A large procession from Kuala Lumpur to the Batu caves for the feast of the god Murugan. The festival also attracts thousands of tourists. Faithful pierce themselves with hooks and metal spikes. 100 pounds statues carried on shoulders.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) - More than a million Hindus are flocking to temples throughout Malaysia to celebrate the religious holiday of "Thaipusam". Through which Hindu faithful show their devotion to the god Murugan by piercing their bodies with hooks and metal spikes.

According to Hindu mythology, the cult of Thaipusam goes back to the day when the goddess Parvati gave her son Murugan a spear with which to kill the evil deities. The festival is celebrated in India, Singapore and other areas where there is a significant presence of Hindus. In Malaysia, it consists of an imposing procession to the Batu caves, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, where this year 1.6 million faithful and many tourists are expected.

A long line of silver coated wagons starts from a temple in the center of Kuala Lumpur and reaches the complex of limestone caves in Batu, a sacred place for Hindus, after a procession of 15 kilometers that lasts about ten hours and ends with a climb of 272 steps.

The caravan is accompanied by a multitude of devotees dressed in yellow carrying heavy containers filled with milk and coconuts. Many of them hold votive statues called "kavadi" that can weigh up to 100 pounds and are fixed to the body with metal spikes that pierce the skin as a sign of penance or gratitude. Arulvendhan, a teacher of 30 years, participated for the first time in the event and to thank the god Murugan: "He has given better health to my father and peace in the family," he says while attaching a "kavadi" to his body. Another faithful, Sashi Vadivale, 32, admits to being tired but "I have sworn for spiritual reasons and intend completing the pilgrimage".

Some devotees oscillate in a trance to the vibrant sound of drums and religious chants of friends and family that accompany the procession. Other dance as if they were in a deep state of confusion. Many stalls are scattered outside of the caves where the faithful can shave the hair, another sign of devotion.

The ritual is preceded by several weeks of preparation, which includes moments of prayer every day, abstaining from sexual intercourse and a strict vegetarian diet.

The festival attracts tens of thousands of tourists, eager to take part in this carnival style religious tradition. Dwayne Skjersven, a Canadian tourist, describes being overwhelmed by the spectacle: "I did not imagine this. It is so full of color and I love that everyone is smiling, as it's great that there are so many families who support their relatives," he says .

With a population of 28 million inhabitants, Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country but also home to over 2 million Indians. Most of them are Hindus originally from the territories that were part of the former British Empire, especially from the areas populated by ethnic Tamils in southern India. Although a religious minority within the country, the Tamil Hindus have been celebrating this great pilgrimage for 125 years.

 

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