Thaipusam

The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Murugal, who is the youngest son of Siva (Siva is the god who is always represented in a circle with many arms. he is the destroyer of the world.. Brahma is the creator and Vishnu is the preserver). The only places this is celebrated in a big way are KL and Penang. It's not big in India anymore. The devotees go up to a temple dedicated to Lord Murugul and carry a burden with them as a way to atone for sins. A lot of people just carried jugs of milk on their heads, which they then take to the temple on the hill and pour all over a statue of Lord Murugul as an offering. Other people pierce these fairly large sticks through their cheek, put small hooks into their bodies, and connect altars or carts to themselves with hooks and pull them. Also, lots of spikes through the tongue. Apparently when they put it in they go into a trance so they feel no pain. I did not see that, but I did see them being taken off at the temple and it looked very painful and there was lots of blood - I mean it's a pretty thick metal rod through your cheek...in one, through your mouth, and out the other. eek!

We walked around a bit, there was lots of dancing and music (I LOVE indian music) and colors and free vegetarian food, and just very lively. We walked up the stairs to the temple with a massive crowd of devotees and stayed up there to watch the sunrise. Then we went back down and saw more dancing and skin piercing and had some chai. yum! We were there from about 4am till 8am.

Also, during the day yesterday they threw coconuts. I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean but people just lined the street and as this chariot which is supposed to represent Lord Murugal's chariot I think, made its way slowly through Penang and to the temple, people threw coconuts on the streets. The funny part is though, that Chinese New Year is coming up and the Chinese make coconut cookies for it. So of course, the Chinese businessman mentality and all, the Hindus throw the coconuts to honor their god and the Chinese come to the street and pick them all up for their cookies.