I came face to face with him. His pudgy belly dripping with sweat protruding forth. The whites of his eyes were bright, his irises deep brown like shiny pennies. I was taken aback by his confident stance such as that of a young rooster pecking for seeds. He came straight at me with his bulging eyes and bouncing belly. There he was standing right in front of me. His feeble hand reached out to me, offering a wilted marigold.
I had been wanting to attend the Thaipusam Festival ever since I learned about it a few years ago. I had missed it when I was visiting India but this year I finally got my chance on my second visit to Kuala Lumpur. Yes, that’s right, in Malaysia. It wasn’t planned at all but, as luck would have it, the Thaipusam Festival was starting just one week after my arrival.
Although Malaysian Indians only make up less than 10% of the population in Malaysia, their Hindu customs have been finely woven into the multi-cultural fabric of Malaysia. Interestingly, many Malaysian Indians have never been to India but they’ve managed to embrace their heritage and culture to the fullest. The majority of all things Indian – from restaurants cooking up spicy curries to shops selling colorful, traditional attire – can be found in Brickfields, the Little India of Kuala Lumpur. Beyond eating and shopping, festivals born in Mother India also take place in Malaysia. One of those festivals is Thaipusam.
Thaipusam is celebrated every year by Tamil Hindus in many parts of the world. It falls on the full moon of Thai (no relation to Thailand), the tenth month of the Tamil calendar, meaning the festival can begin anytime between mid-January to mid-February depending on the year. In 2019, it was on January 21st. Over a million Hindus participate in Thaipusam to honor Lord Murugan, son of the deity Shiva. While different legends exists surrounding the celebration of Thaipusam, the most commonly believed is that Lord Murugan saved the world from evil by fighting off three meddlesome demons. Naturally, he deserves his very own day of worship.
Actually, celebrations started two days before the official day of Thaipusam which was held on a Monday. As of Saturday night, worshipers took part in a massive procession which started at Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur. The joyous crowd of men, women and children walked barefoot to the jingle of tambourines all the way to Batu Caves. The pilgrimage covers 15 km and takes around 8 hours to reach the sacred caves. At the entrance of the Batu Caves is a massive, gold-laden statue of Lord Murugan, diligently guarding the premises.
The highlight of that night was the carrying of two incredibly ornate chariots covered in gold and dizzying neon lights. Inside the chariots sat holy men clothed in white offering their blessings to all who outstretched their hand or humbly presented their forehead. Others asked for their offerings of milk pots and strands of marigolds to be blessed.
As frenetic as it all was, this was only the beginning of the festivities of Thaipusam. My curiosity had already been irreversibly piqued and I was looking forward to Monday.
When Monday rolled around, my excitement in tow, I hopped on one of the free shuttle buses heading to the Batu Caves, along with hundreds of other curious onlookers and pilgrims. It seemed as if the bus was going slower than usual, or maybe I was just impatient to get there.
The bus dropped us off a few minutes’ walk from the caves. I knew there would be lots of people but I didn’t expect vendors and balloons and ice cream and tents. Tents! The pilgrims who had started their walk almost two days ago had camped in tents on the grounds outside the Batu Caves. The tents were haphazardly set up anywhere where it was flat, including on the concrete under the overpass. I had only walked a few steps and it was already mayhem! What would the actual festivities be like?
Not wanting to miss anything, I picked up the pace, careful not to step on any trash or sleeping bodies.
By “anything” I mean the men carrying kavadis – the main reason for wanting to attend Thaipusam. Kavadis, meaning “burden”, are artistic metal contraptions created as shrines in honor of Lord Murugan. Sharp skewers attached to the kavadis are placed on the men’s shoulders and waist to help them carry their “burden”. These hardcore devotees also started their journey on foot back in Kuala Lumpur. As if carrying a contraption weighing up to 66 lbs/30 kg wasn’t enough, they adhered to a strict cleansing diet weeks before the festival. And, they fasted a few days leading up to Thaipusam.
Oftentimes, the men will go into a deep trance, a wild folly of uncontrollable dance and twirling. With the hypnotic beat of the drums and chanting, I was completely captivated by these talismanic dances!
What’s more, the kavadi-carrying worshipers pierce their flesh with a series of metal hooks. For some, the act of piercing one’s skin is a sign of penance. While for others, it’s a way of imploring Lord Murugan for assistance either for themselves or a loved one. Only a handful of worshipers (mostly men) choose to carry their “burden” but they’re the most fascinating aspect of Thaipusam. I noticed others, men and women, pierced both cheeks with one long metal skewer. But, in general, most pilgrims simply take part in the procession.
However, no matter how worshipers choose to demonstrate their devotion to Lord Murugan, every one of them, including those carrying kavadis (!), participating in the festivities is expected to climb the 272 steps up to the sacred Batu Caves. As for me, I had already climbed the steps the first time I visited Kuala Lumpur. This time I merely wanted to relish in the festivities, taking in all the intoxicating, maddening energy!
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