January 19, 2003 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Hindu festival of Thaipusam was definitely worth backtracking 15 hours to see. The place was packed (reportedly 1.5 million people were there), noisy, and smelly. It was like a huge carnival with Ferris wheels and vendors lining the streets. Of course the reason I came was to see the devotees carrying their offerings and doing penance in honor of Lord Murugan. Most people simply carried jugs of milk on their heads, although many upped the ante by inserting a spear through their cheeks. Even this wasn't enough for many guys, so they carried huge kavadi balanced on their shoulders and chained to them with hooks in their backs and chests. Others carried their offerings of fruit all over their bodies attached with hooks through their skin. One guy took this to the next level and had jugs of milk hooked all over his chest and back. Most disturbing were the guys pulling people from the hooks in their backs. The guy behind would hold back so the guys' skin would stretch out. The most impressive guy I saw was pulling a cart loaded with children in this manner, and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. I don't know how they attached the hooks and spears, but there was no blood, and the people didn't seem to be in pain. It's said that the devotees enter a trance, and some people appeared to be in one, but others didn't, and carried out conversations with their entourages. Indeed it seemed the more gruesome the penance, the more followers. Guys were surrounded with parades of drummers, chanters, and even horn-blowers. This tended to make photography difficult, since it was difficult to get clear shots. I still took a ton of photos, which you can look at by clicking on the picture below. I even took a couple movies. I'm glad I had the chance to see this festival, definetly a highlight so far.
So what's it all about? Here's an article.
Thaipusam celebrates the day Goddess Parvati bestowed upon her son the “vel” or lance to vanquish the evil demon, Soorapadam. This lance denotes spiritual insight, ability to differentiate right from wrong, righteousness and steadfastness. However, foe many Hindus, Thaipusam has come to mean the birthday of Lord Subramaniam, also known as lord Muruga, the younger son of Lord Shiva.
Leading up to the event, Hindus prepare themselves by fasting, praying and observing austerities.
In K. Lumpur, it culminates in a three-day festival which begins from Sri Mahamariaman Temple at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Chinatown and ends at Batu Caves. On the eve of the celebration, Lord Muruga’s image is decorated with diamonds, rubies and other jewels.
The Idols together with those of his two consorts Valli and Deivayani represent the spiritual and worldly energies (shakti), is placed on a bed of flowers with burning incense on the sides. In the wee hours of the morning, the five-tonne chariot is pulled by two bulls and hundred of devotees on its 15 km journey from Chinatown to Batu Caves. The procession weaves through major streets of the city and takes about 8 hours to reach its destination. A prayer ceremony is held at the foot of the caves and the flag of Lord Muruga is hoisted to announce the commencement of the celebrations.
Devotees carry offerings and climb the 272 steps to the main cave to seek forgiveness for past deeds or to thank Lord Muruga for wishes granted. Some devotees carry the Kavadi, a wooden arch with two pots of or honey at its end, decorated with peacock feathers. However bearing a simple pot of milk up to the shrine is all that is required.
These forms of offerings are overshadowed by more elaborate ones with huge metal frames and bedecked with decorations in the belief that the larger the kavadi the more resolute is one’s devotion. Skewers protruding through cheeks and metal hooks and spikes are also to be seen. This is a quaint evolution of the celebrations not found in Hindu Scriptures.
Hinduism advocates that the body should not be harmed as the body is akin to a temple that the soul resides in. Some devotees however, choose to believe that the only way to salvation is to endure a penance of pain and hardship. However, they are able to tolerate this ordeal of pain as they are in a trance-like state. There is no blood and they prepare themselves for this by undergoing specific rites during the preceding month. Austerities are followed and the body and soul disciplined to refrain from all forms of worldly activities. The devotees overcomes any form of pain as their minds are attuned to only one thing – spirituality and liberation from worldly desires.
Once the devotees bath in the nearby river, they go into trance and have the kavadi placed on their shoulders or their body pierced, they walk from the river to the temple grounds and climb up the steps to the caves main temple high above.
On reaching, they lay down their kavadi and the milk or honey offering is poured on the statue of the deity as an act of thanksgiving, Those with hooks and skewers have a priest chant over them as the metal implements are removed and the wounds treated with hot ash. There is not a drop of blood, no pain and even more amazing, no scarring at all.
The festivities centered at Batu Caves is an exciting and thrilling spectacle but it also gets very crowded and claustrophobic and you need a lot of patience.