Maran Perianen
The Sri Muthu Mariamman Temple in Gajah Berang, Melaka, was flooded with thousands of devotees yesterday as they celebrated the annual Dato Chachar festival.
Dato Chachar, also known as Megamey or Mengamay, is the biggest Hindu event of the year in Melaka and a major celebration among the Chitty diaspora, who are currently spread over Malaysia and Singapore.
The festival is named after the Goddess Mariamman, believed to cure ailments such as chickenpox, known as Chachar in Malay. It is one of two unique festivals of the Chitty Community.
The Dato Chacar procession for healing and blessings
Devotees clad in bright yellow attire walked from the Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple located on Jonker Street to the Sri Muthu Marriamman Temple located in Chetti Cultural Village in Gajah Berang, a distance of approximately 1.5 km.
The Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple, where the festival begins, is itself an important historical and cultural landmark, having been built in 1781 by the Chitty community. It is the oldest existing Hindu temple in Malaysia.
During the festival, local Chitty Hindus, Indian Hindus of various ethnic groups, members of Chinese dialect groups, Babas, and Nyonyas participate in prayers and devotional activities.
Chinese devotees, in particular, bring their elders to daily prayers with the hope of having them healed by Goddess Mariamman.
Thousands of Hindu and Buddhist-Taoist devotees carry silver milk pots and/or metal or wooden frames with images of Hindu gods on them to fulfil their vows or give thanks to Dato Chachar.
Many devotees, mostly males, also have spikes thrust through various parts of their bodies to fulfil their vows and receive benefits or blessings from Dato, such as good health, employment or business benefits, or success in educational endeavours.
A few among them showcased their devotion by piercing their jaws with lengthy skewers, while others pulled a miniature shrine chariot using hefty hooks. In a state of trance, they swayed to the beat of the thunderous drums.
Upon their return to the Mariamman Temple, the devotees were welcomed by a lively carnival atmosphere, with throngs of spectators eagerly awaiting their arrival.
The chariot procession at Chetti Cultural Village
The Dato’ Chachar festival is a joyous occasion for the Chitty community as families come together in traditional attire to enjoy the food and entertainment, which includes traditional music and dance performances.
As the night fell, after the prayers and offerings were completed inside the temple, the goddess was taken on the chariot for a village procession, during which the Chitty community offered their prayers and sought blessings.
The procession led by the ‘Hantu Tetek‘ figurine marked the beginning of the chariot parade, with the devotees following along in jubilation as they danced and clapped. The procession made its way through the village, stopping at each house where the devotees presented their offerings of coconuts, fruits, and incense on banana leaves.
Priests blessed the offerings in front of the goddess before returning them to the devotees to be placed on the home altar. The festive atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement as everyone participated in honouring the occasion.
Some devotees added an extra ritual by cracking coconuts in front of the chariot, hoping their prayers would reach the gods. The celebration was filled with joy as everyone came together to honour the occasion.
The procession inside the village concludes in the early morning hours, and the goddess is brought back to the Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple on Jonker Street, signifying the end of the festival.
Celebrating Dato Chachar with the Chitty community
The village of Gajah Berang is home to a tight-knit community of 20-30 Chitty families who live in harmony with their non-Chitty neighbours, mostly Chinese. Despite centuries of assimilation, the Melaka Chitty community has managed to preserve their religious practices and traditional rites.
While adopting Malay influences in other aspects of their daily and cultural lives, the Chetti community still observes their Indian festivals such as Navarathri, ‘Parchu Bhogi’, held a day before the Tamil harvest festival Ponggal, and ‘Parchu buah-buahan’, which is celebrated during the fruit season in June and July.
The Chitty community has adapted to local customs and speaks a Malay dialect with Tamil loan words, but they still adhere to Hinduism as their religion, and some also practice ancestor worship, a cultural influence from the Chinese and Malays.
The Dato Chacar festival holds great significance for the Chitty diaspora, who are presently dispersed across Malaysia and Singapore. They make their way back to the village to celebrate with their community.
CJMY
Jimmy Tan
