Whilst strolling along Little India in Singapore, we stumbled across a procession which celebrated the Hindu festival of Thaipusam. Shaven head devotees take part in a pilgrimage in January, on the day of the full moon, whilst undertaking various acts of devotion.
A common act is the "mortification of the flesh" by piercing the skin, tongue and cheeks with "vel" skewers, which are symbolic of the spears that were used to fight off evil spirits. Although it looked incredibly painful and some piercings were bleeding, it was a colourful and interesting spectacle!
