KOTA KINABALU (Oct 20): The joyous celebration of Deepavali in Sabah can clearly be felt, with people from various races and religions coming together to join the festivities at the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam here on Monday.
Despite being far away from their families in Peninsular Malaysia, Indian students and the local community in the state still celebrated the Festival of Light in a festive and harmonious atmosphere.
There are about 15,000 Indians throughout Sabah and, in this capital city alone, there are 3,000 of them, including Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students.
This year, UMS took the initiative to provide three buses to transport about 250 to 300 Indian students to the temple to celebrate Deepavali with the local community.
UMS Faculty of Psychology and Social Work lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Balan Rathakrishnan said this was done to enable students who could not return to their hometowns to celebrate Deepavali with the Indian community around Kota Kinabalu.
"The students are extremely happy to celebrate with the Indian community here. Coming to the temple to pray, students who are far away from their families feel as if they are back home because the celebration here is so lively and a variety of traditional Indian dishes are served," he said.
The event was also attended by the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sabah, Tun Musa Aman who was welcomed on arrival by Kota Kinabalu Hindu Temple Association president Datuk Dr K Mathavan.
For UMS Bachelor of Communication student Andrita James, 22, celebrating Deepavali in Sabah has given her a different, but just as meaningful, experience, although the Indian community is a minority in the state.
"This is the third year I am celebrating Deepavali in Sabah, and I do indeed miss my family. However, I have responsibilities as a student to focus on my studies," she said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) third-year psychology student Janani Somaiya celebrated Deepavali away from her home in Johor for the first time.
"I wanted to experience how Deepavali is celebrated in Sabah," she said. "The atmosphere is quite different. In the peninsula, we usually go to the temple in the morning before visiting relatives' houses, but here the Indian community is much smaller -- most are students."
Janani noted that the Indian community in Sabah is more diverse and close-knit.
"Everyone is very friendly here. I was also surprised to see that this temple is built in a North Indian style, unlike the South Indian temples we usually have in the peninsula," she said.
Dentist Dr Deviani Perumal, who is also the temple's secretary, said the Deepavali celebration here is always lively because people from other races and religions also join in the festivities, adding that about 800 to 1,000 people turn up annually to further enliven the atmosphere.
"Normally, on Deepavali morning, we will hold prayers at home before going to the temple, wearing our new clothes... that is our tradition.
"At the temple, various traditional Indian food - like roti canai, tosai, vadai and murukku - are served to guests of various ethnicities and religions to enjoy," she said.
Chartered accountant Joshua Kong observed that the celebration drew a noticeably larger crowd this year.
"It could be due to the approaching state election next month," he remarked. "Still, it's encouraging to see everyone celebrating in peace, unlike in many parts of the world where conflict overshadows unity."
Sabah Indian Association (SIA) executive committee member Datuk Dr Mohan Gopal Naidoo said celebrations like Deepavali play an important role in promoting and strengthening harmony and unity in society.
He said Malaysia's multiracial and multilingual society thrives on harmony and unity, values that are continuously reinforced through cultural and religious events.
"To achieve lasting harmony, activities like this are essential. They boost our national integration index, and Sabah continues to be a role model," he said.
"We have achieved much, but we must continue improving so that other states can follow Sabah's example."
Dr Mohan said it was a deeply meaningful occasion for the temple community.
"Normally the governor would only attend state-level official functions. To see him here, in our small temple, was truly special," he said.
According to Dr Mohan, who is also the former Tuaran Hospital director, the temple organises a breakfast event every year for guests and devotees as part of its Deepavali tradition.
Also present at the celebration were Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) acting president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) honorary president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.