Title
A kavadi bearer during Thaipusam
Year/Period
Early-mid 20th century
Region
Singapore/Malaysia
Dimension
Image size: L12.9cm X W8.4cm
Accession No.
1991-00461
Collection of
As part of Thaipusam celebrations, men carry kavadis to honour Lord Murgan, the destroyer of evil. Kavadis exist in various forms, and the one depicted in this postcard is a simpler version that takes on the shape of a hawker's storehouse, a wooden arch carried on the shoulder with two baskets on each end; the baskets contain offerings such as rice and milk for the Lord. This man is also pierced with a skewer - known as 'vels', or symbolic spears - through the tongue, another common practice during the festival.
