MALAYSIA GENERAL CULTURE

MALAYSIA

THE INFORMATION ABOUT INDIANS RACES

INDIAN FOOD

Murukku (Chakri/Chakli)

The murukku holds within its twists and turns years of history. A snack that originated in Tamil Nadu, 'murukku' means 'to twist' in Tamil. It is made from semi-solid dough, which primarily consists of rice that's deep fried once it is passed through a murukku-maker.

Tosai/Dosa

South Indian Dish. Indian rice pancakes made from fermented batter. Dosa are delicious when it served with Curry and Chutney.

Putu Mayam

The snack is made of rice flour mixed with salt and water. The preparation process begins with soaking rice in water for hours and then grinding it into flour, which is sifted for impurities before it is steamed or roasted

Idli

Idli is made from a fermented batter, so the taste is distinct and somewhat sour (think of the taste similar to a sourdough bread). The addition of fenugreek seeds (methi) will also impart a subtle savory flavor

INDIAN LANGUAGE

The languages used by Indians in Malaysia other than the national language of Malay are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi, and English. Loans from Tamil include daily words such as:

CELEBRATION

DEEPAVALI

Deepavali is a festival celebrated by Indians living in Malaysia. This is the festival of lights, it signifies the victory of light and hope over darkness. Houses and streets of Malaysia are adorned with colourful lights and oil lamps. The day starts off by taking a bath with oil and praying. Later during the day processions, street-fairs, fireworks and get-togethers take place. The aromas of a variety of dishes lingering across the streets is one of the things that truly symbolises the festivities of Deepavali in the areas where Indians live in a large number.

THAIPUSAM

Thaipusam is largely celebrated by the Tamil community in Malaysia. Thai means the month and Pusam means star, Thaipusam is celebrated in January / February when the star is at its highest. The celebrations in Malaysia start off by visiting the Sri Mahamariamman Temple and proceeds to the Batu Caves. This festival sees a footfall of over a million devotees from across the globe. Some devotees go to an extent of piercing their bodies and carrying sacrificial burdens called Kavadis to beseech their blessings.

INDIAN TRADITIONAL CLOTHES

MEN

KURTA

The Kurta is the top of choice when it comes to traditional Indian apparel for males. It's a loose-fitting shirt that comes to a point at or just below the wearer's knees. The majority of traditional kurtas are collarless, however modern variants feature stand-up or Mandarin collars. The kurta's sleeves are open and fall to the wrists without tapering. Ladies, on the other hand, wear a kurti, a more feminine variant of the kurta. What's the difference? Kurtis have side slits that go over the waist, exposing the sides of the stomach

DHOTI

Most traditional Indian clothing for males is worn with a dhoti as the bottom. This unstitched long cloth wraps around the waist and legs and is roughly 4.5 metres long. Then, to keep it in place, you tie a knot around the waist. Dhotis are usually worn with a kurta, although they can also be worn with sherwanis for formal occasions.

WOMEN

SAREE

The saree is one of the most popular styles of traditional Indian women's apparel. This single piece of clothing is typically 4.5 to 9 metres long and 1 metre wide. As a skirt, one end is wrapped around the waist. The other end is carelessly draped over the shoulder, leaving the midriff exposed. They're then paired with a short, fitting bodice or choli and a matching petticoat or long underskirt.

ANARKALI

A long, frock-style garment creates a lovely and airy silhouette in this traditional Indian apparel. It has a bodice that is nipped in below the bust before fanning out towards the hem. An Anarkali dress is usually knee-length. However, it has expanded through time to include floor-length pieces, which are as popular among women. The top is then combined with a churidar (tight-fitting trousers) that matches the top. You may also wear it with palazzo pants for a more relaxed and trendy look.

TRADITIONAL DANCE

BHARATA NATYAM DANCE

This dance is one of the styles of classic Indian dance. The dance comes from the Tamil Naidu province in southern India. Traditionally, the dance was performed solo by a female dancer. This classic dance is a dance full of tradition. To master this dance should take a long time as there are various hands, legs and eyes that should be learned to Present this complete old heritage dance, full of glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCLQ_NR3RmI

BHANGRA DANCE.

This dance is a form of dance that celebrates engagement and success in a good harvest and comes from the Punjabi region of India. To display an artistic movement, each movement presented in this dance carries its own meaning. This dance is performed by men and women wearing a variety of bright fibres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-LFksC1Nc

TRADITIONAL GAMES

CHATURANGAM

Chess was invented in India around the sixth century. Chess features three animals: the horse, camel, and elephant, as well as knight, bishop, and rook. Chess is a popular board game that derives its name from the Sanskrit game Chaturanga. We now play Chathurangam, an old kind of chess. The game is played with 64 squares on the board with several coins such as bishop, chariot, king, and so on until one opponent checkmates the other to win.

KABADDI

In Kabaddi, two teams compete for the highest score by touching or capturing the opposing team's players. Each side has 12 players, with seven on the court at any given moment and five on the bench. The two teams alternate defence and offensive in their quest for better scores. The court is the same size as a dodge ball court. The game is split into two 20-minute halves, with a five-minute interval for side switching. The playing surface for kabaddi is 12.50m × 10m, split into two halves by a line. The team who wins the toss sends a 'raider' into the opposing team's court, chanting 'kabaddi-kabaddi.' The raider's goal is to touch any or all enemy players before returning to his court in one breath.