On the 20th day of the Chinese New Year, the deities will be taken from their home in the Johor Old Chinese Temple to their temporary shrine at Xing Gong (the Tiong Hau Crematorium on Jalan Ulu Ayer Molek). So, at 11 am on the 19th day of the Chinese New Year, officials of the Kuil Kuno Johor (Johor Old Chinese Temple sub-committee) prepare the 3 km route in advance using bunches of greenery to spray water onto the street. Tradition says this will cause it to rain to wash the route more thoroughly, and tradition ruled this year!
Following these officials were other red-shirted devotees, accompanied by the usual banging of gongs.
I chose to return to the temple and found it full of activity in preparation for the Mounting Ceremony. This is a private affair where the deities are prepared for their annual journey. They are invited to mount the sedans, and the leaders and protectors from the respective clans fill the sedans with gold and silver incense paper and fasten it securely with red cloth. What I could see were the sedans being cleaned and everything being prepared in readiness. So, here are some photos of spring cleaning activities. You may notice the unusual pinkness of the photos, but that was due to the awning overhead and the intense sunshine this day.
As I left the temple, there was a buzz of activity outside with the arrival of the two big head dolls. I have yet to discover the symbolism of these characters, but they did stop and pose for me!
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