Ari Muyang 5 March 2011

It's our first visit to Pulau Carey and it is also our first experience of Ari Muyang (Ancestor Day), a yearly celebration by the Mah Meri tribe. I read that as communal & individual prayers are held much earlier (usually from 8am-10am), it's best to give them privacy for the community to attend to their spiritual needs without the glare of camera flashes and gazing tourists.The appropriate time to come is from 10am to 12pm.

I have never known the existence of Ari Muyang till today. After having my kids, I have been through many first times together with them. And I also began to take note of what is happening around me.  :)

As we approached Kampung Sg Bumbum, very nice looking 'anyaman' decoration lined both sides of the road.  

Cars parked along the road, near to the entrance of a 5 minutes gravel and muddy walk to the Spirit Hut.   

This is the entrance, decorated with pandanaus leaves. From here, just walked straight till you see the Spirit Hut and a communal eating shed.

the condition of the road.

En requested me to snap her muddy feet and put it up on my blog.

This is the eating shed where we put the food that we brought, packets of nasi lemak, biscuits and chocolates.

communal pot luck food.

The Spirit Hut where the prayers were held. It's located next to the communal eating shed. The Spirit Hut is for a female guardian spirit (Muyang Gadeng) of the hamlet of Sg Mata. The community will send offerings to her and other spirits in the area.

One of the two tigers in front of the Spirit Hut and they were carved by Pion Bumbun.

All members of the community who are present will go up to the hut and receive and return blessings.

 The rice powder-based solutions infused with sweet-smelling flowers & leaves used in the blessing ritual. 

Guests are welcome to perform the blessing ritual at the Spirit Hut. You may then wash off the rice-paste with the water from the pail.

After members of Tompoq Topoh & their musical instruments receive their blessings, they will begin to dance the Main Jo-oh to entertain the Ancestors. There were guests joined it, too. It's a mask-dance with male dancers wearing carved masks & women dancing round a flower decorated mound.

the male dancers posed for the cameras.

musical instruments group. 

There was a tourist who distributed colour pencils and coloured paper for the children. They immediately put the stationery to good use.

Direction to Kampung Sg Bumbun. Thanks to Alison.

Journey time: approximately 1 hour 15 min (from KL, via KESAS)

Take the KESAS Highway (E5) and head for Klang. This is a tolled road, each toll cost RM2.20. (If driving from KL/MEX, there will be 3 tolls before you reach the required exit. To cut cost, you can enter KESAS via Jln Kewajipan in Subang Jaya which only incurs one toll).

Exit at EXIT 502 PANDAMARAN (10 minutes after the last toll). Keep left, go up the incline and turn left, heading for Banting town. Drive for approx 15 minutes until you reach an industrial complex featuring an NEC and TOSHIBA factory on the right. This is the small town of Teluk Panglima Garang.

Keep to the extreme right once you see a mosque on the right (just after the town). You’ll see a roundabout to Pulau Carey. Go into the roundabout by keeping to your extreme right and head for 12 o’clock (go straight). Please be careful of incoming traffic on your left.

Drive past the small Malay village until you reach a large four-way intersection about 5 minutes in. There is a large SIME signboard on the the right AND a small new "Jalan Pulau Carey" blue road signboard on your right. Turn right and head for the bridge.

Go past the two seafood restaurants on either side of the bridge and you’re on Pulau Carey!

Drive past the oil palm plantation and oil palm mill for about 10-15 minutes until you see a concrete water tower and mobile transmission tower on your left. 50m later you’ll see the junction marked “Kampung Sungai Bumbun” on the left.

Turn left into that junction.

At the next T-junction, turn right. Keep driving down that road, pass small houses on either side and a new Visitor Complex on the left. Shortly after this, you will see the entrance to the Spirit Hui on your left.

Ari Muyang 5 March 2011 Slideshow: EnHui’s trip from Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia to Selangor was created by TripAdvisor. See another Selangor slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.