My last Thaipusam in Penang before relocation. This year my company setup a booth for the first time in front of the new building at Macalister Rd. where the Silver chariot will passed by upon the return to Lebuh Penang. We visit the booth to give a support, and were invited to join the coconut breaking on the busy Macalister Road. The coconuts were placing on both side on the road. After the chariot passed, the devotees begin to smash the coconuts on the road hard. Some of them smashed it so hard that the coconut shredded pieces flying off everywhere and I got my toe cut and bleed a little due to this.
We find it amused but at the same time amazed by how efficient are the MPPP (Penang Municipal council) clear off the smashed coconuts with bulldozer. When there are too many smashed coconuts on the road, we hear whistle blow to call for a stop. Immediately the stanndy bulldozers standby will runs through the middle of the road push and clear the coconuts off the road. Then whistle blow and people continue smashing coconut again and repeat with bulldozer run thru and clear off again until no more coconut to be smashed. This year he gets to experience coconut smashing for the first time which is different from our previous visits to Waterfall road during Thaipusam for the Kavadi & piercing ritual.