Thaipusam

Note: One image at the end of this post is quite graphic and may not be suitable for all audiences.

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that commemorates the triumph of good over evil. Thousands Hindu devotees and tourists from around the world flock to the Batu Caves to pay homage to Lord Murugan in what is now the largest Thaipusam celebration in the world. An unbelievable experience for anyone who attends.

The festival itself lasts for three days; however, the festivities really begin a week before. Although all of the ETAs had traveled to our respective states on Friday, come Saturday the majority of the Johor, Perak, and Pahang crews returned to KL for Thaipusam.
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For a month leading up to Thaipusam, devotees fast by maintaining a vegetarian diet and eating smaller meals during the day. Many also sleep on floor mats rather than sleeping on mattresses. These examples of self deprivation aid in the devotees' ability to go into trances and endure the pain of bodily piercings during Thaipusam.

The day before Thaipusam, the large procession of Lord Murugan devotees leaves a temple in Kuala Lumpur and walks 15 kilometers to the Batu Caves, a process which can take up to eight hours. Upon arrival, devotees, wearing all yellow, carry jugs filled with milk up the 272 stairs into the caves to present them to the god. Others carry large and heavy kavadis on their shoulders, stopping frequently with their entourage to rest.

Some devotees engage in bodily piercings. The piercings take place down by the river, a short walk from the caves, and are removed once inside. There are many different types of vel, or piercings. The most common I saw was devotees having hooks placed in their backs. A modern belief is that the greater the vel, the more devout a person is, though I've also heard that the degree to which a person engages in these acts of devotion depends on their necessary personal penance to god. Limes, small jugs (the size of limes), apples, even coconuts are attached to the hooks that hang from devotees' backs. Some devotees have hooks attached to long ropes that are held by another person up to ten feet behind them. I believe it is only the men who partake in these body piercings.

In addition to the hooks in the back and upper arms, many devotees pierced their tongues and cheeks with long needles. This is to bring them closer to god by restricting their ability to speak and connect to other people. Men and women engage in this practice.

During this process, many devotees go into trances. Their movements are then largely controlled by the music. When the Bhangra drums are sounded, tranced devotees begin dancing to the rhythm, spinning in circles and stomping their feet, often while simultaneously holding a jug on top of their heads. When the music stops, the devotees relax and rejoin the procession to the caves.

The trances end when the devotees have paid their respects. While standing in front of a shrine and being blessed, the final hook was removed from a devotee's back. He immediately looked up to the sky, screamed, and collapsed to the ground as the spirit left his body. In a minute or two, he had fully recovered from his trance and could hold a normal conversation.
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Clutching my bag tightly, I closed my eyes and felt the power of the moment. The rhythmic beating of the drums, the sound of dancing feet, the chanting of the devotees and their supporters, and the smell of burning incense. A very full experience.

Unfortunately, Thaipusam has become very commercialized. To reach the caves from the train station, we had to walk through a carnival setting with rides and a ferris wheel, as well as food stalls, music stands, and booths where one can buy an assortment of Indian goods. The festival has lost much of its original meaning, yet the experience is still incredibly real for the devotees. Walking between the carnival and the caves was like walking between two distinct worlds.

This post is by no means a comprehensive telling of the events of Thaipusam. I am not an expert in Hinduism, in the symbolism of the rituals, nor do I believe that I have all of the facts straight. This blog is meant to be a recount of my observations and the knowledge gained by speaking to individuals at the festival.

The stairs leading into Batu Caves. This was early in the evening when the crowds were quite small.

Inside the cave. You can see a couple kavadis in the middle.

Devotees with the jugs of milk on their heads

A man carrying a kavadi resting

A devotee with hooks in his back

J-O-H-O-R Johor, Johor, That's who we are!

I have spent the last twenty days living in Kuala Lumpur, meeting 74 other English Teaching Assistants and working with the staff of the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE). We spent 8.5 hours a day in orientation learning about Malaysian culture and social dynamics, the typical daily life of an ETA, the expectations and roles of the ETAs, and how to teach in Malaysian classrooms. We had TESOL training and took Bahasa Malaysia classes. We planned a 6 hour English day camp. We took a scavenger hunt of Kuala Lumpur (which, I may add, was incredibly fun). We met with the US Ambassador, the US Embassy, the Malaysian Ministry of Education, and the US Department of State. And we were told which state and school we are working in for the next ten months.

I clearly remember walking into the orientation room on Monday, January 8th at 0900 to discover four posters with pins marking locations on maps and a list of names and bios next to each map. Under “Johor” I found my name. I could not contain my excitement. After eight months of waiting, I finally had a better idea of where in Malaysia I was going to be living for the majority of 2013. Four days later, I was told my school: SMK Labis.

And today was the most important day of all. Today, twenty ETAs arrived in Johor Bahru, the capital city of Johor state. This evening, we had a reception dinner which our headmasters/headmistresses and mentors attended. I had dinner with the headmaster of SMK Labis, the Segamat District Assistant Education Officer of the English Language, my future roommate Dorine, and the headmistress of her school, SK Sri Labis. Unfortunately, both of our mentors could not make it tonight. Incredible people, incredible evening, incredible connections.

I am overwhelmed with emotions today. Even though it has only been three weeks since we all arrived in Malaysia, it was quite difficult to say “See you later!” to all of the ETAs going to other states. Sadness of separation, excitement of taking the next step toward reaching my new home and workplace, a bit of anxiety regarding the unknown.

Tonight, this became a reality. I feel like I have been living in a bubble for a long time. The idea of teaching in Malaysia was still very distant even as the time drew closer. Now, I have met someone from my district and school. I have discussed the demographics of SMK Labis, the daily school schedule, the co-curricular activities available to my students. I have put faces with names. And I have been welcomed by the headmaster of SMK Labis. In six days I will move into my new apartment with Dorine and settle into a new lifestyle and occupation. Daunting, yes, but it’s so much more than that. I have been waiting for this moment for so long and now it’s finally here. Let the teaching begin!

Finding my name among those teaching in Johor!

SK Sri Labis headmistress, Dorine, me, SMK Labis Headmaster, Segamat District Assistant Education Officer of the English Language

My First English Camp

"Everywhere we go
People want to know
Who we are
So we tell them
We are the ETAs
The mighty mighty ETAs!"

We 15 ETAs entered the pavilion chanting this call-and-response song to the delight our of 100 SMK Raja Ali Form 2 students. An energetic and exciting start to our incredible six hour long English day camp. We spent the day singing songs, developing team spirit through the creation of countries (my team was Atlantis-Narnia), competing against other teams in the English Olympics, and watching Leslie make a fool out of herself.

Here are some of the highlights of the day in photo form:

Designing the Atlantis-Narnia nation flag

Practicing the National Anthem (to the rhythms of Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' and One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful')

Team Photo! The lion has two bodies, representing unity, one for Atlantis and one for Narnia. The names of every member of our team is written around the outside. We may not have won the Olympics, but we had a fabulous time in all of the activities.


Here are photos from some of the Olympic games:

Tongue Twister Race. Each student had to correctly say an English tongue twister and pass the balloon to the next person in line until all students had completed the tongue twister.

Balloon Race. Carefully carry the balloon from one side of the room to the other using only your backs!

Telephone. Somehow a line such as 'I like to dance gangnam style' becomes "I went to the store."

National Monument. In groups of four, the students had to build the tallest national monument using only nine pieces of spaghetti, one marshmallow, and a long strip of masking tape. We had some masterminds in our country!

Blindfolded Race. Teammates had to help a blindfolded friend put on three articles of clothing using only English. No touching allowed!


It was an incredibly successful day. The teachers complimented us on our endless amount of energy and ability to engage the students in fun, English-learning activities. This was the first English camp any of these students had attended, and I hope it will not be the last. I would certainly do it again!

Award ceremony

My fan club

ETA GROUP PHOTO!


Wonderfully exhausting day. I wouldn't have it any other way.