Thaipusam

Thaipusam is a festival dedicated to Lord Murugan. It occurs in the Tamil month Thai, and pusam is the name of a star.

There are numerous legends associated with the origin of Thaipusam, the most popular one being it was the occasion when Goddess Parvati presented a spear (Tamil : vel) to her son Murugan to kill the demon Soorapadman. Thaipusam signifies the victory of good over evil.

This blog contains 20 photos shot in Palani and Shanmuganathi.

The Murugan temple in Palani is arguably the most famous hill temple in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is formally known as Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple and lies at the foot of the Western Ghats. Dhandayuthapani is another name for Palani Murugan.

Location : Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.

Photos shot in January 2018.

All photos © S Srikant.

Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple atop the hill in Palani. The Western Ghats can be faintly seen in the background.

Devotees of Lord Murugan dance on their way to Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple on the occasion of Thaipusam in Palani.

A man and a girl dance while carrying kavadis on the occasion of Thaipusam in Palani. A kavadi is a structure made of wood and decorated with religious symbols, colourful cloths, peacock feathers and flowers. The dancing ritual shown in the photo is known as kavadi attam in Tamil.

A group of people known as siddhars recite hymns.

Kavadi attam (dancing with kavadi) being performed by devotees during Thaipusam in a road in Palani.

Pilgrims walk with kavadis and milk pots during Thaipusam in Palani.

A tonsured devotee prays in Shanmuganathi.

A woman dances to the beats of drums in Shanmuganathi.

A woman goes into trance during a ritual in Shanmuganathi.

Kavadi being mounted on a devotee in Shanmuganathi.

Women making kolam (drawings made with wet rice flour) to welcome a temple car procession in a street in Palani during Thaipusam.

The temple car (ratham or ther) as it gets pulled.

Chettiar women dancing in circle formation in Palani.

A woman dances to the beats of drums on the day of Thaipusam in Palani.

Men getting tonsured during Thaipusam in Palani.

Men getting tonsured during Thaipusam in Palani.

A man pulls a cart by piercing his back with hook during Thaipusam in Palani.

A pilgrim praying by lighting camphor in Palani.

A man breaks a coconut as offering to Lord Murugan in Palani.

The Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Temple hill in Palani.