Mr Dinesh Kumar has been carrying kavadis that he has made on his own for the past 20 years. This year, he attempted a “harigandam” kavadi for the first time during Thaipusam on Feb 11.
The word “kavadi” means burden, and devotees carry these beautifully-adorned wooden or metal arches to fulfill their vows to Lord Murugan, a major deity in the Tamil community, to whom the festival of Thaipusam is dedicated.
The harigandam kavadi requires the four main metal rods to be pierced directly into his waist. It is unlike the previous kavadis he has carried, which include the paal kavadi (semicircular wooden arches with milk pots attached at the sides), the chain kavadi (metal chains hooked into the skin with milk pots dangling on it) and the spike kavadi (where the four main metal rods are secured to a waist belt instead of being pierced).
“I decided when I turned 40 that I wanted to try carrying the harigandam-style kavadi because for me, it was the next step,” he says.
Assisting him was Mr Kathirasan Shanmugam, a piercing specialist who has been building kavadis for 40 years.
Mr Kathirasan has a stern countenance as he readies a long metal rod with a sharpened tip. He has already marked with holy ash where the rod is supposed to pierce Mr Dinesh’s body.
Another specialist kneels down and pinches the lower abdomen. In one smooth motion, Mr Kathirasan pierces the rod in almost surgical fashion. There is no bleeding, even as Mr Dinesh winces ever so slightly.
The step is repeated three times before the team of specialists lift up and rest the arched metal kavadi, colloquially referred to as the “pumpkin”, on top of Mr Dinesh’s cushion-padded shoulders.
Mr Kathirasan’s steady hand is impressive, especially considering it was less than a few hours ago when he was the one being pierced. He too carried a harigandam kavadi.
“I personally think the harigandam kavadi is more convenient because it remains stationary throughout the procession,” Mr Kathirasan says.
His devotion to kavadi-making began as a child as he watched his father build kavadis for close friends. When he turned 18 in 1985 and expressed his desire to carry a kavadi, his father insisted he had to build his own.
Interestingly, Mr Kathirasan says he has no particular vows in mind when he makes the 3.2km pilgrimage from Sri Srinivasa Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road every year. “I worship Murugan steadfastly… I believe the more we do for God, the more he takes care of our family,” he explains.
To his family, Thaipusam is more important than Deepavali, and it is when extended family members gather to help with the kavadi-building.
The entire process begins a month before Thaipusam. Each year, Mr Kathirasan adds a new component to his kavadi. This year, he included more pattais (gold-plated brass pieces) to his kavadi by adding a third deck on top.
The women of the household assist with the stonework and polishing of the pattais. It is meticulous and time-consuming work because each tiny gemstone needs to be glued on by hand with a tweezer.
The men assemble the structure. The metal arches and rods need not be changed every year but the rods have to be properly sanitised and sharpened before each use.
“When you create it yourself, there is an indescribable satisfaction,” says Mr Kathirasan.
Mr Dinesh and Mr Kathirasan hope to pass down the family tradition of making kavadis to the next generation. Mr Dinesh says his five-year-old son already asks him to build a “kavadi without spikes” so the little one can join him in next year’s festivities.
