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