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We specifically planned to be in Kuala Lumpur during the spectacular Hindu festival of Thaipusam, which takes place annually at the Batu Caves, some 13 km outside KL. This year, it is estimated that some 1.2 million people came to the Batu Caves to participate in Thaipusam, which ran from Thursday, January 20 to Saturday, January 22.
Thaipusam is essentially a pilgrimage, where devout Hindus come to the Batu Caves, walking the route of a few kilometers which leads to a long stairway of 272 steps. This steps lead to the enormous Batu Caves, which themself sit in a massive limestone formation. Essentially a festival of many meanings for many Hindus, it seemed that most participate either to give thanks to their gods or do penance for misdeeds or for otherwise not being worthy of their gods. In either instance, they show their thanks or do their penance by making a sacrificial, and suffering filled, pilgrimage to these caves in which resides a Hindu shrine.
What is most striking about Thaipusam is the masochistic lengths many of the Hindu devout go to during their pilgrimage. What is seen with regularity are men who have attached limes, oranges, and small silver urns to their backs and chests with fishhooks!
Others wear enormous kavadis (which means "suffering at every step"), which are essentially ornately decorated shrines assembled upon a steel frame that is supported around the bearers waist. Many of these kavidis, which are most commonly decorated with peacock feathers, Hindu deities, and flowers, weigh from 100-150 lbs., and sometimes more. Here the frame of a kavadi (but not its decorative top) can be seen.
The other principal type of worship involves not fishhooks or kavadis, but a simple silver urn filled with fresh milk. Many people--men, women, and children--make the walk to the Caves barefooted with an urn of fresh milk on their head. They often appear to be in a trance as they make this intensely spiritual journey.
A Hindu pilgrim makes his journey with a urn of fresh milk atop his head.
Here is a reasonably sized Kavadi, on its way to the Caves. During Thaipusam, pilgrims flow up to the caves all day and night long, although this year the 21st seemed to be the most active.
In addition to the kavadis and the milk urns, the other type of pilgrim (which brought a wince every time you saw one ) appears to the right. Many men would have dozens of fishhooks pierced through their back, with ropes tied to each hook. On the other end of the ropes would be a friend or family member providing resistance and always keeping the ropes extremely taut.
Here a man struggles against the ropes. If you look closely, you may be able to see the skin and flesh being pulled tight by the hooks.
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