Thousands visit Malaysian cave temple for Hindu festival

Jan 20, 2011, 4:45 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees celebrated the festival of Thaipusam on Thursday, seeking divine blessings at a cave temple in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.

Worshippers and tourists gathered at Batu Caves from dawn to celebrate the festival which marks the birth of Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war and son of the god Shiva.

Thousands of Hindus walked up the 297 steps leading to the temple while pierced with skewers and hooks through their cheeks, tongues and brows as a demonstration of their devotion and as a form of penance to Lord Murugan.

Devotees chanted and danced in colourful clothes and sashes.

Hundreds of women also carried pots of milk up to the cave temple, as offerings to the gods.

Batu Caves is a major tourist draw in Malaysia, especially in the weeks running up to Thaipusam when thousands of devotees begin converging at the temple.

Thaipusam is held in the 10th month of the Hindu calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, it corresponds to late January or early February.

People in Singapore, India and Mauritius all observe the festival, while in Malaysia, the festival is also celebrated on a large scale in the northern state of Penang which has a large ethnic Indian community.

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