Hindu Ignorance: Significance of Kavadi

(Taken from THE STAR newspaper, Monday Feb 9, 1998)

It is a common practice for devotees to pierce themselves with numerous hooks and long skewers as well as to pull heavy chariots hooked to their backs even though nothing is mentioned about these forms of devotional expressions in the holy books says chief priest and Hindu scholar Sivachariar Muthu Kumara Gurukal.

Walking on swords (which has since been banned in Batu Caves, Thaipusam) and men dressing up as women and smearing their tongues with red powder to impersonify Goddess Kali are also popular among Malaysian Hindus even though it is clearly stated in the Thirumanthiram (a Hindu scripture) that a person must not hurt or torture his body which is akin to a temple as it houses the soul.

If a devotee wishes to carry a kavadi, that can be just a wooden arc decorated with flowers, peacock feathers and a picture of Murugan. Two pots filled with milk can be attached to both ends of the arch to be offered to Murugan.

"There is no point really to carrying big kavadis or to pulling chariots with hooks attached to the back; at the end of the day, it all just becomes a sideshow," for says Sivachariar Muthu Kumara Gurukal.

But why have such gruesome-looking practices been going on for decades?
Muthu reckons the confusion is due to the lack of religious knowledge which is why many Hindus observe the festival blindly without knowing its true significance. "Unlike practising Muslims and Christians who read and study the Quran and the Bible, most Hindus do not study their religious scriptures in detail.
"Everything is accepted at face value and what is practised are hand-me-downs from generation to generation here in Malaysia," he says.
Besides, most of these kavadi bearers prepare themselves in small independent Kali or Muniswaran temples that can be found scattered throughout Malaysia. Hence, there's no proper supervision or guidance as many of the priests in these temples have not undergone any religious training themselves.

That is why, says Muthu, many Hindus who throng the temples in Penang, Perak and Selangor carry kavadis for other deities like Ganesha and even Ayappan without knowing Thaipusam is a day of prayer and fasting exclusively for Murugan and his vel.

To underscore Muthu's point, P. Samy, caretaker of a Kali temple in Kuala Lumpur who prepares devotees participating in the Thaipusam festivals, admits that no proper guideline is adhered to in such preparations. "What we do here is to teach all those who will be carrying the kavadi or piercing their bodies on Thaipusam how to get into a trance so that it would be easier for them on that day." Is he aware that the current practices are not in line with what's in the holy books?
"I never knew that there were religious scriptures in Hinduism!" replies Samy. "People have been doing things this way for decades and nobody said anything. So, why are they banning this and that all of a sudden now?"

But Muthu stresses that it is truly sinful to smear kum kum (red powder) on the tongue to give the impression that it is bleeding as well as to claim that Murugan, Goddess Kali or demi-god Muniswaran have taken over their bodies and for them to bless onlookers.
"What right do these people have to actually claim and show off that God is in them? Not only does it give Hinduism a bad name but it is also a serious case of blasphemy."
The Hindu scriptures, Muthu adds, states that the right way to carry the kavadi is to do it calmly with a lot of love and faith while chanting vel, vel or the many names of Lord Muruga. "But what we get here is a lot of jumping, shouting and hysterics by youth wearing jeans and boots. This is not Hinduism, it's hooliganism."

Honorary secretary G. Gopallakrishna of the Sri Maha Mariamm Temple Dhevasthanam which manages the Batu Caves temple, a popular Thaipusam venue in Selangor, agrees that many practices which are unrelated to Hinduism take place during the festival. "We are trying our best to keep out deviationist practices and have so far banned whips, rotans, parangs and bongos from the temple perimeters."
This year, the management is also stepping up on the restrictions. Gapollakrishna says that the smearing of kum kum on the tongue as well as the wearing of wigs will not be allowed tomorrow and temple officials have been instructed to look out for any deviant practices that are not in line with Hinduism.
"Only traditional musical instruments like the mridingam, tavil and nagaswaram will be allowed to accompany the kavadi-bearers this year," he adds.
With such firm steps taken to weed what is wrong in the celebrations, in time to come Thaipusam can finally be observed the right way for the right purpose.