Thaipusam is a festival observed by the Tamil community as a sign of devotion, sacrifice and thanksgiving to Lord Murugan—the Hindu god of bravery, power and virtue.  

In certain parts of the world, such as Singapore and Malaysia, devotees can be seen embarking on a ceremonial procession carrying large metal structures known as kavadis which are often pierced into the body with spikes or hooks. These structures are adorned with pictures of deities, peacock feathers and other personal details to express the devotee’s relationship with Lord Murugan. Believers endure the kavadi (which translates to ‘sacrifice at every step’) in order to fulfil vows made to Lord Murugan, or as an expression of gratitude to the deity.

Despite being celebrated in Singapore for years, its significance was still unknown to many. In partnership with the National Heritage Board we followed a kavadi-bearer through his journey of devotion. We discovered it takes an entire community to make the festival possible and decided to tell the stories of worshippers who work behind the scenes like the piercer, the musicians who play encouraging songs and those organising water points along the procession route.

On a personal note, this was one of the most breathtaking and meaningful projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on. I do not consider myself religious, but the spirituality in the air was palpable and it was hard not to get drawn in.