Malaysians like to respect the Datuk by building him a house. There are so many interesting versions of a Datuk house, a place that gives him cover and provides a place for worship. Sometimes the houses look a lot like…
Read More
In Tanjong Karang, Datuk temples and shrines abound. The Datuk helps protect the fishermen who hail from a sea-faring background in Fujian province in China. There are 5 Datuks worshipped in this shrine and some of their names are indicated,…
Read More
When the Nine Emperors Gods are invited to the temple, it is customary for devotees to offer tea and joss sticks in sets of nine out of respect and a sense of Chinese hospitality. Look at those nine little tea…
Read More
Ready, Set, Go! The Nine Emperor Gods Festival begins on Saturday
Read More
This story comes from a cluster of Hindu temples under the high tension wires in Kampung Eng Ann, Klang. Here communities gather to reclaim their attachment to sacred space, generations after being separated from their land. We found ourselves there,…
Read More
A story of Ritual, Images and Words I have a memory of being suspended in the space before the morning light, enfolded in the embrace of another realm. Pauline and I were encircled by the final rites of a Kuda…
Read More
5-31 August 2019 Hin Bus Depot, Georgetown, Penan Images by Cheryl Hoffmann, Words by Pauline Fan Video by Persona Theory Games https://www.obscurafestival.com/print-exhibitions/2019/7/23/alamtaknyata-cheryl-hoffmann
Read More
Images of Kuda Kepang For several years I have been watching the Kumpulan Kuda Kepang RHF perform the entrancing healing rituals of the Kuda Kepang dance. As I fell in love with the rhythmic beauty of the ritual movements, the…
Read More
Communities have different ways of responding to pressures on their traditionally-held beliefs. When a conservative faction in Johor state revived a religious fatwah against the art of Kuda Kepang, the response was loud and clear. In the heart of Parit…
Read More