Sea of colour as Malaysia's Hindus mark Thaipusam with piercings and prayerBATU CAVES, Malaysia, Feb 1, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A sea of colour lit up Malaysia's landmark Batu Caves outside the capital Sunday, as hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees gathered to celebrate Thaipusam, one of the religion's most revered festivals. Thaipusam is marked with particular zest in multicultural Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation where ethnic Indians make up about seven percent of the 34 million population. I have been coming for Thaipusam for the past 30 years," S. Jeyasangar, 39, from Klang, Selangor, told AFP. "Thaipusam is important to me because I have gone through so much, and I'm successful today because of Lord Muruga," she told AFP. "Every day I pray for a better future, so today I came to thank Lord Muruga," Shema said.
