Applying Science into Our Daily Lives
How do we apply scientific formulas or theories into our daily lives?
According to Associate Professor Dr Hon Wei Min, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at UCSI University, the
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3D Animation for the Future
Are you creative? Need a platform to design? Get to know School of Design and explore your talent in it!
Although being relatively the smallest school in UCSI University, Associate Dean
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happenings
Negeri Sembilan Cultural Carnival 2010
By Farezza Rashid
The Negeri Sembilan Cultural Carnival is an annual event organized by the state’s Ministry of Tourism to promote tourism through its local cultural performances. This year the Carnival was held from 18th until 20th of June in Seremban with 700 participants from the districts of Negeri Sembilan, the different states around Malaysia as
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Leisure & Lifestyle
Engelbert Humperdinck’s ‘Legacy of Love’
For more than four decades, Engelbert Humperdinck has shared his music with fans from every age on every continent including Malaysia. His Legacy of Love World Tour which stopped at the Resorts World Genting’s Arena of Stars on the 18 & 19th June was anything but superb.
At 74, he showed no signs of slowing down.
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Talk To Us
By Joshua Chay I would have wanted to start with an inspirational quote from a famous figure about how education is the cornerstone of any great man. Then move on to share my personal experiences from the 3 years that I was in university, explaining to you how I am now better prepared for the challenges
"The Road to Menara Gading and Back"
Thaipusam: A Celebration of Good over Evil
Mention Thaipusam and instantly my mind conjures up images of huge crowds of Hindu devotees at Batu Caves, colourful kavadis, body piercings, shaven heads, and people balancing milk pots, also known as the ‘palkudam’, on top of their heads, climbing the 272 steps up to the caves.
Devotees carrying the 'palkudam' on their heads
The real meaning of Thaipusam is not a show of bravery by outdoing others by having the most body piercings or carrying the most attractive kavadi. It is instead a celebration to commemorate the victory of Lord Muruga over the demon army.
When I was much younger, I used to associate Thaipusam with Thailand, as they share the first syllable, ‘Thai’. How naive I was at that time. Through observations in the papers and the shared experiences of Hindu classmates in school, I slowly and gradually came to know more about the Thaipusam festival.
It was from my Indian friends that I learnt that the Thaipusam festival is named as such because it is observed on the Pusam star in the Tamil calendar month of ‘Thai’, which falls either on January or February each year. I was relieved that I didn’t reveal my foolishness in front of them, because then I would definitely be the laughing stock of my class.
My Hindu friends in school also used to have a strict vegetarian diet for 48 days before performing their vows to cleanse themselves. I honestly salute their efforts. If I were them, I would never have gotten past the first week itself!
The rituals that take place on Thaipusam day itself are complex and show the faithfulness of the devotees to perform their vows. They also have to endure a huge crowd while balancing the milk pot or kavadis, and yet they still made it all the way to the top of Batu Caves.
A kavadi bearer
This year on the 30th of January, the spotlight was once again on the masses of devotees at Batu Caves. About 1 million devotees and tourists thronged the Sri Subramaniyar Swami Temple in Batu Caves, despite the hot and humid weather to fulfil their vows.
I hope that Malaysians from all walks of life will try to understand the significance of Thaipusam, and at the same time learn more about this celebration as we live in a very multi-cultural country. And every year more and more people from all over the world join in this religious festive as proof of its popularity.
