Posted on 01/30/2006 8:33:22 AM PST by liberallarry
Malaysia's ethnic Hindus have unveiled what is being described as the world's tallest statue of the deity Lord Muruga outside a limestone cave shrine near the country's largest city.
An estimated 100,000 ethnic Indian Hindus watched as a helicopter showered flowers over the gold-painted, 42.7-metre statue late on Sunday at the foot of a hill outcrop that houses the Batu Caves, just outside Kuala Lumpur.
Samy Vellu, the works minister and Malaysia's highest-ranking ethnic Indian politician, conducted the official unveiling of the statue at the base of a 272-step stairway leading to the Sri Subamaniar Swamy Temple, located inside one of the hill's sprawling caverns.
Indian Hindus, who make up about 7% of Malaysia's 26 million people, regard Lord Muruga as a manifestation of valour, beauty, youthfulness, vitality, masculinity and happiness.
R Nadarajah, the temple chairman, said: "This is the tallest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia.
"It's also the tallest Lord Muruga statue in the world. We are trying to get it reported in the Guinness Book of World Records."
Nadarajah said 15 sculptors from India and 15 other general workers took more than three years to build the statue at a cost of more than US$550,000.
"All in all, 1,550 cubic metres of concrete, 350 tonnes of steel bars and 300 litres of paint were used," he said.
The unveiling came two weeks before the annual Hindu festival of Thaipusam, when up to a million people visit the temple to pay homage to Lord Muruga and make penitence.
Devotees pierce the skin on their backs and chests with scores of hooks, or drive skewers through their cheeks and tongues before climbing to the temple.
Malaysia's majority, about 60% of the population, comprises ethnic Malay Muslims.
There is also a large ethnic Chinese minority who are mainly Buddhists and Christians
Next week Al Jazeera will publish the security precautions around the site. Then some Muslim fanatic will bomb it.
And...
Devotees pierce the skin on their backs and chests with scores of hooks, or drive skewers through their cheeks and tongues before climbing to the temple.
Anyone else see a contradiction here?
How long before the Muslims blow it up?
I hope it doesn't offend Muslims.
Not really. It's something out of what is probably the oldest continually active religion on this planet. That's worth some respect, I think.
What is?
"Devotees pierce the skin on their backs and chests with scores of hooks, or drive skewers through their cheeks and tongues before climbing to the temple.
Anyone else see a contradiction here?"
Not really. Christian monks and pilgrims used to whip themselves to "mortify the flesh." And that was just a few hundred years ago. No contradiction.
Not really. It's something out of what is probably the oldest continually active religion on this planet. That's worth some respect, I think.
--Yes, Yes!!
I agree...but it's still an image out of Marvel comics, or a sci-fi movie.
Kind of reminds me of Goldar from that old Japanese TV show.
"Yes and no - depending on which account of history you accept, Hinduism post-dates the events of Genesis making the Judeo-Christian tradition the oldest religion on the planet."
Yes, well. Are you a believer that the events of Genesis happened around 6000 years ago? If so, then you have a point.
Either way, Hinduism is one of the great religions of this planet. Its history and beliefs are not for ridicule. Anyone who ridicules Hinduism mocks his own beliefs, as well, in my opinion.
Actually the comics and sci-fi stuff came from images from Hinduism. It's not the other way around. Hindu sculptures of their deities go back in time farther than almost any other structures we have on this planet, save, perhaps the pyramids and other relics of the old Egyptian religions.
The difference is that Hinduism is still a major religion.
"Not really. Christian monks and pilgrims used to whip themselves to "mortify the flesh." And that was just a few hundred years ago. No contradiction."
Yes and no. This "christian" practice was extra-Biblical, and, in fact, similiar early practices were criticised as unnecessary and distracting by St. Paul. (Although he did say to tolerate them, to a limited degree.)
Hilarious.
You lecture posters for mocking Hinduism, and say "Anyone who ridicules Hinduism mocks his own beliefs, as well, in my opinion," one line down from where you ridiculed the Jewish and Christian faiths.
Good grief!
That's a weird statement coming from as avowed atheist.
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