It takes a lot to understand the rationale and wonders of Lord Muruga. Often in my pilgrimage to the abode of Lord Muruga, I tend to see excitement and exclamation of one to view the spectacular and colors of the festivals. Thaipusam does have a deeper meaning and it needs one to understand why devotees do what they do. Having this understanding will enriched you to the splendor and joy in participating in this event. Three Days of Thaipusam Penang is unique in the sense we have Chetty Pusam presided by the Chettiars of Penang. Commencement of the Thaipusam is usually done by the religious dignities or trustees of Chettiars from the Chetty Verdu. The statue of Lord Muruga is hand carried by the temple devotees to be placed on the silver chariot for the street procession. Accompanying the street processions are musicians (Nadaswaram) players and drummers. Not far behind are groups singing devotional songs and chanting all the way to the Waterfall temple. Along the way no one will be hungry as food and drinks are distributed freely as one walked in the crowd. Upon arrival at Nattukotai or Chettiar Temple, Lord Muruga is transferred to a prepared platform and a special installation is performed. Here it will be housed for three days. The bulk of the second day is devoted to formal acts of worship and services. While the attention of the vast crowd is focused upon the vibrant spectacle of thousands of devotees who fulfill vows by taking kavadis. There are others who meet spiritual obligations in less obvious ways. Big manufacturing overseas companies and factories, contributed by way of setting up refreshments stalls (panthals), serving free meals and drinks. Voluntary organization too provided first aid and other essential services.
The third day of Thaipusam is devoted to the return journey of Lord Muruga. Lord Muruga is then re-installed in the silver chariot, in the evening leaves Chettiar temple. A large and intense crowd accompanies the chariot to the Chetty Verdu. As with the outward journey, the chariot makes frequent stops to meet the needs of devotees, and generally does not reach the Chetty Verdu until early morning hours. Significant of Kavadi The kavadi ritual, a pre-eminent feature of Thaipusam in Malaysia, is legitimated and given shape by the mythology surrounding the asura-turned-devotee Itampan.
This is outlined as follow: Agastya, a rishi, journeyed to Mt. Kailasa to worship Siva. Siva asked that Agastya transport two hills, Sivagiri and Saktigiri, to South India as seats of worship. Agastya commissioned the demon Itampan, an asura who had served in the army of Soorapadma, to undertake this task. Itampan collected both hills, and tied them to a simple shoulder pole by means of sacred serpents which were used in place of ropes. This was the proto-typical kavadi. Near a forest at a site now known as Palani, Itampan tired and set the hills down while he rested. When he attempted to resume his journey, he found that hills were stuck to the ground. Upon ascending the slopes he discovered a youth clad in only a loin cloth, holding a staff and "...shining like a thousand suns". This youth claimed the hills as his own. In the subsequent fight, Itampan was killed but both Agastya and Itampi (Itampan's wife) interceded and pleaded on Itampan's behalf, and Muruga restored Itampan to life. Itampan requested that he remain forever at the portal of Muruga's shrine (Neelvani). Henceforth whoever offered vows to Muruga bearing a kavadi was blessed. (Note: In Hindu Myth, a Rishi is a sage while asura is a demon) All devotees who carry the kavadi or submit to the god on the hilltop are thought to re-enact the example of that primordial devotee whose malevolence and simple mindedness were taken from him in that act of worship. As with the transformation of the asura Soorapadma, Itampan is relieved of the burden of ignorance through the burden of the divine. It is this concept which underlies the principle of worship at Thaipusam. By carrying or placing his/her burden at the feet of Lord Muruga, the devotee publicly demonstrates the wish to be freed from the yoke of those burdens. Another interpretation would be, in bearing a kavadi, the devotee is emulating Itampan. That is submitting to the will of a Lord Muruga. Or the kavadi is perceived as a "...shrine in miniature" containing the god himself, so that the devotee may view himself in the manner of a vehicle (vahana). Lastly, devotees will bear a gift of milk to be presented to Lord Muruga in his shrine on top of the hill. While kavadis range from the simple to the complex, most involve some form of bodily mortification. Some young men pull "chariots", drawn by ropes which are secured by hooks into devotees' backs, and often anchored by a friend who walks behind.
Most kavadi bearers also take two miniature vels, one of which is pushed through the tongue, the other through the cheeks. These indicate firstly that the devotee has temporarily renounced the gift of speech (the vow of silence) so that he/she may concentrate more fully upon Muruga, and secondly that the devotee has passed wholly under the protection of the deity who will not allow him/her to shed blood or suffer pain. By permitting the "Vel" to pierce the flesh the devotee is indicating the transience of the physical body as opposed to the enduring power of truth. The decision to take a kavadi may be prompted by a number of factors. It could be penance, spiritual enfoldment or overcoming unfavourable karma. But in most instances is undertaken to honour a vow. Those fulfilling a vow have entered a reciprocal contract with Murugan, a sort of "cosmic bargaining", in which they have agreed to bear a kavadi if a certain request is fulfilled, e.g. recovery from illness, birth of a baby, reconciliation within a family. Those who decide to bear a kavadi must enter a period of purification, and become temporary ascetics. Ideally, the fasting rites can be over 41 days, but many devotees observe lesser periods.
Devotee who take kavadis do so in a state of trance. This may be induced by chanting, music, especially drumming, and incense. A host of visible signals including trembling, exaggerated facial contortions, buckling at the knees, etc. It is at this point that the kavadi is fitted, and the vels inserted. While cases of amnesia may occur, a typical trance falls into the category that labels a "visionary" trance. In these cases the initial trance recedes and is replaced by a condition the devotee reports as a form of heightened "supercharged" awareness. In this state the devotee is cognizant of all that is happening around him/her and is able to respond positively to directions, but feels him/herself to be operating at a level which is infinitely superior to mundane consciousness. This has also been my own son's experience. The kavadi having been fitted, devotees set off to their destination, surrounded by an escorting group who chant and form a protective ring around them. Along the route the devotee will engage in a ritualised dance known colloquially as the "kavadi" dance, reflecting Muruga's role as Lord of the Dance. The devotees make their way, often through considerable congestion, to the Chettiar temple to greet Lord Muruga and forward his final journey on foot to the 248 steps leading to the Waterfall Temple. Upon reaching the shrine, the milk is taken from the kavadi and poured over the statue of Lord Muruga. There the kavadi is dismantled, the vels removed, and the devotee is brought out of any residual trance. The formal aspect of the vow is now fulfilled. The devotee attends an Itampan puja, which formally concludes the period of temporary renunciation. This acknowledges for some devotees Itampan's protection, for others the symbolic role of Itampan as a gatekeeper to Murugan and his (and their own) spiritual transformation. The devotee is now formally released from the period of renunciation, is "returned" to society and may resume his or her normal lifestyle. Thaipusam may have ended on the third day but the enriching experience left us stronger with more confidence in our daily life.
