Malaysia is a country that truly embraces diversity, creating a wonderful tapestry of cultures, races and religions living together in harmony. An example of this is the Festival of Thaipusam among the Hindu Indian (Tamil) communities. This festival is celebrated with a lot of energy, ceremony and religious devotion. While celebrated all over the world, it is in Malaysia that the festival has really taken root and flourished like never before. This is testament to the harmony and cultural diversity that are hallmarks of Malaysian society. As such, I wanted to share with all of you some information about the festival, from its origins, how it is celebrated, and even how to get to some of these sites and where you can stay if you are thinking about visiting. By reading this, I hope that you have a deeper understanding of this sacred, devotional and expressive festival as it is celebrated in Malaysia. Tsem Rinpoche     PLEASE NOTE: some of the pictures and videos in this article show acts of self-mortification, including piercing of the skin with hooks, therefore they may not be suitable for the faint-hearted. Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that is celebrated primarily by the Indians […]