Thaipusam Experience 2013

Last month I was able to experience, Thaipusam, this is a very unique and important festival to the Hindu community in Singapore.  The name comes from, “Thai” which is the first month of the Tamil calendar, and “Pusam” is a constellation that happens around the first full moon of the year.  There are only a few places in the world that celebrate this festival.  Singapore and Malaysia happen to be two countries that allow this celebration to take place.  India does not acknowledge this festival due to restrictions in the country.  Thaipusam gives the Hindu worshipers a chance to show their devotion and penance.  They do this by carrying a burden, known as a kavadi, four and a half kilometers, from Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.  Thaipusam is most popular for the burdens that the devotees choose to wear and endure.  Most worshipers will pierce their body with skewers that support large alters, decorated with peacock feathers.  A few will actually attach hooks to their backs and pull chariots.  Men might also wear shoes that have nails sticking straight up into their foot.  Some of these kavadis can weigh up to 100 pounds and normally it would only take 45 minutes to complete this trip.  The participants carrying the kavadis will take 4-5 hours to complete this walk to show their ultimate devotion.  They stop along the route and jiggle their kavadis which puts even more pressure on their bodies.  This is referred to as “the dance of the peacock.”  The women will carry milk jugs due to the association with the sacred cow.  Some men will even pierce their back and chest with hooks and carry numerous milk jugs.  

Seeing this festival first-hand was pretty spectacular.  It is unlike anything you will see in your whole life.  These men go to great lengths both physically and mentally to complete this procession.  When they near the end of the journey, the line is very long to enter the temple.  They have to wait even longer to remove their kavadis.  It was a very hot day too so that just added on to all the hardships the worshipers encounter to show their ultimate devotion.

 

 

Here is a video of the "Peacock Dance."  Lots of people made it hard to get a good view.

 

 

 

Here are some of the good pictures I was able to get admist all the crowds.

 

 

 

Devotee getting pierced

Here is a shot of the shoes with nails sticking up (right)
Milk jugs that will hang from piercings (left)

Kavadi

Preparations and offerings being made for the procession

Here is a shot of milk jugs that participants carry.  They hang from hooks that are pierced in the skin.

Woman carrying milk jug

 

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.  Ending point of procession.

This is a good shot that shows piercings in the skin

Very tall kavadi