Thaipusam

Festival Location: Batu Caves, Malaysia

Festival Type(s): Traditional Festivals, Bizarre Festivals, Religious Events

Thaipusam Media:

Thaipusam - Festival of Faith

By: © Jon Davies 2009

As an avid attendee of matsuri (traditional festivals) across my adopted home country of Japan, I had thought there was little to touch them in terms of color, vivacity and raw animism. Until I went to Malaysia's Thaipusam festival, that is.

Your first impressions of Malaysia may not be entirely favourable. The country's impressive modern terminal, KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), is blighted by an esoteric baggage claim system and massed ranks of overly persistent taxi drivers. Those minor irritations behind you, however, you'll find either bus or train cheap and easy ways to travel from to the centre of the capital city, Kuala Lumpur (always referred to locally as 'KL').

The dubious charms of KL may be enough to keep some people happily occupied, but a unique sensory extravaganza awaits anyone making a short trip outside the city for the annual Thaipusam festival. Now banned in India, Thaipusam is celebrated by Hindus in several locations in Southeast Asia, including Penang and Singapore, but the largest gathering is at the Batu Caves, just 15km north of KL.

This festival's exact timing changes each year. It is celebrated during the Tamil month of Thai, which coincides with January or February, on the day on which the star Pusam appears. Crowds of devotees and onlookers have descended on the immense, limestone Batu Caves every year since 1892, and recently annual attendance has approached a million. But while this is clearly a popular event, those of a squeamish disposition are unlikely to appreciate the main attractions.

One day before the start of the festival proper a procession sets out from Sri Mahamariaman temple in KL's Chinatown. An image of Lord Muruga, also known as Subramaniam, is decorated with colourful stones and jewellery and placed on a silver chariot. Several thousand people accompany Muruga on his slow journey to the Batu Caves, with more watching or joining along the route.

Devotees, many of whom will have spent the previous 40 days adhering to a strict vegetarian diet and engaged in meditation and prayer, chant 'vel-vel' as they walk the procession route. The most popular explanation of the origins of Thaipusam is based on a myth in which the goddess Parvathi gave a vel, or lance, to her son Muruga so that he could vanquish three demons. Other followers view Thaipusam simply as a day for thanksgiving, or for the atonement of the sins of the past year.

Cleansed of all worldly comforts and pleasures by 40 days of abstinence, they carry Muruga up the 272 steps at the entrance to the Batu Caves and place him inside the temple within, which is dedicated to him.

This background is all interesting enough, but the reason why Thaipusam attracts huge crowds and buzzes with a sense of occasion becomes clear after sunset.

At this time the first pilgrims, having ritually cleansed themselves at a river two kilometres from the caves, arrive at the temple to pray and leave offerings such as milk or honey. Many are in trance-like states and pierce their cheeks or tongues with metal skewers of up to a metre in length, which are said to represent Muruga's vel. Others strip half-naked and attach hooks to their torsos, from which they suspend colourful fruit or flowers. But none of these shows of devotion can quite match the dreadful panache displayed by the kavadi bearers.

Kavadi is a word used to describe all manner of wooden and metal contrivances that are attached to the body of a devotee with chains, hooks and needles. The heavy, birdcage-like kavadi are adorned with colourful feathers and flowers, and clearly sap the mental and physical reserves of their carriers. In heady trances they dance the two kilometres to the caves in vicious twists and twirls, chanting incoherent songs and incantations and inspiring shock and awe in observers.

If you brave the crush up the steps and make it to the interior of the caves you will witness perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this festival - the apparent lack of blood or lasting discomfort.

Visibly exhausted pilgrims are brought out of their trances by priests, and their skewers and hooks are removed. White ash applied to the previously pierced area of skin magically stems all flow of blood and numbs the pain, and after a short rest most participants melt away into the crowds thronging the procession route.

Many Japanese matsuri retain an element of recklessness that has sadly been eradicated from emasculated, sanitised western festivals. However few, if any, can emulate the visceral displays of devotion on offer annually in Malaysia.

by Jon Davies

Thaipusam Photos:

Thaipusam Dates and Location

Thaipusam is celebrated accross South East Asia with the largest of these celebrations taking place at Batu Caves, 15km north of Kuala Lumpur. The festival takes place during the Tamil month of Thai, which coincides with January or February, on the day on which the star Pusam appears.