500,000 visitors expected, road diversions/closures for Thaipusam

By Aida Aziz

IPOH: A total of 500,000 visitors are expected to come to Ipoh over the four-day Thaipusam celebration this year.

As such, several roads around the city will be closed and diverted to facilitate the Thaipusam festivities, which fall on Sunday, 1 February.

According to Ipoh District Police Chief, ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad, the celebration will take place over four days, from 31 January to 3 February.

“Among the main Thaipusam events are the chariot and kavadi processions from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Sungai Pari, Buntong, to Sri Subramaniar Temple at Gunung Cheroh.

“The chariot procession from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple to Sri Subramaniar Temple will begin at 6am on 31 January and is expected to conclude at noon.

“The return chariot procession will start at 5pm on 2 February and is expected to end at noon on 3 February,” he said.

In this regard, phased road diversions and closures will be implemented during the chariot procession.

The affected roads are:

1. Starting from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Sungai Pari, Buntong via Jalan Sungai Pari – Jalan Tun Perak
2. Jalan Tun Perak – Jalan Lahat
3. Jalan Lahat – Jalan Perhentian
4. Jalan Lahat – Jalan Sultan Yusof
5. Jalan Sultan Yusof – Jalan Sultan Iskandar
6. Jalan Sultan Idris Shah – traffic light junction at Jalan Laksamana
7. Jalan Sultan Idris Shah – traffic light junction at Jalan Raja Musa Aziz
8. Jalan Dato’ Onn Jaafar – Jalan Raja Musa Aziz
9. Jalan Raja Musa Aziz – Jalan Dato’ Ahmad Said
10. Jalan Raja Musa Aziz – Sultan Iskandar roundabout

In addition, the kavadi procession from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple to Sri Subramaniar Temple will begin at 3pm on 31 January until midnight and will continue on 1 February from 7am until 2am on 2 February.

Phased road diversions and closures will also be carried out at:

1. Jalan Tun Perak
2. Jalan Lahat
3. Jalan Sultan Yusof
4. Jalan Sultan Idris Shah
5. Jalan Dato’ Onn Jaafar
6. Jalan Raja Musa Aziz

Alternative routes that motorists can use to access the city centre include:

1. Jalan Kuala Kangsar
2. Jalan Tun Abdul Razak
3. Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah
4. Jalan Raja Dihilir
5. Jalan C.M. Yusof
6. Jalan Yang Kalsom
7. Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil
8. Jalan Dato’ Ahmad Said