Thaipusam Festival
Today marks the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai which usually fall in Jan or Feb. Pusam means the star is at its highest point during the festival. This day, the Indian community of the Hindu faith celebrates the birthday of Lord Murugan with a test of faith.
Usually, prior to the celebration, devotees will cleanse themselves by fasting and also prayer. On the day of the festival, devotees will undertake a pilgrimage along a route with a various types of burden known as kavadi.
The simplest form of kavadi comes in the form of carrying a pot of milk on top of the devotees’ heads. There are also a more ‘daring’ acts of flesh mortification which is even more daring than any acts you can find in the popular Fear Factor program on tv. It includes acts like piercing the skin, tougue, cheeks with vel skewers. There also also those who carry a portable altar up to two meters tall which is usually beautifully decorated with peacock feathers. The altar is attached to the devotees through vels which are pierced into the skin of the chest and back of the devotees.
It’s believed that at the point of time when the devotees are carrying the kavadi, they are in some sort of trance which they do not feel any pain from the piercing and you’ll notice that one don’t bleed at the wound where the vel is pierced. And miraculously after the festival, no scar is left behind by the vel at all. It is said that it’s the faith in Lord Murugan that void off all the pain from the piercing.
In Penang, Thaipusam is celebrated at the Hindu Temple near the Waterfall Garden. Devotees will throng the temple surroundings starting at about a week before the height of the festival. You’ll also get to see a lot of kolam which are paintings painted on the roads along the temple vicinity.
Besides the Hindus, some of the Chinese community in Penang will also take part in the celebration by offering coconuts, bananas, flowers & Indian joss-sticks. A lot will also break coconuts along the route of the procession as a sign of gratitude to Lord Murugan for the safe health they had the previous year. You should witness this annual event when you are in Penang because it’s one of the most breathtaking festival you can find here in Penang.
Penang, Hindu, Thaipusam, Kavadi, Waterfall Garden, Lord Murugan