ونحمد الله علي نعمة الاسلام

Quote: The experts said God was dead. But the trouble was most people weren't listening. Instead of fading into the mists of history, religion is a more important actor on the world stage than ever. Wayne Ellwood investigates this global resurgence of faith and argues that spiritual values are an integral part of life. THE local Hindus had been preparing for weeks for Thaipusan. It was one of the great religious festivals of the Malaysian Indian community and a time when young men like Siva proved their mettle. You could glimpse the frenzied activity down leafy back allies and narrow side streets as coloured lights, tinfoil, peacock feathers and pots of red, green and yellow paint were unpacked. Siva, too, was preparing for Thaipusan. Last year, he had skewered his cheeks and carried a decorated kavadi supported by wire threads and tiny hooks in his chest and back. This year he was building a chariot to honour the gods. He spent weeks painstakingly hammering and sawing in the cool of early morning, pouring his soul and more than a few weeks pay into its construction. When the great day came Siva and his friends pulled the chariot through the crowds. The steaming Penang streets were clogged with celebrants and smashed coconut shells and throbbed with high-pitched Indian music. Much later, in the quiet of the temple, the wounds from this year's hooks were daubed with sacred ash by the priest. Then the streets were swept clean, the crowds thinned and the festival was over for another year.