Thaipusam festival - Singapore Date: Mar 03, 2005 - 10:17 AM The festival of Thaipusam is one of the most dramatic Hindu festivals and is now banned in India. Male devotees go through the careful spiritual concentration first in order to ready themselves for the penance by piercing their bodies with heavy spikes supporting loaded structures called "kavadi." A Kavadi is a wooden arch decorated with fruits, pots of milk, or flowers. Some drive the kavadi through their tongues, cheeks, and bodies - definitely not for the squeamish! Devotees, in honour of Lord Subramaniam, march for 3-kilometres from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple located on Sarangoon road to Sri Thandayuthapani in Tank road. There are supporters gathering around the devotees chanting prayers, clapping their hands, and encouraging those devotees all along the way until they reach their destination. Thaipusam was an amazing festival and we followed the procession all way to the final temple, were they removed their piercings and kavadis. By this time, the sight of all the piercings and the throngs of people were too much, so we headed back to the hostel. The pictures aren't too gory, but some may find them a little disturbing. Don't blame us if you faint! The festival of Thaipusam is one of the most dramatic Hindu festivals and is now banned in India. Male devotees go through the careful spiritual concentration first in order to ready themselves for the penance by piercing their bodies with heavy spikes supporting loaded structures called "kavadi." A Kavadi is a wooden arch decorated with fruits, pots of milk, or flowers. Some drive the kavadi through their tongues, cheeks, and bodies - definitely not for the squeamish! Devotees, in honour of Lord Subramaniam, march for 3-kilometres from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple located on Sarangoon road to Sri Thandayuthapani in Tank road. There are supporters gathering around the devotees chanting prayers, clapping their hands, and encouraging those devotees all along the way until they reach their destination. Thaipusam was an amazing festival and we followed the procession all way to the final temple, were they removed their piercings and kavadis. By this time, the sight of off all the piercings and the throngs of people were too much, so we headed back to the hostel. The pictures aren't too gory, but some may find them a little disturbing. Don't blame us if you faint! Devotees at Thaipusam Kavadi Lee eating a curry on a banana leaf, the Indian way with your right hand. Rice dessert, which was disgusting! Ouch, right through the cheek! 'Limey', that's gotta hurt! Devotee pulling a cart with hooks in his back. Removing the piercings - we were close to fainting at this point. 'Eau', that must hurt! This article comes from globaltour.co.uk The location of this page is http://globaltour.co.uk/article168.html