Image Mohd Nor Azmil Abdul Rahman/Creative Commons

Thaipusam is a conscientious holiday that is especially important for the sizeable Tamil Indian community in Southeast Asia.

More images and information after the jump.

The region’s Tamils live in Malaysia and Singapore; their ancestors were brought over by British colonizers, to help with building and maintaining their piece of Empire in the region. The British left long ago, but the Tamils have remained and thrived.

Many Tamils are devout Hindus, and are particularly reverent towards the patron deity Lord Murugan, the patron deity of the Tamil homeland. Worship of Murugan reaches a crescendo during Thaipusam, the birthday of Murugan that is celebrated on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai (Thai + Pusam, or a star at its apogee = Thaipusam).

Tamils who have received favors from Murugan pleasure repay the Lord by joining a procession on Thaipusam, following a chariot bearing an image of the deity.

Image Anandajoti Bhikkhu/Creative Commons

In Malaysia, the procession winds from Kuala Lumpur to the Batu Caves in neighboring Selangor, about eight miles absent – not a walk in the park, especially at the time you have several pounds of kavadi on your shoulders, attached to your body with skewers and hooks. Kavadi bearers show no pain – more believe they are under a religious trance.

Image juliansong/Creative Commons

Not all devotees need to show their gratitude through bearing kavadis - for example, the devotees below join the procession bearing pots of milk called paal kudam.

Image tajai/Creative Commons

Info about Thaipusam in Malaysia (as well as Thaipusam in Singapore), and useful intel on how to get there, can be read in this article: Thaipusam Celebrations in Southeast Asia.

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