Thaipusam, a colourful and spectacular annual Hindu festival

Thaipusam, a colourful and spectacular annual Hindu festival, draws huge gathering of both locals and foreigners. Witness the devotees carry Kavadis by piercing shiny steel rods onto their body to honour a vow, overcome bad Karma or as penance. In Selangor, the festival is celebrated at the Batu Caves temple.






Different decorations on kavadies symbolize different prayers to Lord Murugam (source), but most people pray to cure a sickness in the family, get a good job, pass exams or some other major life transition that poses difficulty. Though these kavadies are a main part of showing devotion to the lord, the real spectacle to this festival for outsiders is the self-mutilation some afflict on themselves in the name of the lord. Men, and very few women, may decide to pierce their body parts. Some piercings include: rods through the cheek, nipple piercings, and hooks to the back where things are carried. Some devotees also paint their face and body and can look quite out-of-the-ordinary.