Livin Overseas: Thaipusam Festival 2014 - Date of festival this year January 17, 2014

Hello again!!! This entry has required the most research and has been one of the most interesting things I have seen here. Note: some of the pictures below may make your tummy turn, so proceed with caution.

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that is mainly celebrated the Tamil people, whose presence is mainly in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and other surrounding areas.

The term Thaipusam is derived from the term Thai and Pusam. Thai is another reference for the months January/February (date of festival above) and the term Pusam is a name of a star. When this festival is celebrated the star is considered to be at its highest point in the sky.

The purpose of this festival is to commemorate when the goddess, Parvati, gave the god, Murugan, a Vel Spear to defeat the evil demon Soorapadman.

Just a bit of additional information here and forgive me, this is unchartered territory for me so I am barely scratching the surface…

Parvarti is considered to be a benevolent Goddess – the Goddess of Creation and Power and Victory of good over evil. She has a lot of connections with many gods and goddess in the Hindu realm, some I recognize and others I didn’t. Parvarti is the wife of Shiva and some communities say she is the sister of Vishnu. When Parvarti is presented alone she typically has four/eight/ten arms and when she is next to Vishnu she has two.

Murugan (Kartikeya) is the Hindu god of war and victory and the Commander of the Gods. He is the son of Parvarti and lord Shiva.

Soorapadman is a power seeking deity and would torment the good souls of the universe. He is the son of the rishi Kashyapa and asura princess, Maya…not to mention Maya enchanted Kashyapa into marrying her.

How does one prepare for this festival…

Devotees will start preparing by prayer and fasting for 48 days before the festival in order to cleanse themselves. On the day of the devotees that will shave their heads and take a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion or notably carrying burdens. Such acts may consist of carrying a pot of milk or ‘mortification of the flesh,’ meaning piercing various areas of one’s body (reflected in photos below).

Please note above research is from Wikipedia

Personal Application – this is what I took from it…

This was difficult to see, because these people inflict pain on themselves in order to show devotion to their god or something they believe in. I have to be quite honest, not sure I would be able to do that because I am not one for pain and needles (unless necessary). They are inflicting scares on their bodies, not in one area, basically all over and carrying their own burdens… Wow, what devotion and I commend them for that! When it comes to carrying burdens I would fail at that miserably, I am a fallen human and sinful, carrying my burdens is more responsibility then my flesh and blood could bare. Personally I think about being a Christian and I feel blessed (even lucky) that God called me not to inflict pain on myself and carry my own burdens. All He asked is that I would accept Him as my Savior and have a relationship with Him. Not only would I have a relationship with Him, I can give all my burdens to Him and in return He will give me peace in the midst of a storm. You just can’t beat that, in my opinion. I got the long stick, not the short end. As mentioned this is a personal application, and I understand a lot of people may not share my thoughts/opinions and I am totally ok with that! I enjoy blogging because I can share my experiences and ones that people may never be able to experience themselves. Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a great day.

Note below are some verses if you are so inclined to read them:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)