Thaipusam is the a Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil community to commemorate both the birth of Lord Muragam (also known as Lord Subramaniam, the son of Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati) and the occassion where Lord Murugan received a lance from his mother, Lady Parvati to vanquish the demon Soorapadman.

Thaipusam comes from the words Thai (refering to the Tamil month which is usually Jan/Feb in the Gregorian calendar) and Pusam, a reference to a star at the highest point as the festival is celebrated during the full moon.

Preparation for this festival entails the devotees undergoing a ritual of cleansing through prayer and fasting. On the day of the festival, the devotees will shave their heads and undertake a journey along a set route whilst engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with lances /skewers is also a common practise. The most spectacular practice is the vel kavadi, essentially a portable altar up to two meters tall, decorated with peacock feathers and attached to the devotee through 108 lances pierced into the skin on the chest and back.

Fire walking and flagellation may also be practiced. It is claimed that devotees are able to enter a trance, feel no pain, do not bleed from their wounds and have no scars left behind.

The pictures in this gallery is my humble attempt to pictorially document this event.