Carrying a burden to the hill, the way Idumban did.
AT A GLANCE
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Kavadi means a burden. In its simplest form it is an arch or pole carried across the shoulders, decorated and hung with offerings.
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Paal kavadi carries milk, used afterwards for the abhishekam.
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Pushpa kavadi is decorated with flowers; panneer kavadi carries rosewater.
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Many kavadis are decorated with peacock feathers.
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Some devotees take a vow that includes piercing, a small vel through the cheek or tongue, or hooks. This is an individual vow, not a requirement of the practice.
The kavadi repeats a posture. In the Palani tradition, Idumban carried two hills on a pole across his shoulders, met the child standing on one of them, lost, and asked that anyone who came carrying a burden the way he had should be received. A pilgrim with a kavadi is walking in Idumban's shape.
It is most visible at Thaipusam, when the roads to Palani and the stairway at Batu Caves fill with people carrying them, often after weeks of discipline and often barefoot over long distances. Drums and the call of 'Vetrivel!' go with them.
The forms are many. The simplest is a decorated arch on the shoulders. A paal kavadi carries milk to the temple; a pushpa kavadi is made of flowers. The most elaborate forms, especially in Malaysia and Singapore, are large frames borne on the body.
Piercing is part of some people's vow, a small vel through the cheek or tongue, or hooks in the skin. It is what photographs notice first. It is also the most personal part, and most devotees who carry a kavadi do not do it at all.
Before you take this on
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A kavadi vow is usually taken with the guidance of a temple, an elder or one's family, who know the local custom. Piercing is a serious undertaking with real health risks, and many temples and organisers have their own rules for it. Long barefoot walks, fasting and heat together are demanding; if you have a health condition, speak to a doctor before undertaking any of them.
WHAT THIS RESTS ON
Living practice
The kavadi is living practice; its origin story is the Palani temple tradition of Idumban. Forms and customs vary from temple to temple and from country to country.
What people actually do, at temples and at home. Customs vary between families, regions and temples, and no single form is the correct one.