Thaipusam

There's always a special meaning hidden behind every celebration. Take for example, Chinese New Year is to welcome the Lunar New Year, Christmas is to commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and Hari Raya is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others. Thaipusam on the other hand, was to honour Murugan( the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati) birthday and likewise to rejoice the day Murugan destoryed the wicked demon Soorapadman with a vel(spear). Every year near the end of Januray, a festival is either held at Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur(pic one) or the famous Murugan temple which is located atop a small hill in Penang near the Botanical Gardens(pic two).

During the festivities, devotees spear their cheeks with long, shiny steel rods often a meter long and pierce their chests and backs with small, hook-like needles. Tourists, who join the festivals, watch in awe as metal pierces the skin with hardly any bleeding and, apparently, no pain as the devotee stands in a trance in the dawn light after weeks of rigorous fasting, penance and abstinence(pic three).

Here is a picture of the devotees walking up the 272 steps to reach the temple, with some carrying idols of their Hindu deity relentlessly while fulfilling their vows for the wishes they were granted of(pic four).

I was truly amazed by how spiritually enveloped the Hindus are to their Gods. It will be an experience of a lifetime if one is willing to give oneself a chance to participate in these mystifying events during Thaipusam, with or without a vow. I believe that by doing so, it could bring about peace in mind and the reconcilement of nations.