Batu Caves – MALAYSIA

8 February 2017

A worshipper with a pierce spike through his cheek dances at the kavadi ‘starting point’ to carry the kavadi to Lord Murugan at the top of Batu Caves.

Hindu devotees attend a pilgrimage to the Batu Caves temple in Kuala Lumpur, seeking the blessings of god Murugan during the Thaipusam Hindu festival. The Malaysian Thaipusam is the biggest festival of its kind in the world, with more than 1.5 million pilgrims attending. It is a celebration honoring the god Murugan, during which the pilgrims often perform acts of self sacrifice.