(Ken Kesey – author)

Thaipusam. Thaipusam is extreme. This is an Indian ceremony pushing the limits of human endurance. It is noisy, lively, colorful, drop jaw outrageous so what better place to experience this than the multi cultural city of Penang? It is still a mystery why the devotees endure the pain and suffering. We were there to experience the mystery. I have read about this phenomenon. We missed it while traveling around the India continent for a year and since it was usually in February we thought we would miss it again. To our excitement we found out that because of the cycle of the moon it was happening the following weekend. The city started filling up with Indian visitors and we were glad we had booked out room. You could feel the excitement rising as the day approached. Decorations were displayed, new clothing racks were put out and music was cranked up a notch or two in Little India.

Religiously celebrated during the full moon in the tenth month of the Hindu calendar, Thaipusam is a significant event observed by the Hindu community in this multi racial country of Malaysia. Thaipusam tradition was brought to the Malay Peninsula through the South Indian Diaspora during the 19th century. The festival has since evolved and grown so big in Malaysia and Singapore that it has now far outsized most other celebrations, even in India. In keeping with the multiculturalism of Malaysia,
one group of Chinese devotees was seen pulling a small chariot of Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy. Another group had actually prepared an ornate chariot replete with giant images of Hindu gods such as Shiva and Kali accompanied by the serene image of Kuan Yin. Several small groups also took part in piercings.

Traffic is always a problem as over 600,000 spectators and devotees walk the 8 miles or so from the center of Little India out to Waterfall Temple. The first day the ceremonial worship of Hindu’s celebrated deity, Lord Murugan, began with a silver chariot procession led by kavadis adorned with peacock features. Along the procession routes, coconuts were smashed onto the ground to fulfill sacred vows and line the route with the holy coconut water. Coconuts were smashed by men and women in colorful saris as music blared. In a combination of old and new, the silver chariot was pulled by decorated oxen in old tradition but once the coconuts were smashed a city crew with little mini excavators rushed in to pile the coconuts and haul them away before the chariot arrived. We were invited to a vegetarian Indian food stand for dahl and rice and spent a couple of hours visiting with Indians from all over Malaysia. In keeping with the multicultural feeling of Penang we walked home and were compelled to eat at the Chinese Buddha food restaurant.

The early morning of Thaipusam gives the observer a completely different feel of the ceremony, before the show starts that is. The calm and tranquil march of thousands of devotees bearing ceremonial milk-pots, coconuts and simple shoulder ‘kavadis’ or ceremonial, light weight, ‘mini floats’ in the balmy hours is an interesting sight to remember.

Clad in yellow and saffron, clean-shaven heads (symbol of humility and atonement) smeared with sandalwood paste, the devotees walk along the road sans the boisterousness that dominates the later hours of the day. The pilgrim procession passes a number of temples along the Waterfall road before the ascent up to the famous hilltop temple. The usually barren rain gutters along the hillside look like slender white capillaries, flowing down with ceremonial milk offered at the temple above. Further below, a whole river has turned into an amazing canal of milk.

Timing is everything and location, location, location. Just maneuvering through the crowds we realized that experiencing the Kumla Mele, with 12 million people in India, may be pushing even our envelope. The previous day, as the chariot made its way along the procession route a helpful Indian man had scrawled the name of the temple where the initiation rituals began. We walked a couple of miles then seemed lost. We took a taxi for an additional mile, mainly to get our bearings. Down a long alley we saw a thousand devotees gathered. Nothing prepared us for what we saw at that Lorong Kulit Temple. Men of various ages were being turned into objects of piercing art before our very eyes; ‘Woshi Ka Ti’ or piercing. The implements of piercing, carefully prepared, were laid on saris in front of the devotees. Many observe a strict vegetarian diet for about 40 days and renounce all forms of comfort and pleasure-giving activities. The 40 days are spent in meditation and prayer, often staying in the temples and now were preparing themselves in a kind of trance. A small band of drums with loud singing would stop in front of the devotee. The ear shattering beat lasted several minutes as the devotee put himself in a trance, at times with eyes rolling back in his head. A temple priest and his assistants chanted prayers and it seemed assessed the man as to whether he was properly prepared for the ritual. If completely clear and prepared, the piercing are not felt and little blood is drawn. If not coming with a pure heart the devotee will experience the excruciating pain of the piercing and suffer from serious scaring afterwards. Over the years, curious British, American and Australian medical experts have come to observe and speculate. Some think the white ash smeared on the body, the juice squeezed from the yellow lime fruit or the milk poured on the pierced areas may help to numb the skin. But most admit they have no answer. The devotees say it is faith and believe in Lord Murugan is what prevents the pain and the bleeding.

Human shish kebobs. Devotee after devotee was first smeared with yellow turmeric powder then decorated with designs in white ash. Laying down on a sari on the ground, face first, a dozen steel hooks connected to long ropes were systematically pierced through their backs. The young man was then pulled to his feet by the ropes, to test how well the hooks were holding. One of the helpers of the devotee then held the rope and the devotee lunged forward pulling the hooks to the max. Once this strength was determined another group of Temple priests moved in and began connecting little steel pots filled with milk, up to 99, over his body. This done the master priest arrived and stuck a spear in one side of the check and out the other. Just when you thought that the maximum pain threshold had been crossed the devotee stuck his tongue out and a spear was pushed through his tongue and connected to his metal face decorations. A walking decorated Christmas tree this poor fellow was then hooked up to his carriage/float which he pulled or carried the remaining 8 miles to the final temple. Along the way he stopped for drinks, was carefully seated on a stool provided by his spotters and when loud music was blaring he and his friends/spotters would dance wildly. Unbelievable!

Told that when caught up in the river of devotees the miles would pass quickly and so we set out. Tika carefully painted on my forehead, we followed the path for the next 6 miles. Along the way we were invited several times in for dahl and rice and once stopped to have a coconut, watching the river pass us by for a few minutes. The route, shut to traffic, was fringed with stalls and displays. Near the temple the noise, confusion, and cacophony increased as music blared from every stand and or little shrine, hawkers sold food and drinks to weary walkers. Devotees carried milk-pots of brass and silver, wrapped in colorful kavadis, and inched their way to the great temple overhead with sweet hypnotic resolve. The children, the elders and even the disabled ones, scaled slowly with their ceremonial burdens, ascending with a mission to the call of the good Lord Murugan.

The festivities end on the evening when the impressive Silver Chariot bearing the image of Murugan, is slowly driven from the Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple in Waterfall on a long overnight journey to the Natukottai Chettiar Temple in George Town, or Little India.

This yearly chariot procession during Thaipusam has been held without fail since 1857. A wooden chariot was used for the first 37 years until the silver chariot was brought from India in 1894; this chariot has been used ever since.
On the return trip hundreds of devotees flock peacefully around the gleaming chariot, carrying trays of offerings , coconuts, flowers, fruits, betel-leaves, amid the melodic music of an Indian piper and his drummer.

Little children are lifted up to the idol in the chariot for priests to invoke the deity’s blessings. Jasmine garlands are passed up to be placed on Lord god Murugan, incense wafts, chanting is heard.

As the chariot, pulled by bulls, slowly lunges forward, a frenzy of coconut smashing ensues before the sacred deity. During the procession, many peaceful waves of devotees wait patiently to have their glimpses of the sacred idol of Lord Murugan. Once home fireworks lit up the sky in Little India.

We left long before the midnight return of the chariot. Hot and tired we only watched as our fellow walkers climbed over two hundred stairs to the top. Enough was enough and we walked another 2 miles through the mele to wait for a bus back to town. Whatever the reason, for penance or gratitude, for future good luck or to please the gods, we felt cleansed, excited and full of life. We were grateful for yet another experience to be immersed in a culture of this fascinating planet we all share.

And so it goes…………………………………..Next a “One Way Ticket to Ethiopia.” Let’s remember to seek mystery, evoke mystery, plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom. Take care and Keep in Touch!