Kavady is a term used in Sanskrit for a harness on ones shoulder used for balancing a load. In its modern day usage it is more a religious assignment of balancing ones life or commitment to the principles of goodness.
You may have heard of Thai Poosam which has enough visual mind space on exotic and arcane rites of the Hindus as believers. Most of it now a days originates from Malaysia and South Africa where there are significant numbers of Tamil Hindu populations who settled down there centuries ago.
I witnessed one deep religious and serious Kaavady ceremony in Trivandrum in Kerala in March 2008. I drove down from Cochin early in the morning for the shoot.
We have a seasoned and middle aged Penitent here who may have perhaps gone through piercing many a times before. Here he carries a metal frame adorned with spears and he sports a few on his face and body. It is perhaps the back which is full of metal hooks piercing the skin.
Doctor Robin and I were there to shoot and it was solemn and a serious affair and the belief unbelievable. For the first time in my life I saw no smiling faces of piety. The faces were all half in trance and wore expressions of solemn seriousness that was unnerving at most times. The reason for that was evident in a rather short while.
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