Description: During Singapore’s Thaipusam festival, a Hindu devotee carries a heavy steel kavadi pierced through his tongue and body in an act of intense faith and penance. Surrounded by family and supporters chanting prayers, he walks a arduous 4-kilometer procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. Look closely at his chest: a framed image of Lord Murugan is held in place by hooks embedded directly into his skin.
