Information AboutThaipusam |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT THAIPUSAM | |
| festivals in india | |
| hindu festivals | |
| religion in malaysia | |
| hinduism in singapore | |
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Thaipusam () (or '''Thai Poosam Kavady''') is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil Month of Thai (Jan/Feb). ''Pusam'' refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (also ''Subramaniam''), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati , and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a ''vel'' (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman . The origin of Lord Skanda, the purpose of His avatara and its significance are of much importance to all seekers after Truth. During the battle between the Asuras and the Devas, the latter were defeated several times by the former. The Devas were unable to resist the onslaught of the Asuric forces. In despair, they approached Lord Siva and entreated to give them an able leader under whose heroic leadership they might obtain victory over the Asuras. They surrendered themselves completely and prayed to Lord Siva sincerely. The gracious Lord granted their request by creating mighty divine warrior, Lord Skanda, out of his own power or Achintya Sakti. This great son of Lord Siva at once assumed leadership of the celestial forces, originated them, inspired them and attacked the asuric forces. The asuras were routed and a glorious victory was gained by the Devas. Generally people take a vow to offer a kavadi to the Lord for purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. For instance, if the devotee's son is laid up with a fatal disease, he would pray to Shanmuga to grant the boy a lease of life in return for which the devotee would take a vow to dedicate a kavadi to Him. Though this might on the face of it appear mercenary, a moment's reflection will reveal that it contains in it the seed of love for God. The worldly object is achieved: and the devotee offers the kavadi. After the ceremony is over, he gets so much intoxicated with love of God that his inner spiritual chamber is opened. This too ultimately leads to Para Bhakti -Supreme devotion. Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting. On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while 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 ''vel'' skewers is also common. 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 vels 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. However, some of the more extreme Masochistic practices have been criticized as dangerous and contrary to the spirit and intention of Hinduism. The largest Thaipusam celebrations take place in Singapore , Mauritius and Malaysia . The temple at the Batu Caves , near Kuala Lumpur , often attracts over one million devotees and tens of thousands of tourists. The procession to the caves starts at the Maha Mariamman Temple in the heart of the city and proceeds for 15 kilometers to the caves, an 8-hour journey culminating in a flight of 272 steps to the top. In Malaysia, although rare, scenes of people from different ethnic groups and faiths bearing "kavadi" can also be seen. Interestingly, Thaipusam is also increasingly being celebrated by the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. Thaipusam is also celebrated at another cave site, the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunong Cheroh, Ipoh , Perak and at Jalan Waterfall in Penang In Palani , Tamil Nadu , India , Thai Pusam is celebrated with grandeur. Thousands of devotees flock to Palani and attend kavadi. According to palani.org, "The number of kavadis reaching Palani for Thai Pusam is about 10,000. For Pankuni Uttiram, 50,000 kavadis arrive. It is kavadi to your right, kavadi to your left, kavadi in front of you, kavadi behind you, kavadi above you and kavadi below you." Palani Thai Pusam , accessed Dec 05, 2006 In 2007, Thaipusam was celebrated on 1 February 2007 . SEE ALSO
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NOTES AND REFERENCES Thaipusam in Singapore |
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