SHAL ALAM - The heartbreak of losing a mother without a final farewell remains deeply embedded in the heart of Surya, whose mother, Vijayalakshmi, perished in the Jalan Masjid India landslide tragedy last year.
Marking the first anniversary of her passing, Surya, 25, returned to the site where the tragedy unfolded to perform Thavasam, a Hindu ritual conducted one year after a death based on the Tamil calendar’s date and star.
“Thavasam is a compulsory practice to ensure the soul of the departed has a peaceful journey into the next realm,” he described while setting up the memorial.
On the pedestrian walkway, he placed a framed photo of his mother, adorned with a garland of flowers and offered fruits, sweets and food arranged on banana leaves.
To complete the ritual, Surya distributed food and drinks to passers-by as anathanam, or charitable giving.
In Hindu belief, sharing vegetarian meals with others brings blessings to the soul of the departed.
The tragedy took place on Aug 23 last year when Vijayalakshmi, 48, originally from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India, fell eight metres into the ground after the walkway collapsed.
At the time of the incident, Surya was in Thailand and rushed to Malaysia upon hearing the devastating news.
Rescue teams conducted search and rescue (SAR) efforts daily but found no traces of her.
After more than a week, on Aug 31, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa confirmed that the operation was called off.