THAIPUSAM HINDU FESTIVAL. Today we arrived back from Singapore, but there is no rest for the wicked, so we dropped off our stuff, and made our way to the Batu Caves past downtown Kuala Lumpur with two other teachers Christina and Sherry. This is Malaysia’s largest Hindu festival. Here’s a little write up about it:
"The most spectacular Hindu festival in Malaysia is a wild orgy of seemingly hideous body piercings, marking the day when Lord Shiva’s son, Murugan, was given a lance to vanquish three demons. The greatest sight is the kavadi carriers, the devotees who subject themselves to seemingly masochistic acts as fulfilment for answered prayers. Many of the faithful carry offerings of milk in paal kudam (milk pots) often connected to their skin by hooks. Even more striking are the vel kavadi – great cages of spikes that pierce the skin of the carrier and are decorated with peacock feathers, pictures of deities, and flowers. Some penitents go as far as piercing their tongues and cheeks with hooks, skewers and tridents. While it looks excruciating, a trance-like state stops participants from feeling pain; later the wounds are treated with lemon juice and holy ash to prevent scarring."
The pictures speak for themselves. Soon, there will two more posts about our trip to Singapore and our day-to-day life.
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