The next morning I was already feeling more energetic and decided to go to Thaipusam, a giant Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil community at Batu Caves each year on February 9th.
Getting there was hectic, but after navigating the LRT, fighting the massive crowds of Indians and other tourists, and getting on a train going the wrong direction, I made it to Batu Caves three hours after I had set out.
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| The entrance to the caves |
The religious portion of the festival entails a roughly 6 hour trek by foot from China/Indiatown all the way to Batu Caves. Many are carrying either pots of milk atop their heads or kavadis, which are these metal boxlike structures that are supported with the shoulders and head and often have flowers or milk pots arranged within and atop them. The festival is most well known for the practice of devotees lancing and skewering themselves with metal hooks or spikes in thanksgiving or penance, but I didn't see anyone partaking in the activity (though I did show up an hour and a half after the first, and presumably most devoted of the marchers arrived at the caves).
Surrounding all of these events is a myriad of shops and vendors selling wares that appeal to the Tamil community. The walkways are packed with bodies and trash litters the ground everywhere -- not unlike the videos I have seen of streets in India. I climbed the stairs to the main cave and after my descent bought a few shirts and an ice cream cone before heading back to the hostel to prepare to check out tomorrow before going to Singapore by bus.
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