GEORGE TOWN, Jan 23 — The Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) has clarified that the decision to stop music at Thaneer Panthals (decorated stalls) at 11pm on February 1 during Thaipusam celebrations was made purely on safety grounds, following lessons learnt from last year’s overcrowding incident.

Its deputy chairman, Dr R. Lingeshwaran said the directive applied only on the night of February 1 to ensure kavadi bearers could reach the hilltop of Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga, here, in time for the Thirukaapu ritual at 11pm, and did not signify the end of Thaipusam celebrations.

“It is important to note that Thaipusam does not end at 11pm and the panthal operators are free to continue serving devotees and fulfilling their noble duties throughout the night.

“We would have preferred to continue the event until midnight, but we cannot take the risk if lives are at stake. Safety of the devotees comes first,” he posted on his Facebook today.

He explained that after an unfortunate human stampede last year, police had initially proposed a 10pm cutoff, however, following discussions with the PHEB committee, the time was extended to 11pm.

According to police records, he said more than one million devotees attended Thaipusam last year, during which seven individuals fainted due to severe congestion, hampering ambulance access to provide immediate medical assistance.

“This year, we expect an even larger crowd due to the long weekend, and these experiences guide the precautions we take today,” he said.

Dr Lingeshwaran added that PHEB will continue to engage with the police and relevant authorities, and if crowd management and safety objectives can be met, the board will work towards extending the music until midnight in future celebrations.

On January 17, Bernama reported that PHEB chairman RSN Rayer said one of the key improvements introduced this year is a special permit system for devotees carrying the Ratham Kavadi (a large kavadi resembling a small cart that is pulled by several individuals), to regulate entry times for the kavadi procession to ensure smoother movement and prevent congestion that could compromise safety, particularly during peak hours at night.

Besides that, he also reminded panthal operators to adhere strictly to guidelines, including playing only religious songs, ceasing all music by 11pm on February 1, and complying with the ban on entertainment music.

However, the regulations have sparked debate among Indian devotees on social media, with some expressing dissatisfaction with PHEB.

Over a million Hindu devotees and tourists are expected to descend on Penang for the Thaipusam festival on February 1. — Bernama