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TITLE: Removing decoratives from Kavadi during Thaipusam Festival
DESCRIPTION: Thaipusam Festival in Singapore. Thaipusam is a day for worship of Lord Muruga occurring in the Tamil month celebrated mostly by the Tamil community. Helpers removing decoratives from Kavadi after a procession. There are 2 types of Kavadi, simple and elaborate types. Simple Kavadi consists of a wooden stick with two baskets at each end, slung across the shoulder of the devotee. The two baskets contain rice, milk or just peacock feathers. Elaborate Kavadi are very spectacular and eye-catching to the crowd. It consists of two semicircular pieces of wood or steel which are bent and attached to a cross structure that can be balanced on the body of devotee. It is decorated with flowers, peacock feathers among other things. Some Kavadis can weigh up to 30 kg and have 4 vertical metal rods supports which pierce through the devotee’s stomach skin !
KEYWORDS:
Asia
South-East Asia
Singapore
Agasthya
Annathanam
Asia
bare
barefoot
beard
bells
brass
Cavadee
celebration
ceremonies
Chariot
chest
Chinese devotees
cloth
decorative
devotees
devotion
divine
feathers
February
fervor
festival
flower-bedecked
food
God
Grand
helper
Hindus
India
interwoven
January
jugs
Kavadi-bearer
Kavadi
legends
Lord
malas
Mendicant
miles
milk
mini
Moon
Muruga
Murugan
offerings
Pandaram
peacock
piercing
pots
Pournami
Prayers
procession
pricked
Pusam
races
rice
rudraksha
rules
saffron-coloured
Saint
Saivite
sanctum
shapes
Shiva
shrines
Silver
Singapore
sizes
spear
spikes
spiritual
Subrahmanya
symbolize
Tamil
temples
Thai
Tharakasuran
Thendayuthapani
Thirupparankundram
tourist
vows
walk
worship
White metal
Stainless steel
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