Thaipusam Festival - Photo Documentary

Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. Photographed in Singapore 2007. On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads 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.