A SACRED ritual among Gujaratis and North Indians to symbolise the bond between siblings became a shared cultural experience for all at the Raksha Bandhan celebrations in Penang.
Foreigners joined locals in the festivities which was part of the George Town Heritage Celebrations Street Festival.
The interactive “Unbreakable Siblings’ Bond” demonstration, organised by the Gujarati Samaj Penang, drew crowds eager to learn the significance of tying the rakhi, a sacred thread that represents love, trust and protection between siblings.
Association representative S. Sonia said Raksha Bandhan was celebrated on the full-moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Shravan.
She said sisters tie a rakhi around their brothers’ wrists as a symbol of trust, while brothers pledge to protect them from life’s hardships.
“Although it is traditionally celebrated between biological siblings, the festival’s message has expanded over time. Today, people also tie friendship rakhi to spiritual mentors, police officers and soldiers as a symbol of care and protection.”
Visitors at the event tried making eco-friendly rakhi using silk threads, beads, seeds and dried flowers. They also viewed the ceremonial thali, a brass plate containing a lit lamp, tilak (vermilion), rice grains and traditional sweets used during the ritual.
Traditional festive treats, including cardamom-infused kheer (rice pudding), gulab jamun and coconut ladoo, were also showcased.
Elsewhere, the Penang Hindu Association attracted festival- goers with demonstrations of Varma Kalai (an ancient Tamil practice from South India that integrates martial arts, traditional medicine and energy healing), yoga and the making of rainbow- coloured thosai.
Visitors sipped masala tea served in traditional clay cups before decorating the cups themselves.
The colourful thosai was prepared using natural ingredients such as beetroot, carrots, spinach, butterfly pea flowers and purple cabbage.
The cultural showcases were among the highlights of the George Town Heritage Celebrations, held from July 4 to 7 to mark the 18th anniversary of George Town’s inscription as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The street festival featured 34 hands-on cultural workshops and eight interactive dance performances encouraging visitors to experience traditional crafts, food, games and languages.
Among the other workshops were “Iron Rod Puppet Won’t Rust”, “The Rice of a Million Slices” and “All’s Fair in Love and Games”.
Visitors also queued to collect commemorative stickers featuring 12 historic buildings as part of an interactive heritage trail organised by George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI).
The celebrations also included a 5km George Town Heritage City Walk and Historic Building Open House, offering rare public access to 12 heritage buildings within the World Heritage Site.
GTWHI said the celebration’s theme this year, “Kongsi Cerita!”, encouraged people to appreciate the stories, memories and traditions embedded in everyday cultural practices that have shaped George Town over generations.
