This pilgrimage of kavadi bearers reminded me of another religious celebration I watched in amazement on TV almost 6 years ago.
It was a few weeks after the invasion of Iraq. For the first time in many years (for these events had been repressed under Saddam Hussein), Shiites were allowed to perform their pilgrimage to one of the holiest Shiite sites in Iraq. On this pilgrimage, thousands of men walk for days rhythmically beating their backs and shoulders with heavy chains, while chanting their religious incantations. I was mesmerized by this sight and I immediately thought "what have we got ourselves into? Who are these people? And we want to establish a democracy in that country?"
There were similar acts of self-mortification in the celebration of Christian holy days ... and you can see some of them enacted in an Ingmar Bergman movie (The Seventh Seal): a procession of people flogging themselves ... but this was in the Middle Ages, 800-900 years ago. We do not see such scenes anymore in the Western world, certainly not in large cities.
Yet religious fervor still pushes Hindus to perform such acts in modern Singapore.
Here is a link providing more information on the festival:
http://www.etour-singapore.com/thaipusam-singapore.html
One thing struck me: none of these men seemed to suffer from their body piercings or from carrying loads that put pressure on many spikes anchored in their flesh. Some of them were even dancing around. What gave them that endurance, that forbearance of pain?
The white powder spread on the areas where the spikes entered their flesh must have been what prevented bleeding ... the article says that this is sacred ash!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
An Instructive Sunday Afternoon in Singapore
This was an unusual Sunday afternoon for me ... a rich Sunday afternoon experience, full of Asian culture. An afternoon of contrasts, going from the serenity of a Buddhist sculpture exhibition in a planned museum visit to the rambunctiousness of a Hindu festival on which I stumbled by chance ...
I - Serenity in Stone
A while ago I noticed a small poster at the American Club with a photograph of a beautiful Buddha sculpture advertising an exhibit at the Peranakan Museum, "Serenity in Stone: the Qingzhou Discovery".
I decided this afternoon to go see this exhibit. It features thirty five pieces from an important archaeological find in 1996 in Qingzhou, in the Shandong Province of Northeastern China. They date from the 6th century AD. They are very well displayed in this small museum on Armenian Street and they are, I think, the most exquisite Buddhist sculptures I have ever seen.
The two samples below show how appropriate the title of the exhibition is.
A buddha with Apsala dancers.
A Boddhisatva
II - Thaipusam Festival
While driving to the museum, I had noticed a colourful Indian parade on the streets. After leaving the Peranakan Museum, I went to the area around Dhoby Ghaut where this was taking place and parked my car to witness this event.
This was Thaipusam, an Indian festival on which Wikipedia has this to say:
"Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb) ... Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Lord Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God.
On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common.
The simplest kavadi is a semi circular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders to the temple. In addition, some have a little spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit."
This was a noisy pilgrimage. Each kavadi-bearer was surrounded by a group of people (family and friends?) cheering him on, chanting and beating drums. The ones in front of him were walking backwards, carrying the script for their chants and addressing themselves to him.
I - Serenity in Stone
A while ago I noticed a small poster at the American Club with a photograph of a beautiful Buddha sculpture advertising an exhibit at the Peranakan Museum, "Serenity in Stone: the Qingzhou Discovery".
I decided this afternoon to go see this exhibit. It features thirty five pieces from an important archaeological find in 1996 in Qingzhou, in the Shandong Province of Northeastern China. They date from the 6th century AD. They are very well displayed in this small museum on Armenian Street and they are, I think, the most exquisite Buddhist sculptures I have ever seen.
The two samples below show how appropriate the title of the exhibition is.
A buddha with Apsala dancers.
A Boddhisatva
II - Thaipusam Festival
While driving to the museum, I had noticed a colourful Indian parade on the streets. After leaving the Peranakan Museum, I went to the area around Dhoby Ghaut where this was taking place and parked my car to witness this event.
This was Thaipusam, an Indian festival on which Wikipedia has this to say:
"Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb) ... Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Lord Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God.
On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common.
The simplest kavadi is a semi circular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders to the temple. In addition, some have a little spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit."
This was a noisy pilgrimage. Each kavadi-bearer was surrounded by a group of people (family and friends?) cheering him on, chanting and beating drums. The ones in front of him were walking backwards, carrying the script for their chants and addressing themselves to him.
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