states in the last general elections. Only after 2008 Datuk Najib started visiting Batu Caves and not anytime before. But unfortunately the poor Indians are easily pleased with little goodies or empty promises.   

In the Keramat Pulai area, which stretches from the eastern edge of Gunung Raat to the western edge of Gunung Terandum, besides Sam Poh Tong there are a further six established cave temples. They are Ling Sen Tong, Nam Thian Tong ,Kwan Yin Tong, Kek Long Tong,Chee Chei Buddhist Temple and Sri Muneswari Hindu Temple.
The Perak Tong, a limestone cave temple, is situated at Jalan Kuala Kangsar north of Ipoh. This particular Temple houses more than 40 statues, the centre piece being a 12.8 m high sitting Buddha. Next to it is an altar for Kuan Yin (the goddess of Mercy), Maitreya (the future Buddha vairochana) and others. Beyond the main altar, there is a passage, which leads into the interior of the cave, on the walls of the cave are a number of mystical mural paintings.
The Indian Temple (Kallumalai arul Migu Subramaniam Koil) at Gunung Cheroh, set amongst impressive limestone hills is another cultural attraction and focus for Hindu devotions and Hindu cultural festivals such as Deepavali and Thaipusam are widely celebrated in Ipoh.
Tambun Hot Springs are situated Tanjung Rambutan 15 minutes drive east of the city of Ipoh.
It is a natural spa located at the bottom of a limestone hill. The hot water from a natural spring provides a very refreshing dip or bath. There are facilities available such as saunas and rest rooms.


Kellie's Castle is located in Batu Gajah. It was built by a Scottish planter called William Kellie Smith as a castle of love for his wife. Smith himself was from a small town in Scotland known as Kellas. In 1890, at the age of 20, he arrived in the then undeveloped Malaya. 
He made his fortune in tin and rubber and then he returned home to marry his Scottish sweetheart, Agnes, and brought her over to Malaysia in 1903. The following year, the couple was blessed with a daughter named Helen.
For many years after that, Agnes tried to conceive, but to no avail. William Smith desperately wanted a son and heir to take over his empire in the Malay Isles. After many years, Agnes finally gave birth to a son called Anthony in 1915. The birth of his child was the start of even greater success for William Smith. To celebrate Anthony's birth, William Smith decided to expand on his mansion. Smith started planning for a huge castle which he planned to call Kellas House, after his hometown in Scotland.
Because of his fascination with the Hindu religion and the Indian culture, Smith's plans was for this house to share similar architecture to those of Madras, with all its bricks and tiles imported from India. He even employed a big group of Indian laborers to build his dream house, to keep the Kellas House authentically Indian. The mansion is accessible from the main road through a bridge running across a stream.
But it was not only the cost of importing material and laborers from abroad that made the house so fascinating to fascinate locals and travelers alike. Among the many amazing things about Kellie's Castle include an elevator (unheard of in Malaya in those days, the one built in Kellie's Castle is the first in Malaya) which connects right up to the top floor and the existence of two tunnels that run under the river nearby. One of these tunnels connects to the Hindu temple some distance away to the main house. On the second floor, Smith planned to build an indoor tennis court -- an ambitious project even by today's standards. On the highest floor, there is a rooftop courtyard for parties. This castle was to be the hub for entertaining wealthy colonial planters who have settled in Malaya. His house was so unique that it was even mentioned in the London Financier newspaper on 15 September 1911.
Unfortunately for Smith, tragedies struck soon after the construction of the Kellas House begin. A virulent strain of the "Spanish flu" spread from Europe to Asia soon after World War I ended in Europe, killing many of the workers in Kellas Estate. Another seventy workers constructing Smith's dream castle also became victims of the flu. Smith, who has already spent a fortune on his house, lost a lot of money because of this.
In the end, Kellas House was never completed. William Kellie Smith himself died of pneumonia during a short trip to Portugal in 1926. His heartbroken wife decided to pack up and return home to Scotland selling the estate and Kellie's Castle to a British company called Harrisons and Crosfield.
For some reason or other, Kellas Home, later known as Kellie's Castle or even Kellie's Folly to some, was never completed. However, despite more than eighty years of vandalism and neglect until the government refurbished the house in 2000, the building remained a tourist attraction for many years prior to that. 
Today, visitors can still "meet" William Kellie Smith and his two children at Kellie's Castle. Sculptures of them are still standing on the exterior wall, but the one of his beloved wife fell off some years ago. For safety reasons however, the tunnels have been sealed off. Apparently, one of Kellie's car is parked somewhere in one of the tunnels! Despite the ravages of time and neglect, the entire estate oozes with romanticism of the colonial era in Malaya.
After visiting Kellie's Castle, do not forget to take a short walk to the Hindu temple constructed by Smith to appease the Gods after his workers died of the Spanish flu. The architecture of the temple is a curious mix of Moorish, Greco-Roman and Indian design. Encapsulated forever in a moment in time is the odd, misplaced figurine of Kellie in his planter's suit and topee among the sixty deities on the temple roof.
Few temples around the country actually owe their existence to a colonial expatriate like this insignificant temple in the outskirts of Batu Gajah. And obviously the Hindu temple held enough fascination for William Smith to build a secret tunnel connecting the temple and his house.
About 20-30 minutes outside of Ipoh, near the town of Gopeng (heading towards KL) lies the 'Gua Tempurung' (gua = cave; tempurung = coconut shell).  The cave is opened to visitor and is extremely large with underground rivers.  It leads right out to a part of the NSE. It used to be a dwelling place for the communist terrorists.  Be prepared to get wet!

Madurai Veeran

A legend says that he was born to Raja of Kasi Banaras.Varanasi Thulasingam and queen Karpagavalli.
Having seen the newborn child who was born as a result of divine intervention, with the umbilical cord wound round around the neck, the King was shocked as this would be a bad omen for the kingdom. As advised by the royal astrologers, the child was placed in a basket an let go in the river.
The child, we received by a childless pair (Chinnaan and Chinni) who were cobblers by profession. They named the child Muthu Kumaran and reared him as their own, fearing the original parents might ask for the child, they left the country of origin and moved southwards and sought refuge in the kingdom of Raja Bommu (Bommulu Raja)under Vijayanagaram they are Rajakambalam Nayakar community . Raja Bommu/Bommannan appointed Chinnan as the Gatekeeper of his palace.
The boy Muthukumaran was sent to a Gurukul to learn the arts and graduated as the best in all. However, fate played a different role. According to tradition, girls, who come of age are placed in a secluded location for a period afterwhich shall only see the face of the man who is destined to marry her. In the case of King Bommannan's Daughter, Bommi, the gate keeper's son Muthu Kumaran turned out to be the person. As he was not know to be of royal birth, this was opposed by the royals and Muthukumaran and Bommi flees southwards.
Muthukumaran and Bommi reaches Madurai, ruled at this time by Thirumalai Nayak, who is immediately taken by the charming young man and appoints him to the Royal Army and also retains him as a close confidante and calls him Veeran (The Valient One).
Madurai, in those days was troubled by armed robbery by the Kallar tribe of south. The king orders "Veeran" to quell the menace.
Fate again plays its part here. Veeran, meets with the Royal dansuse, "Vellaiyammal" (The Fair one) and being well trained in all forms of arts and his looks, vellaiyammal is attracted to him and requests him to teach her the Natya Shastra (The tenets of dancing).
The King, who was attracted to Vellaiyammal does not appreciate this development and views this as an affair, and in one occasion, some of his generals, who hated the closeness of Veeran to the King, uses the opportunity to inform the King, that the delay in suppressing the robbers was deliberate as Veeran was in connivance with the robbers themselves. Furious, the king orders a traitor's death to Veeran.
Veeran is taken to the gallows and his alternate limps are chopped off. hearing this, Bommi and Vellaiyammal reaches the gallows to see the severed limps and chastises the King for his injustice. As the legend goes, Veeran, is brought back alive by the virtues of both these women and is vindicated by the presence of Gods. Veeran, thereafter retires to a cave beneath the now known Meenakshiamman Temple (The cave exists even now, though the path is closed for people)
A temple had been erected at the south gate of Meenakshiamman Temple later by Thirumalai Nayak. The Ballads of Madurai Veeran has been a folk tale carried out for many generations through village songs, known in Tamil as Gramiya Padalgal and Traditional Street Theater, known as Therukkoothu.in southern Tamilnadu.

‘Prevent illegal agents recruiting workers to Malaysia’

MANGALORE: Former Malaysian finance minister and deputy Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim urged the governments of India and Malaysia to take necessary steps to prevent illegal agents recruiting people from India. 


Addressing mediapersons on a private visit to Mangalore on Thursday, Anwar, who is the leader of the opposition of Malaysian Parliament, said that Indians were being forced to work in Malaysia for lesser pay than they were offered at the time of recruitment. He was referring to Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Razak's recent statement that nearly 40,000 Indian nationals have gone 'missing' in Malaysia after the expiry of their tourist visas. 


"It is not the question of legitimacy or illegality of the stay of Indians in Malaysia. The government should treat those Indian workers as dignified human beings. It is a fact that Malaysian companies and the government make them work for only half of the salary offered at the time of recruitment. Malaysian government should consider this fact and also look into the basic facilities provided to them," he said. 


Anwar questioned Malaysian government for the manner in which Indian families, who reside in Malaysia without visas, were treated. "Why do they punish only poor even when there are corrupt among rich too. Let the government solve the issue in a transparent manner. Let the government send those Indians back, if they are not required there," he suggested.It was because of the corrupt agencies, who recruit manpower in India and Malaysia, the situation has been created in Malaysia, Anwar said. "There are corrupt agencies in India too. They offer attractive salary, collect huge amount and recruit people from India. Only after reaching Malaysia people realize the reality.

Malaysian honor for NRI businessman

Nonresident Indian businessman and philanthropist Yusuffali MA receives the prestigious award for promoting interfaith harmony and tolerance from Datur Azman bin Hassan, director general of Malaysia's department of national unity and integration at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.


KUALA LUMPUR: Nonresident Indian (NRI) businessman and philanthropist Yusuffali M.A. received an award for promoting interfaith harmony and tolerance at the International Islamic University Malaysia here yesterday.


Datur Azman bin Hassan, director general of Malaysia’s Department of National Unity and integration, presented the award to the businessman during a seminar based on the United Nation’s interfaith harmony and tolerance week.


Lauding India’s tradition of religious tolerance and multicultural values, Hassan said Malaysia also cherished the same values and its government was actively preserving and promoting that tradition by forming working committees on different areas.


Yusuffali, the lone non-Arab member of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he had employed 27,000 people of different nationalities in his nearly 100 shopping malls across the Gulf region without any discrimination.