SOUTH AFRICA, February 5, 2007: For thousands of Hindus 10 days of strict fasting ended on Sunday when the festival of Thai Poosam Kavady drew to a close. To mark the last day of the ritual, which was dedicated to Lord Muruga, devotees carried colorfully decorated kavadis on their shoulders during processions to local temples. Kavadis are heavy religious objects are decorated with flowers and peacock feathers. Brass containers of blessed milk are placed on them. Some devotees pierced silver and gold pins through their tongues, cheeks and body. Those who carried kavadis have been on a vegetarian fast and observing a strict code of discipline. In Durban a record number of people – almost 8,000 – flocked to the The Shri Vaithiantha Easvarar Alayam (SVEA) in Umgeni Road for the festival. Selven Thaver, chairperson of the SVEA temple, said that despite the large crowd, the day was incident free. “We had a very successful day. At least 8,000 people were at the temple and 700 kavadis were carried. On Sunday, the flag which was hoisted at the beginning of the festival, was taken down, signifying an end to the period of fasting. The next Kavady festival, known as Chitra Paruvam Kavady, takes place in April. There are at least four Kavady festivals a year celebrated in South Africa, all of which are dedicated to Lord Muruga.
A daily summary of world news for Hindus and non-Hindus alike