The practice in our village is to carry the Kavadi from our village to Kundrakkudi, about 10 kms away. Every half an hour or so, we stop at predetermined places, sing (rather read) the songs in praise of Murugan, accept the offerings from devotees waiting and then proceed. The kavadi starts at around 9.00 AM and reaches Kundrakkudi by 01.00 PM. By then the roads are so hot that it starts hurtin your feet real bad, and the weight of the Kavadi (must be about 3-4 kgs) starts pressing on the shoulder. Then we have to climb up the hill (not very difficult, as it is only a small hill) and present the offerings we bring in the Kavadi to the God. This year there were 16 kavadis from our village. I can't say that it was a religious experience, but it sure is a good community building exercise. The clans have to get together under some pretext to foster the relationship within the community. Every male member of the family has to carry it atleast once, and this year was my turn.
That's me
Next day we went to the Malaiya-k-Kovil temple near my mother's village. This is the ruling deity for many villages around this area.
That is one of the Gods from the neihbouring village coming to the Malaiya-k-Kovil.
What is a village festival without these colourful sweets.
10 comments:
aha - that's where I thought you went as soon as I read karthik's post.
http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/002996.html
Luckily no piercing stuff for me. Just lift the Kavadi on the shoulder and walk to the temple. Family or no family, I would have run away if there was any piercing :-)
chenthil,
aah..i'm surprised. there was a post by you a while ago when you mentioned you were an athiest (something along those lines) that you had lost belief in god.
i think it was post where u mentioned u had a child, were between jobs...
I am not pointing out a contradiction. so please dont get me wrong. i was curious to see this 'other' side of chenthil
Hawkeye, I don't believe in God, but I believe in the institution called Family. And this was done as a family obligation, to maintain the harmony in the family. It is a compromise, I make them all the time :-)
I now have a problem with the varying degrees of the straightness of your face with respect to the people. Whatever happened to the good ol 'sarcasm is sarcasm'?
And Tilo and Bharath, note the variation in what you have been dished out :P
Wa..wa...Chenthil's reasoning always amuses me. I come here especially to enjoy it :p
chen...lol...why not compromise a little bit more for the institution called family and get a toungue piercing...that wud've been the icing on the cake....
Irespective of faith, this kind of activity will keep us with a good mental strength.
Good one... very interesting!
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