Tamil-Malaysian devotee at Penang's auspicious Thaipusam religious celebration, George Town, Peninsular Malaysia. Digital film scan, Asahi Pentax Spotmatic (SMC Pentax Zoom 45~125mm f/4), circa 1973. explore#47
Every year on the day of the first full moon in late January or early February over a million pilgrims gather at various temples across Malaysia to celebrate Thaipusam, a vibrant Hindu religious festival in honour of Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Muruga, god of war in the Hindu-Tamil pantheon).
Thaipusam is rooted in Hindu-Tamil legend, brought to the Malayan peninsula by a diaspora of South Indian immigrants who came to work on the rubber estates during the British colonial administration in the late 18th-century.
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Tags: Thaipusam Hindu pilgrim devotee Tamil Penang Georgetown Malaysia film analog people asia portrait Faces gaze outdoor DocumentaryPhotography StreetPhotography VisualAnthropology PhotoJournalism DocumentaryPortrait StreetPortrait DavidSchweitzer HumanInterest
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Every year on the day of the first full moon in late January or early February over a million pilgrims gather at various temples across Malaysia to celebrate Thaipusam, a vibrant Hindu religious festival in honour of Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Muruga, god of war in the Hindu-Tamil pantheon).
On this auspicious day of penance and thanksgiving religious vows and karmic debts are fulfilled through ceremonial acts of devotional sacrifice and bodily self-mortification. The skin, tongue or cheeks of devotees (mostly male) are pierced with metal vel skewers or small spears. Heavy decorative shrines or kavadis with as many as 100 skin-piercing skewers are prepared during the ceremony. Devotees are worked into a trance-like state before the piercings, aided by a preparatory programme of fasting, meditation, prayers and chants.
An elaborate piercing ritual is seen here at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Penang, the oldest Hindu temple on the island and one of the main starting points for the annual Thaipusam procession. This devotee will carry and dance bare-footed with the weighty kavadi on his shoulders along a gruelling four-kilometre processional route to the accompaniment of devotional music and traditional drumming patterns, sometimes lasting eight hours under the blazing tropical sun. His pilgrimage will end with the final ascent of more than 500 steps for a closing ceremony at the Arulmigu Sri Balathandayuthapani Waterfall Hilltop Temple on the outskirts of George Town.
The motivation for devotional sacrifice in return for prayers answered is expressed succinctly by one pilgrim at the Penang celebrations: "I want to give thanks for being granted with good health, my career and wealth." Another pilgrim put it another way: “My husband has been carrying a kavadi every Thaipusam for more than 20 years out of faith that it will bring blessings and peace.”
Thaipusam is rooted in Hindu-Tamil legend, brought to the Malayan peninsula by a diaspora of South Indian immigrants who came to work on the rubber estates during the British colonial administration in the late 18th-century.
Digital slide scan, shot with an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, circa 1973. explore#180
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Malay boys nestled together in a mango tree at their village compound, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. These young boys should now be in their late 50s! Digital slide scan, Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, circa 1972. explore#34
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Tags: Kampong kampung Malay Penang Pinang Malaysia Mango Analog Asia people portrait DavidSchweitzer DocumentaryPhotography StreetPhotography outdoor street Eyes gaze HumanInterest VisualAnthropology explore film indigenous Faces travel PhotoJournalism DocumentaryPortrait StreetPortrait
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Tamil-Malaysian devotee at Penang's auspicious Thaipusam religious celebration, George Town, Peninsular Malaysia. Digital film scan, Asahi Pentax Spotmatic (SMC Pentax Zoom 45~125mm f/4), circa 1973.
Every year on the day of the first full moon in late January or early February over a million pilgrims gather at various temples across Malaysia to celebrate Thaipusam, a vibrant Hindu religious festival in honour of Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Muruga, god of war in the Hindu-Tamil pantheon).
Thaipusam is rooted in Hindu-Tamil legend, brought to the Malayan peninsula by a diaspora of South Indian immigrants who came to work on the rubber estates during the British colonial administration in the late 18th-century.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
Tags: Thaipusam Hindu pilgrim devotee Tamil Penang Georgetown Malaysia film analog people asia portrait Faces gaze outdoor DocumentaryPhotography StreetPhotography VisualAnthropology PhotoJournalism DocumentaryPortrait StreetPortrait DavidSchweitzer HumanInterest
© All Rights Reserved
Tamil-Malaysian devotee with kavadi at Penang's auspicious Thaipusam religious celebration, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, George Town, Peninsular Malaysia. Digital film scan, Asahi Pentax Spotmatic, circa 1973.
Every year on the day of the first full moon in late January or early February over a million pilgrims gather at various temples across Malaysia to celebrate Thaipusam, a vibrant Hindu religious festival in honour of Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Muruga, god of war in the Hindu-Tamil pantheon).
On this auspicious day of penance and thanksgiving, religious vows and karmic debts are fulfilled through ceremonial acts of devotional sacrifice and bodily self-mortification. The skin, tongue or cheeks of devotees (mostly male) are pierced with metal vel skewers or small spears. Devotees are worked into a trance-like state before the piercings, aided by a preparatory programme of fasting, meditation, prayers and chants.
This devotee, in a state of trance and aided by family members, carries a decorative shrine or kavadi at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Penang, the oldest Hindu temple on the island and one of the main starting points for the annual Thaipusam procession.
The motivation for devotional sacrifice in return for prayers answered is expressed succinctly by one pilgrim at the Penang celebrations: "I want to give thanks for being granted with good health, my career and wealth." Another pilgrim put it another way: “My husband has been carrying a kavadi every Thaipusam for more than 20 years out of faith that it will bring blessings and peace.”
Thaipusam is rooted in Hindu-Tamil legend brought to the Malayan peninsula by a diaspora of South Indian immigrants who came to work on the rubber estates during the British colonial administration in the late 18th-century.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved
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