Topic started by geet pillay (@ pc016921.med.cornell.edu) on Thu Jun 28 16:28:32 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

It has come to my attention that Murugan worshippers in Kuala Lampur engage in all sorts of body piercing,modification, suspension, laying on hot coals, etc. All of it looks very painfull and is obviously performed by releasing the mind from the body.
I am from a hindu family who also reveres Murugan as a very important deity but have never encountered such activities in India. I have also been to Tamil Nadu(I live in NY, USA) many times and have never encountered such rituals there either. Please excuse my lack of in depth knowledge of the overall subject :-)
My questions:
What is the name of this Murugan Celebration?
Are these activites exclusive to only certain sects of tamil hindu's?

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: sambattie (@ 212.217.34.26) on: Fri Aug 10 20:15:19
  
  when i was a child i have seen this amoung hindus in sri lanka mostly amoung indian tamils living in tea plantations.possibly this is only relates to hindu tamils
  
  
  
• From: Colby (@ spider-mtc-tb011.proxy.aol.com) on: Tue Mar 5 02:17:51
  
  I claim no connection to these sects you spak of but thought you all may find this interesting. A modern manifestain of ancient desires passed down simply through instinct? I came into this as natural as one learns to walk. All of us in ATONE definately find peace in what we do. A communion with watever one may call "god" is definaely achievable through the practices of self modification and mortification.
  I seek guidance though, so many have told me what we do is no less than blasphemous towards the old practices.. All I know is that it gives me peace.
  http://www.agelfire.com/la3/atonementbodyarts
  
  
• From: Colby (@ spider-mtc-tb011.proxy.aol.com) on: Tue Mar 5 02:18:15
  
  I claim no connection to these sects you spak of but thought you all may find this interesting. A modern manifestain of ancient desires passed down simply through instinct? I came into this as natural as one learns to walk. All of us in ATONE definately find peace in what we do. A communion with watever one may call "god" is definaely achievable through the practices of self modification and mortification.
  I seek guidance though, so many have told me what we do is no less than blasphemous towards the old practices.. All I know is that it gives me peace.
  http://www.angelfire.com/la3/atonementbodyarts
  
  
• From: rakesh (@ 202.61.159.249) on: Mon Mar 11 08:37:18
  
  what u have seen/heard might have been images/stories from thaipusam whereby hindus walk 18km from k.l to Batuk Caves on lord murgan's birthday. body peircings along with many other things r very common on this walk.
  
  
• From: yogan (@ 210.186.136.220) on: Sun Mar 17 22:29:34
  
  it is condemned by hindu council but people dont want to hear. hinduism is anything to anyone as long some rituals are present
  
  
• From: Adrian (@ netcache1-ctn.is.co.za) on: Mon Apr 8 06:54:42
  
  These rituals as mentioned above is also prevalent in South african, amongst the Murugan devotees. Many reach a trance like hypnotic state and pull huge structures on their backs...Are their any scriptures asking for atonement through self mortification?
  
  
• From: Raveen (@ h66-59-174-253.gtconnect.net) on: Mon Apr 8 13:11:35
  
  Adrian,
  
  Hindu religion as we speak is an amalgamation of Vedic rituals and texts brought by the so called Aryans and the many indigenous belief systems of the people already in India at that time.
  
  There is a constant flow of ideas and rituals which flow from what is called the lessor traditions of Hinduism (Tribal and clan oriented) towards the so called higher traditions of Hinduism. I dont belive the words lessor and higher means that one is inferior to the other except it is what the anthropologists use to differentiate.
  
  Murukan is supposedly a deity of the hill tribals speaking Tamil who eventualy became asocited with Skanda a warrior god of the North (who has similar incarnations in Iran too)
  
  Many ritauls associated with Murukan still reflect his tribal origins such as Kavadi, trance etc.
  
  
• From: Tamil Bakhthan (@ 61.1.208.47) on: Wed Apr 17 03:15:03
  
  Hello geet Pillay,
  Tamils are not Hindus. Tamils are either saivites or Vaishnavites. It was
  Aryanns who penetrated into Tamil country in the past captured our Religions and renamed into Hinduism and controlled them.
  Murugan celebration is an important part of Saivism later Tamils called it Kowmaaram(which means worshipping only Lord.Muruga). Like wise worshippers of Brahma are Brahmanas(Not the present Brahmans).
  
  
  
• From: Indian (@ bl1051-3.me.iastate.edu) on: Wed Apr 17 21:17:23
  
  Poda pun*da tamil bhakthan
  
  Dont say unless you know something. Hinduism was named by the persians first and then the british. Arayans didnt have anything to do with the naming.
  
  To geet pillay, You told that something has come to ur attention, blah..blah... Who are u the Indian prime minister so that something comes to ur attention?. This type of sentences are used for people having some power or jurisdiction so they can do something about it.
  
  
  
• From: Echo (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my) on: Mon Apr 22 03:18:32
  
  See here for an Australian Convert's account of Thaipusam in Kuala Lumpur.
  
  http://www.vettipechu.org/article.php?sid=48
  
  

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