|
All devotees participating in the festival wear pink or orange, which are symbolic colors of the sacred. |
|
The atmosphere at the river bank is festive, with live music. |
|
Kavadee is such an important national holiday that it warrants a visit from the Prime Minister of the country and several government officials (all non Tamils). |
|
Each temple group prepares to leave the river bank in a procession through the streets to the temple. Each part of the procession is led by a group of traditional musicians. |
|
The family member carrying the kavadee is encouraged on by the prayers and chanting of the rest of the family, as they all walk in the procession. |
|
Some devotees choose to pull a large kavadee on wheels rather than carrying one on their shoulders. The cart is attached to the devotee's body with hooks into the skin. |
|
Other devotees perform other forms of self sacrifice, for example, walking on shoes made of nails or fixing limes and lemons to their bodies using hooks. Devotees often enter into trances and find the strength to continue their sacrifice thanks to the devotional music and the chants and prayers of their families. |
|
When the procession arrives at the temple, the devotees are greeted by a large group. The procession wraps around the temple and enters through the front door. The devotees put down their kavadees and remove their piercings, before participating in a prayer service. |
|
The evening following the festival, the image of Lord Murgan created by the temple for the prayer service is removed from the temple, and the flag signifying the festival period is taken down. |
|
The Kavadee festival is a public holiday in Mauritius and Mauritians of many backgrounds come out to observe the procession or pour water on the hot road to ease the suffering of the barefoot devotees. The festival is the hallmark of Tamil identity in Mauritius, and has been preserved with integritiy since the arrival of Tamil Hindus in Mauritius in the 1830s. Unlike in India, this festival is embraced and practiced by the educated urban elite along with local villagers. |
