A young Hindu devotee carries "kavadi" on his shoulders as he makes his way towards the Batu Caves temple for the Thaipusam festival
A devotee of the Hindu god Lord Murugan has her tongue pierced with a steel skewer before making her way to the temple to make offerings
Thaipusam, celebrated in multiple countries with large Tamil communities, is marked with particular zest in multi-cultural Malaysia
Hindu devotees carry pots of milk that will be smashed in a cleansing ritual
A devotee of Lord Murugan, his tongue pierced with a steel skewer, holdes wooden "kavadi" above his head
Hundreds of thousands of Hindus celebrated the annual Thaipusam festival on Thursday, gathering in temples across Malaysia, with many displaying their devotion by piercing their bodies with hooks and skewers.
Huge crowds converged at the spectacular Batu Caves temple complex on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur for the event, which is one of the most important religious festivals for local Hindus.
Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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