A Malaysian Photo And Travel Blog

My favorite picture so far. He literally fell into a deep, blissfully peace-filled state of profound meditation. He seemed so believable to me :)

A giant-sized lantern of baby Buddha.

The largest, grandest and most beautiful float.

Taking night photos in low light can many times be difficult. I was struggling to set the proper settings and finding my camera buttons. So far it seems doable, but not quite as easy as I initially thought.

This boy was feeling very uncomfortable trying to face the crowd. His mom (in blue blouse) asked him to clasp his hands together and pray. He was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs :)

Villagers waiting for the parade to start.

The baby Buddha is made to stand straight up with his right hand pointing at heaven and with his left at the earth, and he exclaims: "Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the honoured one!" Source: Manual of Zen Buddhism

According to Buddhist legend, when Buddha was born, he pointed his right hand up and left hand down to announce that he will unite heaven and earth. Hence, a standing Baby Buddha figure with the same mudra is placed on the altar for the ceremonial bathing.

As we pour water over Baby Buddha, we pray fervently that our body, mind and speech be purified and that all our defilements and impurities be cleansed so that all sentient beings may advance in their spiritual development. Source: Palyulph

I'm scared of driving back to Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen Buddhist temple (佛光山东禅) at Jenjarom, Selangor. I adore this temple. LOVE IT SO MUCH! But I'm terrified of the distance and also its remote location. It's pretty hard to find this place. I wanted to see 2010 Wesak Day Float at 仁嘉隆, Jenjarom desperately! I'm a day person. So this was my very first night photography outing. LOL! I didn't know what to expect. It was all new to me :)

As expected, it was another dreadful ride all the way to Jenjarom. I lost my way again. It was getting late. I do not want to miss the parade. So, I flagged down a motorcyclist and asked for directions. An old lady (perhaps 70 years old) was riding pillion on her grandson's motorbike.

I asked "Makcik, kalau nak ke Jenjarom, pusing kiri ke kanan?"

(English: "Do I have to turn left or right?")

She said "You boleh pusing balik atau keluar dan masuk kanan, kiri dan...."

(English: "You could turn back or turn right and then left...")

I was sitting there clueless scratching my head as to what I need to do next. I tried to understand her directions but they were too confusing. When I explained my predicament she immediately sprung into action to help me. She instructed her grandson to show the way. So, I followed that bike. I was breathing a huge sigh of relief. I tailed them for more than 15 minutes. At one point, I suspected we're getting nowhere! Well that's frustrating.

Finally, the boy stopped his bike and points to a dilapidated road. He asked me to drive across that lousy road. OK! My worries didn't stop there. The condition of the road had not improved, causing more anxiety and fear. I drove slowly to avoid punctures.

Luckily, the directions are correct. PHEW! It was relieving knowing that I finally found the place. Jenjarom is a sleepy village far, far away from Kuala Lumpur (KL). Villagers were riding motorbike without wearing helmets. I drove slowly to avoid hitting them.

At first, I was dumbfounded. The temple was eerily quiet. No sign of Wesak Day Float! I was getting worried again. Is this for real? A worker informed me the parade starts from 7:30 p.m. Only one float was visible at the temple. WHAT? Only one??? You got to be kidding me!

By 6:45 p.m. people begin trickling into this Buddhist temple. The excitement started to build up! Suddenly, I heard some loud Indian songs. Indian devotees were pulling an interesting float. WOW! This Indian float was A.W.E.S.O.M.E! It was equipped with surround speakers. The high priest sat on the float and ensures God Shiva was properly decorated with fragrance flowers. I was mesmerized with the beauty and grandeur of these floats. A hurricane of sounds, smells and color.

Next, a lorry full of lion dancers and drum beaters arrived. By 7 p.m. the floats were almost ready to line up with the parade. I was really excited!!! It starts when the organizers gets green light to proceed. It was almost 8 p.m. It was my first time snapping in the dark. I was messing with my camera buttons trying to find the best settings. It was a difficult task. I cannot even see the buttons properly.

I've spent at least 30 minutes walking from one float to another. It was exciting and a bit surreal being here in person. I enjoy every second and minute that I spend with them.

By 8:10 p.m. the parade started moving out. There were hundreds of villagers waiting at the main road. Close to 3 000 people have shown up at Jenjarom to support the parade. It was a sea of people with little orange lights in their hands. Traffic came to a standstill as the massive crowds circled around the village.

It was hot and stuffy. I was sweating profusely. I followed the parade for almost 1 km before heading back to my car. I decided to call it a day. I need to wake up early the next morning to visit Buddhist Maha Vihara National Wesak Day open House in Brickfields.

Overall, it was a simple parade. But the beautiful colours and wonderful people makes it an unforgettable experience.

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