Attending the Thaipusam Festival in Kuala Lumpur

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I came face to face with him. His plump belly dripping with sweat protruding forth. The whites of his eyes were bright, his irises deep brown like shiny pennies. Strands of yellow and magenta marigolds hung around his neck. I was taken aback by his confident stance such as that of a young rooster pecking for seeds. He came straight at me with his crazy, bulging eyes and bouncing belly, ringing bells at his feet. His limp hand reached out to me, offering a wilted marigold.

Attending the Thaipusam Festival was at the top of my list during my second visit to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I was ecstatic when I found out the festival was taking place only one week after my arrival!

Although Malaysian Indians only make up less than 10% of the population in Malaysia, their Hindu customs have been finely woven into the multi-cultural fabric of Malaysia. Interestingly, many Malaysian Indians have never been to India but they've managed to embrace their heritage and culture to the fullest.

All things Indian, from restaurants cooking up spicy curries to shops selling traditional attire, can be found in Brickfields, the Little India of Kuala Lumpur. Beyond eating and shopping, festivals born in India also take place in Malaysia. One of those is the Thaipusam Festival.

Thaipusam is celebrated every year by Tamil Hindus in many parts of the world. It falls on the full moon of Thai (no relation to Thailand), the tenth month of the Tamil calendar, meaning the festival can begin anytime between mid-January to mid-February depending on the year. In 2019, it was on January 21st. Over a million Hindus participate in Thaipusam to honor Lord Murugan, son of the deity Shiva.

While different legends exists surrounding the celebration of Thaipusam, the most commonly believed is that Lord Murugan saved the world from evil by fighting off three meddlesome demons. Naturally, he deserves his very own day of worship.

Celebrations start two days before the official start of Thaipusam which was held on a Monday. As of Saturday night, worshipers took part in a massive procession which started at Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur. The joyous crowd of men, women and children walked barefoot to the jingle of tambourines all the way to Batu Caves.

The pilgrimage covers 15 km and takes around 8 hours to reach the sacred caves. At the entrance of the Batu Caves is a massive, gold-laden statue of Lord Murugan, diligently guarding the premises.

The highlight of that night was the carrying of two incredibly ornate chariots covered in gold and dizzying neon lights. Inside the chariots sat holy men clothed in white offering their blessings to all who outstretched their hand or humbly presented their forehead. Others asked for their offerings of milk pots and strands of marigolds to be blessed.

As frenetic as it all was, this was only the beginning of the festivities of Thaipusam. My curiosity had already been piqued, and I was looking forward to Monday.

When Monday rolled around, my excitement in tow, I hopped on one of the free shuttle buses heading to the Batu Caves, along with hundreds of other curious onlookers and pilgrims. It seemed as if the bus was going slower than usual, or maybe I was just impatient to get there.

The bus dropped us off a few minutes' walk from the caves. I knew there would be lots of people but I didn't expect vendors and balloons and ice cream and tents. Tents! The pilgrims who had started their walk almost two days ago had camped in tents on the grounds outside the Batu Caves. The tents were haphazardly set up anywhere where it was flat, including on the concrete under the overpass. I had only walked a few steps and it was already mayhem! What would the actual festivities be like?

I was excited to see the men carrying kavadis. Kavadis, meaning "burden", are artistic metal contraptions created as shrines in honor of Lord Murugan. Sharp skewers attached to the kavadis are placed on the men's shoulders and waist to help them carry their "burden".

These hardcore devotees also started their journey on foot back in Kuala Lumpur. As if carrying a contraption weighing up to 66 lbs/30 kg wasn't enough, they adhered to a strict cleansing diet weeks before the festival. They also fasted a few days leading up to the festival.

Oftentimes, the men will go into a deep trance, a wild folly of uncontrollable dance and twirling. With the hypnotic beat of the drums and chanting, I was completely captivated by these talismanic dances!

What's more, the kavadi-carrying worshipers pierce their flesh with a series of metal hooks. For some, the act of piercing one's skin is a sign of penance. While for others, it's a way of imploring Lord Murugan for assistance either for themselves or a loved one.

Only a handful of worshipers (mostly men) choose to carry their "burden" but they're the most fascinating aspect of Thaipusam. I noticed others, men and women, pierced both cheeks with one long metal skewer. But, in general, most pilgrims simply take part in the procession.

Every participant is expected to climb the 272 steps up to the sacred Batu Caves. As for me, I had already climbed the steps the first time I visited Kuala Lumpur. This time I just wanted to relish in the festivities, taking in all the intoxicating energy!