Thaipusam 2020 at Batu Caves | Part 2

Thousands rise in the dewy hours of daybreak with a conscious resolution – to have their flesh pinched, tugged and skewered, their shoulders groaning beneath the weight of 30-80kg kavadi structures. This is Thaipusam, a bewildering Hindu festival that excites, confuses and tires over a million devotees and spectators every year.
Lord Murugan is the reason for Thaipusam, the son of creator Lord Shiva. Literally conjoining thai (month) and pusam (star), the January/February period marks the most auspicious timing for Lord Murugan devotees. Observers throng the famous Lord Murugan shrine, Batu Caves, to present offerings, pray, or simply revel in the carnival-like atmosphere. But it’s the devotees’ peculiar piercings and virile strength to perform the unthinkable that draw people in. Whenever did the concept of extreme pain become affiliated with holiness? The answer: It isn’t.
Outside of those familiar with the genesis of Thaipusam and the kavadi, the theory of ‘suffering’ for God is often perceived as archaic if not self-punishing.

Unlike most things that glitter, Thaipusam isn’t a fleeting affair. Devotees exercise abstinence 48 days leading up to the festival, fending off all manner of luxury, embellish and desire.
On top of that, a light diet (without seconds) is practised to avoid gluttony. Celibacy and refraining from alcohol, smoking, vulgarity or even trips to the movies are some of the things devotees focus on.
\