Agni Kavadi

I was walking home from the conservatory and suddenly found myself in the middle of a huge religious celebration involving many rituals I had never seen before.  It was the most bizarre experience to turn a corner and find yourself in the middle of something so ornate and ritualistic. I looked it up immediately and learned that what I had walked in on was the Agni Kavadi festival of Chennai.

The Kavadi festival is celebrated by the devotees of lord Muruga and involves a long processional from the Palani hills by a man carrying a large gold and flower adorned diety on his head to the Muruga temple which apparently is on my street.  I had no idea. 

The journey to the temple is filled with songs dedicated to Muruga, dancing and loud rhythmic drumming.  In this processional men and women carry baskets filled with fruits, coconuts, vegetables, rice, and milk as an offering for the god.  Even animals like goats and roosters are brought along for the ride.  

The Agni Kavadi (which I experienced) is the most intense offering to the god.  Once the people finally arrive at the temple, they have to walk across pits of burning coal as their final hurdle before entering the temple. It is said that the men who cross this fire come out unscathed because of their devotion.  Oh and did I mention that these men also had their lips sewed shut with long silver lances pierced through their face?  I don't know.  I feel like your body would be confused as to what it should tend to first - feet or face.  

It was absolutely amazing to watch and everyone was so nice to us.  They offered us food and took our pictures.  I felt a little like a specimen and I'm sure our picture is in some Tamil newspaper somewhere as "the foreigners who came to worship."