The detail of the venue is as follow:

Venue:
Waterfront, Precinct 2,
Putrajaya

Theme: Tropical Splendour

Opening Hours:
9am – 10pm
(Monday-Thursday)

9am – 12midnight
(Friday-Sunday)

I found that it is nice to visit there especially if you bring you family. During my visit I can see lots of photographer taking photo of the flowers… in Malaysia not everyday that you can see lots of flower in one place like this event…

I will share some photo of the event later on…

As promise, here is the some of the photo that I take during the visit… I am sorry that the photo is not so clear, it is at night time when I visit the exhibition.

Having said that, I am glad that the department come out with the idea and make it.  If you are not Malaysian or not from this region, there are few species of animals that you would like to check out. (before I go further, just to make it clear that it is not a live animals that we are talking here). You will able to see pangolins, and few species of fruits bats.

The exhibition started from 1 February to 31 July 2010. It open from 9.00 am in the morning to 5pm in the afternoon.

Here is the few photo that I take on that day.

Compared to last year ceremony, I think there are more people that join it this year… I manage to snap some photo to share.. This year, I mange to take more photo because my batteries is full…

Btw,  there are some Klong Yao (long drum) team that head the march. they will play the klong Yao and sing. Some people will join them and dance… seem like they all have a good time enjoying themself.

The loy kratong ceremony is very grand in Thailand. However, from what I have heard, this year the celebration is not as grand as years ago as this year the sister of the King passed away and people is mouring over the loss.

Hopefully next time I will be able to visit the celebration in Thailand and share the photo with all of you here.

I manage to take some photo, but not all of the functions today.

However, before I go further, some of you may not aware of what is katina ceremony is, I get this information from the net and it describe what is katina:

Katina Ceremony
By Ven Panditha M. Dhammagavesi

First of all I would like to draw your attention to the history of observing VAS (rainy) retreat. Secondly, about the Kathina ceremony and finally, the benefits of performing it.

For the first twenty years of establishment of The Order of the Sangha (Sangha community) the Buddha did not have to lay down any kind of disciplinary rules for monks, because the Sangha community was not so large, they were not too old in the Order and also their main intention was to eradicate defilements to lead a pure life. With the increasing of the Sangha community some of them entered The Order with the intention of obtaining material gains. Some of them did not know what they should or should not to do for their spiritual upliftment. Therefore, there was a need to implement some rules to correct them and show them the right way to practice for their welfare and also for the welfare of those who would enter in to the order.

Most of the monks did not stay in one place for a long time. They would travel from place to place, from village to village, from suburb to suburb practicing meditation, preaching and teaching, encouraging and stimulating people to engage in Dhamma. They did not stop travelling even during the rainy period of the year. During that time there were some other religious groups as well. One of them was Nighanta natha puthta and his disciples. They went to the extreme of practicing Ahimsa.i.e. they considered even grass as a living being and therefore did not walk about on grass for fear of killing them. They stayed indoors during the rainy season without walking anywhere so that they would not cause death or harm to any living thing. Under these circumstances Buddha and his disciples were accused of travelling during the period of rainy months. Taking into consideration this accusation and recollecting the actions of previous Buddhas, he advised monks to go into retreat during the rainy season starting from the day after the July Full moon.. Those who could not commence the retreat on this particular day due to unavoidable circumstances were advised to commence it following the August full moon. Each and every higher ordained monk is supposed to observe rainy retreat whether they were invited to do so or not by lay people and no matter where they live. The rainy period usually lasted for three months.

Monks are not allowed to use more than three robes during the Katina retreat.(The three robes are the inner robe, the outer robe and the double robe) When they get more robes they should be kept in the store.

On one occasion Vishakha Maha Upasika (The chief lay lady disciple) expressed her desire to offer a special piece of cloth to each monk and invite monks for Vas observation. Buddha accepted her invitation. Since then we have been following that custom. That is why people these days too invite monks to go into retreat and this is called Vas Aradana. This is done by offering a special piece of cloth at the beginning of the rainy period. From the beginning up to the end of this period monks are provided with food, domestic facilities, medicine and so on. These three months are very important for both monks and lay people because they could do more and more meritorious activities such as participate in dhamma sermons, dhamma discussions, meditation programs and Pirith chantings.

During Lord Buddha’s time a group of thirty monks went away from the place of retreat where The Buddha was to spend three months. At the conclusion of the retreat they returned to visit the Buddha. On the way they had to face heavy rains. They were in trouble. One of them got extremely wet. It was a very hard time for him. Some how they visited the Buddha. Seeing the monk whose robes were very wet the Buddha advised them to accept an extra robe as a KATHINA. The extra robe was always given to the one who needed it. (There are some rules to be observed by monks when using the kathina robe) If devotees offer a piece of cloth to monks in the name of kathina, the monks have to make a robe with that cloth on the same day. Lay people could do it as well. Offering of Kathina robe is considered as one of the greatest meritorious activities. Also whatever is offered on Kathina day, the same merit could be obtained by donors. That is why people make various types of
offerings on the day of the Kathina.

One of the stanzas chanted during Kathina glorifies the greatness of merit which one gets from performing Kathina. Even this solid Earth, or a solid rock or a piece of diamond could tremble, shake and break at times. However. the merit obtained by offering of kathina robe could not be nullified by any thing until one achieve the ultimate goal Nibbana. That is why

it is called KATINA. One of the disciples called NAGITHA expressed the glory of doing it. As a result of offering kathina robe to the MAHASANGA he was never been born in lower places (like the spirit world and the animal realm) and for the last thirty eons or KALPA he had been born in higher and blissful realms like the divine or human. The merit thus obtained was very helpful for him to realize the ultimate truth.

It is clearly mentioned in Buddhism that if one commits a GARUKA KAMMA which means serious unwholesome deeds such as:

1) Matricide
2) Patrricide
3) the Murder of an Arahant
4) the Wounding of Buddha
5) the Creation of Schism in the Sangha,

one has to undergo the unpleasant results during this life or in the next life immediately after death.

Even the merit of offering of Kthina robe cannot help such a person to avoid the suffering or bad karma. However the merit, the positive power of offering Kathina could reduce the negative effects of other minor bad deeds. Furthermore, one could be blessed with happiness, long life, good health, a good complexion, physical strength, and wisdom in this life and in the continuing lives in the cycle of rebirth until we achieve Nibbana.

Here is some photo that is taken during the ceremony:

Some of the ropes that the devotee donate to the temple

The chief monk starting the ceremony

Katina Tree. It made from banana tree and the devotee donate money and stick the donation money to the ‘tree’

Another view of the Katina tree

The devotee praying

Le Tour de Langkawi loses funding

WITH a budget that’s halfway to what is required, the 14th edition of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) set for Feb 9-15 next year has already been overtaken by its older but usually poorer sibling the Jelajah Malaysia.
The Jelajah Malaysia, slated for Jan 11-18, continues to grow with an increase to eight stages from seven this year, while the LTdL, for 13 years the country’s most prestigious cycling event, has been shortened to seven stages from nine this year and 10 last year.

The reasons? Jelajah Malaysia organiser 10-Speed Sdn Bhd wants to capitalise on the possibility of selling the 2.2 grade, privately funded race to more destinations, while the top notch 2.HC (hors category) LTdL suffers the consequence of previously heavy dependence on now well-shrunk Government cash injections.

Having recovered from the controversies surrounding the race organised by the now defunct First Cartel Sdn Bhd in 2005 and 2006, LTdL was organised by the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) last year, while this year’s race was organised by the Sports Ministry with several MNCF officials in charge of relevant departments.

Next year’s event has been handed back to the MNCF, which is now in the midst of a mad scramble to raise sponsorship.
A relatively modest budget of RM7.5 million against an ideal RM15 million has been secured, still putting a strain on the struggle to maintain the race’s status as the biggest event on the UCI Asia Tour calendar.

MNCF president Abu Samah Wahab as the organising chairman, his deputy Datuk Naim Mohamad the chief operating officer and vice president Maniam Manikkam as technical director are the main characters in the struggle.

“In order to ensure the race is sustainable and within our control, we cannot have it expensive. We cannot have lengthy routes,” said Naim.

By contrast, the lower ranked Jelajah Malaysia has been held the past two years on an annual budget of no more than RM3 million, but the LTdL, which is contested by Pro Tour and professional continental teams, requires that amount just to secure contracts with top teams and provide for their travel.

Naim said three different budgets had been planned in taking into account several scenarios.

The first one, costing RM15 million, would cover everything from the cost of holding the race, with vital international television coverage and exceeding requirements to meet with the race’s status as a 2.HC event.

The second at RM10 million would see a race without television coverage and budget cuts in other areas.

“Plan C will see us have just the race, with nothing else, which we are ready to hold as it stands. Right now, we are still in the midst of negotiations with corporate companies, so all I can say is that even in the worst case scenario, the race will happen,” said Naim.

But fears are that Plan C could see the hors category status of the race come under threat as other requirements pertaining to hotels, the entourage, logistics and media coverage would not be met.

“This is our fear, definitely. But we’re also doing it differently this time. The race is no longer an exercise that spends taxpayers’ money, but instead we’re selling advertising space and mileage of the international event to corporate sponsors like it is supposed to be,” said Naim.

I found this news from the news straits time – nst.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: A dazzling array of pyrotechnics which threw up glimmering reflections from the Putrajaya lake delighted those who watched the International Fireworks Competition as it got under way.

The competition, launched by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre – the most strategic point to view the fireworks – last night, will see a series of “fiery nights” for the capital as Japan, Italy, Australia and Malaysia try to outdo each other.

Malaysia kicked off the competition last night with a 20-minute deafening display at 10pm.

Dazzling display: The fireworks show by Malaysia lighting up Putrajaya and the surrounding areas at the opening of the First International Fireworks Competition in Putrajaya last night.

Around 100,000 people turned up for the event.Tengku Adnan said the competition was about “bringing Malaysia to the world and the world to Malaysia.”

“Beginning tonight and for two weeks, the skyline here will be highlighted by a magical display, which will determine the winner of the Golden Merdeka Trophy.”

Australia will take the stage on Aug 22, followed by Italy (Aug 25) and Japan (Aug 30), while Team Global Display has been scheduled for six minutes on the other days starting tonight, Aug 24, Aug 31 and Sept 1.

Fireworks company Pyrofest Canada will have the honour of lighting up the sky on the final night on Sept 2.

On 11 December, I do travel back from Kelantan to Kuala Lumpur and found that some road especially in Kuala Krai is flooding. Fortunately it is only 15cm on the main road. I heard some said that the water level on the same spot is about 1 meter high the following days.

It is dangerous to travel in Malaysia especially during monsoon season. I would recommend not to do so except some place in Kuala Lumpur which seem like not effected from this season.

Based on the news, lots of people has been killed due to this incident (flooding) . Most of it is children.

There are lots of people that went there. Each of them will bring the kratong to ‘release’ it in the nearby lake, the Taman Tasik Jaya.

The ceremony start with the chanting by the monk and followed by the loy kratong ceremony. I manage to take some photo but not much of it as my camera is out of battery

I heard that tomorrow, there are one more ceremony which will be organize by PESILA at a lake in Kepong area (a lake nearby MRR2).

There are many belief about the loy kratong ceremony. Some people believed that it is a way to avoid bad luck, some belief that this ceremony is to make a respect for the river while some other belief that it is to show a respect for Buddha.

Here is some photo that I take during the visit: