The Hindu body piercing festival Thaipusam in Malaysia: one man adding to devotees’ burden
- Devotees at the festival carry heavy decorative shrines known as kavadi attached to their bodies by as many as 100 skewers that pierce their flesh
- In Malaysia, Perumal Ramu Govindasamy has been making kavadi – whose name means burden – for 18 years
As the annual Thaipusam festival approaches, Hindus worldwide who have prayed to Lord Murugan throughout the year, asking for help in various aspects of their lives, prepare to fulfil their vows in return for wishes granted.
Thaipusam, which falls on the day of the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai, is one of the biggest Hindu festivals in Malaysia, where millions of devotees throng to Lord Murugan temples, particularly to the famed Batu Caves temple in Kuala Lumpur, to do penance.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, is known as the god of courage, wealth and wisdom. He is reputed to have defeated the demons using a spear named Vel, thus saving humanity.
Although there are various ways to pay penance, one of the most popular methods of doing this is by bearing the kavadi – a physical burden made out of an elaborate decorated framework of steel rods and plywood.
Every year during Thaipusam, hundreds of thousands of kavadi are carried by devotees, mostly male, as they walk miles or climb steep stairs to give thanks to Lord Murugan. Body piercing, mostly done on the cheeks and back, is observed by some devotees as part of their penance to show endurance and willpower.