Skip links

Skip to Content
play

Live

Navigation menu

  • News
    • Middle East
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • US & Canada
    • Latin America
    • Europe
    • Asia Pacific
  • Ukraine war
  • Features
  • Economy
  • Opinion
  • Video
    • Coronavirus
    • Climate Crisis
    • Investigations
    • Interactives
    • In Pictures
    • Science & Technology
    • Sport
    • Podcasts
play

Live

In Pictures

Gallery|Arts and Culture

Malaysia’s Hindus celebrate Thaipusam at Batu Caves

More than a million people attended the biggest festival in the world dedicated to the Hindu god Murugan.

Hindu festival
Manpreet carries a decorated wooden club as a self penitence act during his Thaipusam pilgrimage. His fourth time at Thaipusam, he came from Singapore to join the festival with family and friends seeking good health and prosperity. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
By Alexandra Radu
Published On 1 Feb 20181 Feb 2018
facebooktwitterwhatsapp

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Batu Caves temple complex, located in a great limestone cave on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, for one day a year becomes the main place of worship for Malaysia’s large Tamil community.

More than a million visitors, Hindu pilgrims from Malaysia and neighbouring countries, alongside tourists, congregate at the temple to participate in Thaipusam.

The event is one of the main Hindu celebrations in Malaysia and the biggest festival in the world dedicated to the Hindu god Murugan.

According to Hindu mythology, Murugan, the god of courage, wealth and wisdom, defeated the demons using a spear named Vel, thus saving humanity.

Hindu devotees pray to Murugan throughout the year, asking for help in various aspects of their lives and vow to fulfill a pilgrimage during Thaipusam, if their wishes are granted.

The pilgrims walk barefoot for several kilometres and climb 272 stairs to the temple of Lord Murugan located in the middle of the cave.

They carry offerings that vary from bowls of milk to elaborate contraptions that can weigh up to 80kg known as “Kavadi”.

They often perform acts of self-sacrifice, piercing their skin with silver skewers that symbolise the Vel or with hooks from which they hang fruits or bowls of milk.

The ritual is intended to defeat the pilgrim’s inner demons and gain the god’s blessings. 

Hindu festival
Pilgrims carry offerings varying from bowls of milk to large colourful contraptions known as "Kavadi", which are often decorated with peacock feathers and images of Lord Murugan. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Advertisement
Hindu festival
The festival takes place throughout the night, with a steady stream of pilgrims arriving at the temple. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
Malaysian Hindu devotees carry bowls of milk decorated with flowers as offerings to Lord Murugan. After walking for kilometres, upon reaching the temple many pilgrims are almost in a state of trance. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
A pilgrim arrives at the temple pulling a wooden shrine attached with hooks to his back. At the side of the temple stands the statue of Lord Murugan, the largest in the world. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
Pilgrims accompany a golden chariot containing a shrine of Lord Ganesha, Lord Murugan's brother in Hindu mythology. The chariot in which the shrine was moved was constructed last year at a cost of $1.1m. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
A young Hindu devotee carries a Kavadi during the pilgrimage at Batu Caves temple. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Advertisement
Hindu festival
A man wears wooden shoes with nails inserted in the soles as a self-penitence act during Thaipusam festival. In the past, extreme self-penitence acts were more common, but they were discouraged and even forbidden by the Hindu community leaders. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
Pilgrims climb the stairs to the Batu Caves temple to pay their respects to Lord Murugan. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
Images of Lord Murugan on Kavadis carried by pilgrims arriving at Batu Caves temple. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
Young Hindu devotees have their heads shaved before the beginning of their pilgrimage. In order to be able to continue, the devotees have to prepare their body and mind by taking on a vegetarian diet for one month before, refraining from the intake of intoxicating substances and having a general peaceful state of mind. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
A Hindu devotee takes a ceremonial bath before the beginning of her pilgrimage. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]
Hindu festival
Pilgrims gather in the main chamber at Batu Caves in which Murugan's temple is located, during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur. [Alexandra Radu/Al Jazeera]


    • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Terms and Conditions
    • EU/EEA Regulatory Notice
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Cookie Preferences
    • Sitemap
    • Community Guidelines
    • Work for us
    • HR Quality
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Apps
    • Channel Finder
    • TV Schedule
    • Podcasts
    • Submit a Tip
    • Al Jazeera Arabic
    • Al Jazeera English
    • Al Jazeera Investigative Unit
    • Al Jazeera Mubasher
    • Al Jazeera Documentary
    • Al Jazeera Balkans
    • AJ+
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
    • Al Jazeera Media Institute
    • Learn Arabic
    • Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights
    • Al Jazeera Forum
    • Al Jazeera Hotel Partners

Follow Al Jazeera English:

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram-colored-outline
  • rss
Al Jazeera Media Network logo
© 2023 Al Jazeera Media Network