January 25th, 2005
Set the alarm for 6am to get dressed and out the door to get to Little India before the sun came up. What we saw was amazing. The sun was just about to break when we emerged from underground at the Little India MRT. We heard the drums and followed the people and the noise towards the festival area.


The men AND women, and boys and girls who participated in this festival, we learned, are only allowed to do this stuff here, in Singapore. They don't even do this kind of thing in India much anymore. They come to the main drag early in the morning, like 3am and prepare to give thanks to the gods for granting them their wishes from last year. It's called the Thaipusam Festival.

They do this by having their skin pierced in different places. Some hang fruit (limes) from their chests and thighs and backs, others pierce their faces, in all manners...


(Rasta-man, he actually posed for us)




(look closely at his face)


(see all of the hooks?)




(everything attatched to him is by hooks)


(the containers on his chest hold milk)

others pierce their backs and actually pull small shrines along behind them.


(Rasta-man from behind)


(the containers on his back & chest carry milk)







Some Women and children carry urns on top of their heads, but we don't know what was in them.










The men wear these ornate metal pieces that rest on their shoulders and are secured at their waists on belts that are called Spike Kavadi's.




What holds the piece in place are spikes and small hooks that are attatched to chains that are connected to the man's chest, sides and back. The Kavadi's are decorated with pictures, flowers, bells and Peacock feathers and some are very tall. The men also have their faces pierced through their tongues and cheeks with spikes running in some cases perpendicular to each other, making the mouth useless. We were able to see them getting ready, loading up the Kavadi's and getting pierced. When the spikes were inserted into the face, the men would shout a chant around the man, right in his face. I guess that was to distract him.


(he's beginning to get suited up)


(beginning the piercings on his back)


(and front)


(this guy went to another place during his process)















Once the whole piece is in place, they actually do a spinning dance and prove that the Kavadi is secure. It is quite a show. We took a short movie and I hope that we can include it. (INSERT MOVIE) The men work their way to the start of their walk, and before they step out, a coconut is smashed on the ground infront of them, and a lime is cut in half and tossed into the air. Then, they begin their march down several city blocks, with others chanting and drumming around them. Many of them also wore bells on their ankles. We didn't get to see what happened at the end b/c Jeremy had to come into work, and we hadn't had any breakfast. It was to last all day. We were there for only 2 hrs in the early morning. It was a powerful show. We were both quite speechless. If you want to learn more you can check out Temple site, or more specifically Thai Pusam. This was by far the craziest stuff we have seen. A real cultural smorgasborg is here!

Coming up, the Chinese New Year is to start on MY BIRTHDAY! Feb 9th! We are excited to see what comes of that. The whole country is beginning to be decorated and there is lots of building going on in the shopping centers and hawker areas. We can't wait.

© December 6, 2008