Nikki M, I must say seeing is believing!
I had the opportunity to ask a lady about the colours worn and in fact why yellow in particular, this colour represents purity.
The meaning of the word is Thaipusam:
Thai - the tenth month in the Tamil calender
Pusam - name of the star in Thai and the manohra is peacock.
Hindu followers go the the shrine to give thanks or ask for forgiveness of the deity Lord Muragan who represents power, youth and virtue.
From what I understand Thaipusam is not restricted to Hindus only. The festival is forbidden in India the way it is practised here in Singapore and Malaysia.
To prepare mentally for this festival, the followers undergo the following rites one month in advance:
Eating vegetarian food
Sleeping on the floor apart from the family
Sexual intercourse is forbidden within this time
On the day of celebration they will be set in the state of trance, no blood will appear, no pain is felt, no scars are left.
After the followers reach the last temple, have laid their kavadi down and after the hooks and skewer are removed, the wounds are treated with holy ash and lemon juice.
Vessels of milk (shops must have been sold out last night) are carried atop of heads on the walk from Serangoon to Tank Roads. One guy I saw had milk running down his face.
Devotees enter a trance like state whilst being pierced and often this is thanks and payment for a personal debt to Lord Murugan.
The heavy 'altar shrines' are called Kavadis, these can either be a garlanded arch or 4ft monsters and are decorated with peacock feathers and other offerings including pics of their Gods. Some Kavadis are afixed with sharp iron hooks that dig into the skin as the devotee walks.
The offerings on the floor were coconut, orchid flowers, food, incense, incense cones.
Before each group of kavadi carriers and followers leave the temple they are stopped. Coconuts which looked to be ignited ... which went off like a bomb .. the coconut water shall cool the way of Lord Murugan and shall relieve the journey of the heavy carriage.
Vel is the Tamil chant used during Thaipusam
by all carrying kavadis. The ode below is to all kavadi bearers:
Vel, vel, vel, he wishes the pusam come
Verve, verve, verve is what he holds it arm:
Fishy spikes piercing tongue and cheek-----
He none scatters like a pasar malam chick.
All he waits still
turns himself filled:
A manohra, half-naked tan, reveals
courage in light, against rage and ill;
is not pro-years of struggling and piercing,
then swaying, dancing, nodding, moving?
Lemon juice, ashes threw, reflashes of light,
pains subdued, holy souls memory:
Journeys end he kneels to his Lord,
a selfless offering in Thais parade memory.
Kucinta Setia
