Photos (above) 1) Devotee with pierced forehead and mouth; 2) carrying kavadi supported by more than 100 spikes into his upper body. (below) 3) having his tongue pierced; 4) carrying a milk jug on head; 5) putting a spike into a man’s back; and 6) removing a spike from a man’s tongue.
Yesterday, Erik and I attended Thaipusam, an important festival for the Tamil-speaking Hindu community in Singapore. “Thai” is the first month of the Tamil calendar, and “pusam” is a constellation that occurs at the first full moon of the year. Oddly, today Thaipusam is more popular in places like Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius, than it is in India.
A local guide reminded us that Hinduism dates back 5,000 years, and its God can be found in three roles: Brahma, the creator; Vishna, the protector; and Shiva, the destroyer (of evil). Among Tamil-speaking Hindus, Shiva is the most celebrated, and temples in Singapore reflect this preference: 95% are dedicated to Shiva and 5% to Vishna. There are no temples dedicated to Brahma. Thaipusam honors Murugan, a son of Shiva.
The festival provides a chance for worshipers to demonstrate their devotion and show penitence. Up to 48 days before the celebration, devotees begin their preparation by abstaining from all earthly pleasures. For example, they do not eat meat and may sleep and sit on a hard floor during this time. Only when their mind and body are pure can they undertake their kavadi – burden – without pain and blood.
To observe the festival firsthand, Erik and I went to Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple, where devotees begin their four and a half
kilometer walk. This being Singapore, everything was very well organized. There were tables set up where participants could buy tickets for their kavadi: $15 to carry a milk pot; $30 to carry an arch; and $150 to carry a spiked altar. They were expected to show their ticket number on demand if asked by police along the route.
Once a devotee had his ticket, he followed signs to the “Spike and Chariot assembly tent.” Here, musicians played and people shouted to distract those having their bodies pierced with up to 100 skewers. The skewers supported altars weighing as much as 110 pounds and boasting peacock feathers – the heavenly vehicle for Murugan – and images of favorite deities. Some devotees pulled chariots, which resembled small wooden floats with large hooks into their backs, while others wore nail slippers.
Milk is an important part of Thaipusam. Many carried large metal milk jugs on their heads and others had simple cartons of milk from the supermarket. We saw devotees who had small milk containers supported by large hooks in their backs or thighs. Milk is seen as life giving, and it is also associated with the sacred cow that helps people to plow their fields and get the nourishment they need.
While it usually takes someone 45 minutes or so to walk four and a half kilometers, those bearing elaborate kavadi often take 4 or 5 hours to reach their destination, prolonging their burden to show their devotion. You also see them jiggling their burden to enhance the pressure on the skewers – and pain. The motion is called, “the dance of the peacock.”
The journey ends at the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, where we saw many devotees moved to tears as they emptied their milk jugs. Those bearing larger burdens followed signs to the tent designated for dismantling kavadis. Observers are free to wander throughout the temple grounds throughout the celebration. I grimaced – even
more than during the initial piercing – as I watched skewers being pulled out of men’s bodies. The devotees, however, remained calm, their journey over for another year.
