Thaipusam - A beautiful and painful celebration

• Photographer
  Tom Tan, Singapore

Beautifully, Painfully Celebration for honoring Lord Murugan. Chanting, drumming, and dancing. This is a celebration of Thaipusam, this is a day of prayer, repentance, and penance.

Originated from Southern India, Thaipusam is a temple festival celebrated by Tamil in Malaysia and Singapore, on January / Februeary each year. Often, sharp skewers are pierce through the tongues, cheeks and bodies of kavadi-bearers as a practice of self-modification. Carrying a kavadi is a form of seeking for forgiveness, keep a vow or offer thanks to Lord Murugan, it also translate as "sacrifice at every steps."