Travelman Malaysia: Flaming coconuts in Kuala Lumpur

Outside the temple, men sold cocunuts at their coconut stands. They sold flower garlands as well. Inside the temple some men were wrapped in robes. They walked amongst arrays of flowers and candles. As I walked by the scene on my way back to the hostel, a man passed me, he carried a flaming coconut.

Not to be one to let a flaming coconut sighting go uninvestigated, I hung around. I soon saw a man order a coconut, the seller put two flat white squares on top of it, they may have been sugar, or something waxy and flammable, and then he lit it on fire. Men walked around with their flaming coconuts. I asked an old man if he spoke English. He did.

12 seconds...

The old man told me that they light the coconut, they pray with it in their hand, asking their Hindu god for nothing bad to happen to them. Then they smash the coconut, as an offering, exposing the white heart, the purity, of the coconut.