In a statement, national unity minister Halimah Sadique urged devotees to abide by the rules and ensure they mask up and practice good personal hygiene at all times.

SOPs for the Thaipusam festival will be in force from Jan 16-19, with SOPs related to “paal kudam” (milk offerings) to be applied from Jan 14-19.

The main SOPs that have been in place for many public activities in recent months will be enforced throughout the festival, that is, only those who are fully vaccinated can participate, physical distancing of one metre must be observed, and face masks must be worn at all times.

However, an additional SOP added for the festival is that only adults, aged 18 and above, are allowed to participate.

Meanwhile, different SOPs have been imposed on the different temples that attract large crowds every year in conjunction with Thaipusam.

Prayers

At the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves (Selangor):

• No more than 6,000 devotees allowed on each day.
• 18 prayer sessions allowed on Jan 18, from 5am to 11pm.
• 12 prayer sessions allowed on other days, from 5am to 5pm.
• Each session can last a maximum of 30 minutes, followed by another half hour of sanitisation.
• No more than 500 devotees per session.

At the following temples – Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple in George Town, Penang; Nagarathar Thandayuthapani Temple (George Town); Ipoh Hindu Devastanam Paripalana Sabah Temple (Kallumalai Sri Subramaniam Alayam) in Perak; and Sri Subramaniyar Thevasthana Paripalana Temple Sabah Sungai Siput (Perak):

• No more than 3,000 devotees allowed on each day.
• 18 prayer sessions allowed on Jan 18, from 5am to 11pm.
• 12 prayer sessions allowed on other days, from 5am to 5pm.
• Each session can last a maximum of 30 minutes, followed by another half hour of sanitisation.
• No more than 250 devotees per session.

For all other temples:

• No more than 500 devotees allowed on each day.
• 18 prayer sessions allowed on Jan 18, from 5am to 11pm.
• 12 prayer sessions allowed on other days, from 5am to 5pm.
• Each session can last a maximum of 30 minutes, followed by another half hour of sanitisation.
• No more than 50 devotees per session.

Also, for all the temples, the SOP states that no food or drink is allowed during the prayers.

Chariot procession

The SOPs for the chariot processions state that a limited number of people are allowed to accompany the chariot, and that it must follow a route that has been approved by the police.

For the chariot procession from the Sri Mahamariamman temple in Jalan Tun HS Lee in Kuala Lumpur to the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves, the SOPS are as follows:

• No more than 100 escorts from the temple.
• No more than 10 stops allowed.

For the chariot processions at Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple (Penang), Nagarathar Thandayuthapani Temple George Town (Penang), Ipoh Hindu Devastanam Paripalana Sabah Temple (Kallumalai Sri Subramaniam Alayam) (Perak) and Sri Subramaniyar Thevasthana Paripalana Temple Sabah Sungai Siput (Perak), the SOPS are as follows:

• No more than 100 escorts from the temple.
• No more than seven stops allowed.

For all other temples, any chariot procession is to have no more than 50 escorts from the temple, and no more than five stops allowed.

Furthermore, only the temple management are allowed to set up tents along the procession path, and these must provide MySejahtera facilities, temperature screening equipment and hand sanitisers.

“Paal kudam” (milk offerings)

The ceremonial carrying of milk pots is allowed, with different SOPs for different temples.

At the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves:

• No more than 100 participants at a time.
• Sessions can last a maximum of 30 minutes, followed by another half hour of sanitisation work.

At the Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani Temple (Penang), Nagarathar Thandayuthapani Temple George Town (Penang), Ipoh Hindu Devastanam Paripalana Sabah Temple (Kallumalai Sri Subramaniam Alayam) (Perak) and Sri Subramaniyar Thevasthana Paripalana Temple Sabah Sungai Siput (Perak):

• No more than 50 participants at a time.
• Sessions can last a maximum of 30 minutes, followed by another half hour of sanitisation work.

At all other temples:

• No more than 30 participants at a time.
• Sessions can last a maximum of 30 minutes, followed by another half hour of sanitisation work.

The temple management is tasked with providing a special route for bearers of the paal kudam and ensure one metre of physical distancing.

All participants must also register with the temple in advance and wear a tag issued by the temple.

Other SOPs:

• Head shaving is allowed in line with current SOPs for barbershops.
• Ritual baths are allowed in areas prescribed by the temple management.
• Permanent stalls are allowed to operate, but temporary stalls may not be set up in or around the temple area.
• Donations of food or drink (“thanir phandal” and “anathanam”) are not allowed, either during the chariot procession or around the temples.

We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.