Kavady: a spiritual odyssey for Lord Muruga devotees
GURU KRIBA VAYAPURI
THE Annual Thaipoosam Kavady is an exciting time for Lord Muruga devotees. The 10 day observance, which commenced with the hoisting of the rooster flag (seval kodi) on Sunday, will culminate in a grand and colourful procession on February 11.
The Indian indentured labourers, who arrived on South African shores 164 years ago, brought with them a host of oral tradition, dance, drama, dress, cuisine, rituals and festivals. The most popular practice, however, among South Africans, mainly of South Indian descent, is the kavady festival.
As with other religio-cultural expression, the kavady has, over the years, adopted a character unique to South Africa but the underlying philosophy or principles associated with the practice have remained relatively unchanged.
The kavady is a simple semi-circular wooden structure adorned with flowers, peacock feathers and a little spear (vel). Devotees attach their offerings of milk, fruit, coconuts, sandalwood paste, coconut water, rose water, etc, to the kavady, which is then carried on their shoulders.
The procession, consisting of large numbers of kavady bearers, groups of devotional singers and other devotees, make their way to the temple. Forming part of this spiritually charged retinue will be those devotees, who will pull gaily painted chariots with steel hooks pinned on to their bodies.
The kavady has established itself to be the single most important expression of devotion by Lord Muruga worshippers. The spiritual gains and benefits that a devotee experiences by carrying a kavady is invaluable in relation to the pain or discomfort he or she might experience on the journey.
The 10 days leading to the actual kavady festival is characterised by daily temple attendance and worship, intense fasting, mantra chanting, meditation, bhajan singing, and other forms of devotion with the intention of raising the devotees’ consciousness or spiritual awareness.
Lord Muruga's divine appearance on this planet was essentially to destroy the powers of darkness that plagued humanity. Devotees venerate Him as the redeemer -- the one who will assist them in confronting life’s challenges. The kavady can therefore be regarded as a burden (life’s challenge) whose weight the bearer can't manage and therefore implores the Lord to intercede.
The devotee sets out to carry the kavady to Lord Muruga's temple in order to tide over some difficulty, calamity or insurmountable challenge. These tribulations might include sickness, financial woes, marital or relationship difficulties, inability to succeed in business, study or career, lack of peace of mind, etc. All this might sound materialistic at the outset but this act constitutes an act of sheer devotion on the intent.
The mere fact of undergoing the ritual of fasting and penance attached to this practice holds the very seed of divine love for Lord Muruga. In as much as the initial intention was based on worldly pleasure, the end result is one of divine bliss. During the journey, the spiritual aspirant becomes overwhelmed with the divine injection of spiritual awakening and the conscious self is totally absorbed in the subconscious self.
This leads to a state of supreme devotion and sublime bliss at the end of the journey when the the milk offering is taken by the temple priest and poured over the murthi (statue of Lord Muruga)
The kavady will always remain a spectacular spiritual experience.
Guru Kriba Vayapuri is a retired school principal, Hindu priest, and cultural, spiritual and religious leader
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.