KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Only the ‘paal koodam’ procession of carrying milk pots, prayer activities and chariot processions will be allowed during the Thaipusam festival this time, with the ‘kavadi’ ceremony still not allowed in the effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said ‘paal koodam’ was allowed from this Friday (Jan 14) to Jan 19 with the number of devotees allowed to be set according to the respective temples.
“Each session is for 30 minutes, and it will be followed by sanitisation work. For the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves, Selangor, the number of individuals for ‘paal koodam’ will not exceed 100.
“For the Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple and Nagarathar Thandayuthapani Temple in George Town, Penang; Ipoh Hindu Devastanam Paripalana Sabah Temple and Sri Subramaniyar Thevasthana Paripalana Sabah Temple in Sungai Siput, Perak, they will do not exceed 50 people,” she said in a press conference here today.
Halimah said for temples other than the five mentioned, the number of people involved for the ‘paal koodam’ would not exceed 30.
