Devotees bearing symbolic loads of gratitude, such as milk pots or intricate arrangements of heavy decorations, are the most remarkable aspect of the Hindu holiday of Thaipusam. They don't use their hands, though. Rather, the items are fastened to their bodies using hooks and sharp rods.
Thaipusam, a powerful blend of religion, culture, willpower, and resolve, commemorates the day that the mythological Lord Murugan, the deity of courage, riches, and knowledge and the giver of favors, used a spear known as a vel to battle an evil demon and preserve humanity.
The name of the event is partly derived from "pusam," which means "when the moon is at its brightest," and "Thai," the tenth month of the tamil calendar. This year, on february 8, it is celebrated at the full moon in the month of Thai, which often occurs in either january or February.
Devotees who feel that their prayers to the deity have been heard during the festival travel to express their thanks by offering prayers and devotional items. Some people bear bodily burdens, or kavadis.
From the basic paal kavadi, which is a pot of milk held on the head, to intricate structures made of plywood and steel rods that are adorned with weighty decorations, kavadis come in a variety of sizes and designs. But nearly all of them have one characteristic. A bodily piercing of some sort is required to fasten a kavadi.
The purpose of this self-sacrificing rite and the trance-like condition that devotees experience during skin piercing is to vanquish inner demons and obtain Lord Murugan's grace.
Even while the kavadi carriers receive most of the attention during Thaipusam, another set of individuals performs the most crucial role and receives little recognition. They are the bodily piercers that the bearers of kavadi must trust.
In order to distract devotees from the agony, the body piercers assist them in achieving a trance before beginning. According to seasoned body piercer Yashven raj Vigneswaran, they perform this by praying to Lord Murugan, burning incense, and banging drums.
Yashven Raj, who is only 25, has been getting body piercings for ten years at Thaipusam in the Batu Caves temple complex, which lies outside of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. One of the greatest locations to see the lavish festivities is the location.
Pilgrims ascend the 272 stairs to the temple of Lord Murugan, which is situated in the limestone cavern above the Batu Caves, after walking barefoot for many kilometers.
For the festivities, about a million Hindu pilgrims travel from malaysia and the surrounding nations to the temple. The temple's administration provides dedicated pathways free of people so that devotees can ascend the steps without interference, while tourists watch in awe of the sight of the kavadi carriers.
Silver skewers, which represent the vel, are typically used for piercings on the mouth or cheeks of little kavadis. Heavy kavadis, some weighing as much as 100 kg (220 lb), are fastened with hooks that penetrate the back and breast of the devotee. Some pilgrims even use heavy ropes fastened to their backs to pull little chariots. Others attach their bodies to hundreds of small milk pots or even fruits like limes and oranges.
Body piercers often observe the same time of abstinence as kavadi bearers, according to Yashven Raj, who is also a kavadi bearer.
Kavadi carriers often refrain from eating meat, drinking alcohol, and even having intercourse for at least 48 days. "They do this to maintain the cleanliness of the body, mind, and spirit," he explains. The majority of body piercers follow suit. Although the days and forms of abstinence may differ, practically all of them follow some sort of [ritual] … I often abstain from meat for three days before to getting someone's body pierced.
Attaching 48 sharp metal hooks to a person's back was Yashven Raj's most difficult task to yet.
"I've never worked with that many hooks in one go. “You have to be firm enough for the hooks to go in and catch onto some flesh, but gentle enough to avoid causing pain, so it was pretty difficult,” he says. "My dad taught me some chants that have made the process much easier. He has pierced up to 108 hooks [in a single person]."
Yashven raj claims that because the body piercer absorbs the agony, a person who has their skin pierced does not experience any discomfort.
For instance, you will experience back agony if you pierce someone else's back. It's true since I've experienced it myself. people who get body piercings claim they experience little to no discomfort, he says.
We know that they are awake when the pricks are inserted since the majority of them promise to have their bodies pierced before they enter a trance. In contrast to people who are piercing, they typically won't even flinch.
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