Kavadi Attam
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Kavadi Aattam () is a ceremonial sacrifice and offering practiced by devotees during the worship of
Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...
, the
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
god of war. It is a central part of the festival of
Thaipusam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil language, Tamil: Taippūcam, ) is a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated on the first Purnima, full moon day of the Tamil calendar, Tamil month of Pausha, Thai coinciding with Pushya, Pusam Nakshatra, star. The festiv ...
and emphasizes debt bondage. The ''Kavadi'' ("burden") itself is a physical burden, the bearing of which is used by the devotee to implore
Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...
for assistance, usually on behalf of a loved one who is in need of healing, or as a means of balancing a spiritual debt.Hume, Lynne. ''Portals''. Devotees process and dance along a pilgrimage route while bearing these burdens.


History

In
Tamil mythology Tamil mythology refers to the folklore and traditions that are a part of the wider Dravidian pantheon, originating from the Tamil people. This body of mythology is a fusion of elements from Dravidian peoples, Dravidian culture and the parent Ind ...
,
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
is said to have entrusted the sage
Agastya Agastya was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the Indian tradition, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent. He is regarded in some traditions to be a Chiranjivi. He and his wife ...
with two hillocks, the Shivagiri hill, and the Shaktigiri hill, with instructions to carry and install them in
South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
. The sage left them in a forest and later tasked his disciple Idumban to get them. Idumban put the hillocks down to rest awhile near the present day town of Palani,
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
but could not lift them back. Idumban had a scuffle with a youth who claimed ownership of the hillocks and in the ensuing scuffle, Idumban was defeated. Idumban then realised that the youth was the Hindu God
Murugan Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...
and prayed for his help. The
Palani Murugan Temple Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan situated atop a hillock amidst the Palani Hills in Palani, Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. The temple is managed by the Hindu Religio ...
stands atop a hill at the location. Murugan had previously been outwitted in a contest for going round the world where his brother Vinayakar won the '' jñāna paḻam'', the fruit of wisdom. In anger and frustration, he left
Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; ; ; , ) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part ...
and came down to Tiru Avinankudi, the foot of the Sivagiri Hill. His divine parents
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
and
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
tried to pacify him but Murugan withdrew to the hill and settled there as a recluse in peace and solitude. Idumban prayed to Murugan that whoever carried on the ''kavadi'' on their shoulders signifying the two hills and visited the temple on a vow should be blessed and that he be given the privilege of standing sentinel at the entrance to the hill. This custom of ''kavadi aattam'' has spread from Palani to other Murugan shrines worldwide.


Practice

The preparations start 48 days before the two-day
Thaipusam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil language, Tamil: Taippūcam, ) is a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated on the first Purnima, full moon day of the Tamil calendar, Tamil month of Pausha, Thai coinciding with Pushya, Pusam Nakshatra, star. The festiv ...
festival. The devotees purge themselves of all mental and physical impurities. They take only one vegetarian meal per day and 24 hours before
Thaipusam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil language, Tamil: Taippūcam, ) is a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated on the first Purnima, full moon day of the Tamil calendar, Tamil month of Pausha, Thai coinciding with Pushya, Pusam Nakshatra, star. The festiv ...
, they must maintain a complete fast. The devotees prepare themselves by following strict purification austerities that include transcendence of desire, shaving of the head, following a vegetarian diet and refraining from alcohol, sexual abstinence, bathing daily in cold water, sleeping on the floor and constant prayer. On the day of the festival, devotees undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of ''kavadi'' (burdens). A ''kavadi'' consists of two semicircular pieces of wood or steel which are bent and attached to a cross structure that can be balanced on the shoulders of the devotee. It is often decorated with flowers and peacock feathers (the mount of Murugan) among other things. Some of the ''kavadi'' can weigh up to 30 kg. At its simplest, a kavadi may entail carrying a pot of
milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
(''pal kavadi''), but piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common. The most spectacular practice is the ''vel kavadi'', essentially a portable altar up to two meters tall, decorated with peacock feathers and attached to the devotee through multiple
vel Vel () is a divine spear associated with Murugan, the Tamil Hindu god of war. Significance According to Shaiva tradition, the goddess Parvati presented the Vel to her son Kartikeya(also known as Murugan), as an embodiment of her shakti, in ...
s pierced into the skin on the chest and back. Fire walking and
flagellation Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, Birching, rods, Switch (rod), switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, floggin ...
may also be practiced. It is claimed that devotees are able to enter a
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
to overcome pain.


Locations

Thaipusam Thaipusam or Thaipoosam (Tamil language, Tamil: Taippūcam, ) is a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated on the first Purnima, full moon day of the Tamil calendar, Tamil month of Pausha, Thai coinciding with Pushya, Pusam Nakshatra, star. The festiv ...
is celebrated by the
Tamils The Tamils ( ), also known by their endonym Tamilar, are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Tamil language is o ...
, and in some Telugu people near
Tamilnadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
and Malyalees of Kerala in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and other countries like
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,
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and
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.


See also

*
Batu Caves Batu Caves is a 325-m tall mogote with a series of limestone caves in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located about north of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The cave complex contains many Hindu temples, the most popular of which is a shri ...
* Kanwar Yatra *
Yajna In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature ...
* Nagarathar Kavadi * Edappadi


References


External links

*{{usurped,
Kavadi festival
} Objects used in Hindu worship Rituals in Hindu worship Yajna Articles containing video clips Kaumaram Tamil mythology