Thaipusam, Hindi Festival

This is so cool it gets its own post. You MUUSSTT go check out the videos and photos I took on Facebook to truley understand how crazy this was.

Thaipusam, is a Hindi festival held once a year to honor Lord Subramaniam. This festival (in Singapore) was one of 5 countries that put on such a big festival to honor this diety. Its also cool because its one of the few ritual festivales in the world that can be witnessed by non-believers.

Gratitude is displayed to the diety by carrying havadis, a cage-like structure that is carried on the shoulders of the carrier and attached to him BY HOOKS THROUGH HIS BODY. Its decorated with strings of beads, peacock feathers, pictured of Hindi gods, wet. Its carried from temple to temple here in Little India. Milk gets offered to the gods, and some men carry it on their head-pieces. This devotions acutally starts a month earlier, many people fasting up until the celebration. Food and drinks are handed out to all passers. I ate sweet rice, juice, this sour milk that I swear was soaked in peppers, etc.

They road block off a portion of the street and each kavadis carrier is followed by a little parade of people. In front, are a group of people singing and playing an instrument. The carrier bounces up and down (makes the feathers jump, watch the video) and spins in circles. While he has his face, tongue, stomach, back, and arms pierced and attached to things. Some don't have headpieces, but are still hooked with stuff and some are hooked to carts they are pulling along.

A man who I was standing by, a Malaysia, told me that the carriers are in an intoxicated trance, as they must be to bear the pain. He also invited me to his house when I go to Malaysia for Chinese New Year. I told him I was going with "tons of people" and he took back his invitation and I walked away. SO creepy!