Hindu worshipers gathered en masse at temples across Malaysia on Sunday for the annual Thaipusam holiday celebrations, months after anti-Covid restrictions that prevented large gatherings were eased.
Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Batu Caves temple, located 10 km from the capital Kuala Lumpur, many of them with their bodies pierced with metal hooks and spikes in a act of devotion to the deity Lord Murugan.
This event commemorates the day when Goddess Parvathi gave her son, Lord Murugan, a powerful spear to fight demons.
Worshipers climbed barefoot up the 272 steps to the temple - an important religious site for Tamil Hindus - with arms laden with gifts.
Many of them also showed their fervor by carrying heavy ornate metal structures called "kavadis", attached to their bodies by sharp spikes driven into the skin.
This year's celebration was the liveliest in years, with worshipers happy to be allowed back to observe their rituals.
"(Previously) we couldn't say our vows because of the Covid-19 lockdown," Kupuvanes Tetchanamwoorthy, 45, told AFP.
"This year we were able to come here and say our vows... I feel so grateful," he said.
Some appeared to be in a trance while carrying their kavadis, which can weigh up to 100 kg.
Others had their faces pierced by metal spikes or the skin of their bodies bristling with multiple hooks as a penance.
Before Thaipusam, many devotees adhere to a vegetarian diet and sexual abstinence for weeks, with daily prayer sessions.
"When we pray for something, we have to give something back to him (Lord Murugan) as a blessing," Bahvani Kumaran, a 63-year-old devotee, told AFP.
Most of the 32 million Malaysians are Muslims. But the country also has two million citizens of Indian origin, many of whom descend from the workforce brought from India by the British colonizer.
Lord Murugan is revered in southern India and in many Tamil communities in Southeast Asia.
05/02/2023 09:34:15 - Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
