Hindu devotees in Malaysia celebrated Thaipusam to mark the birth of Lord Murugan by going to several temples in the country, one of it is Penang Thanimalai Temple which I went there to celebrate this years Thaipusam.This event took 3 days which wll be on the 7,8 and FEB 2008.
7 FEB 2009
On the 7th that is called CHETTIPUSAM which means the CHETTIAR caste will celebrate on these day. But those days only the chetty will celebrate but now this have change everyone can celebrate. This night also the chairot from Thainimalai Murugan temple will bring Lord Murugan down the hill to the town. This is because Lord Murugan will come to the town to visit all the devotees and to grant their wishes. The devotees also will take up Kavadi on this night.
What is Kavadi? "Kavadi" appears to be a word of Tamil origin - a combination of the words 'kavi' and 'adi'. 'Kavi' means 'saffron' implying asceticism and 'adi' means 'foot' signifying pilgrimage. Taken together the significance of the word is very clear. The devotee takes a vow to live the life of an ascetic for a particular period and then, as the culmination, travels to the temple of Muruga by foot, bearing that symbol of purity - the "Kavadi."There are different kinds of "Kavadi" of which the most prevalent are " Annakkavadi", and "Palkavadi". "Annakkavadi" entails the devotee going barefoot from house to house, begging for food, not with the motive of satisfying his own hunger, but as offering to the Lord and his devotees. This custom helps in inculcating humility in the devotee who has to beg for food, whatever his social standing may be. In "Palkavadi" the devotee begs for milk, which is ultimately offered to the Lord and His devotees. There are several variations in the idea, but the basic objective is to destroy the devotees's ego, so that he comes nearer to Divinity.
On this night devotees is less compare to the day of thaipusam. Along the road to the temple we can see thaneerpanthal which means devotees put up tents and gives away free food and drinks for the crowd.The people who set up the thaneer panthal also start work well before Thaipusam. The design, the structure and the decorations are all drawn well before hand and the panthals are in many cases superb engineering feats.A statue of a deity takes centrestage in all thaneer panthal. The colourful lights make for brilliant panthals at night and add to the gaiety, not to mention the huge loudspeakers and the deafening music.
8 FEB 2009
This on the day of Thaipusam. Where the population people on this day is higher compare to the previous day. More kavadis and devotees with piercing around their bodies.
A man with pircings and skewers through his face enters a trance during the Thaipusam festival.According to another legend Lord Shiva and Parvati were involved in a cosmic dance on the Thaipusam day. It is said that all the gods assembled to watch this cosmic dance.
Along the roads also we can see people selling all types of things such as Gods pictures, songs and sweets etc.All the devotees normally who is taking kavadi or palgodam will wear yellow colour dress or dhothi.
9 FEB 2009
Which the day where the chairots will go out again to the town. This when people will break coconuts along the roads. As many as they want to. Then Lord Muruga will be back to Chetti temple where he is belongs from,which means the Lord Muruga statue belongs to the Chetti people.
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