Thaipusam Festival at Penang 2015 (7/7)

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Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). In Asia, you can witness this festival in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Penang) and Singapore. The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel "spear", and that is why you hear the devotees chanting,
“Vel, Vel” whenever they walk, so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting approximately 48 days before Thaipusam. On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and 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.
George Town, Penang.
Thaipusam is celebrated at Tannirmalai Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple inGeorge Town. It is one of the main events in Penang. On the eve of Thaipusam, as early as 5:30 am in the morning, peole are lining up certain designated streets and by 6:00am, coconuts are smashed on the roads before the chariot to symbolise the shattering of one's ego in the pursuit of self-realization and over here in George Town, it takes on a much prominent role. You will notice that a number of Chinese are also taking part in the festivities. After all these are done, a bulldozer will come and scoop up the broken coconuts before the arrival of the silver chariot with the statue of Lord Muruga is led on a procession, accompanied by Chettiar kavadis or devotees, carrying peacock feathers. The procession usually departs from Kovil Veddu (Temple House) at Market Street and travelling through various streets in George Town before reaching the Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple at Waterfall Road at about midnight, culminating a 15-hour journey. On Thaipusam Day, devotees undertake a pilgrimage from the Lorong Kulit temple to the Thannirmalai Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple which is located high on a hill.  In addition, devotees also make offerings of fruits, flowers and incense to the Lord Muruga in the Silver Chariot. Along both sides of the road leading up to Waterfall road, More than 100 beautifully-decorated “thaneer panthals” or make-shift refreshment stalls, were also set up along the route, providing free food and drinks to devotees and some selling all kinds of items and the crowd have started patronising these stalls from the afternoon till late night.
Carrying kavadis can be an act of penance or fulfilment of a vow done to develop spirituality. The kavadis can take the form of Paal Kudam (milk pots) as offerings to god or in the form of physical endurance by piercing the cheeks, tongue, or skin on the body with hooks and Vel skewers. In George Town, however, some of the kavadis are quite elaborate with some featuring LED lights which come away as mini mobile discos and some of the devotees will be dancing in rhythm to the music. And if you look more closely among the deotees, you will also see some foreigners as well as locals of other races carrying the kavadis. Free vegetarian food and drink stalls were often seen everywhere.