{"id":15016,"date":"2022-01-11T17:43:41","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T12:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/?p=15016"},"modified":"2023-01-09T16:07:03","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T10:37:03","slug":"why-do-people-pierce-their-bodies-for-thaipusam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/why-do-people-pierce-their-bodies-for-thaipusam","title":{"rendered":"Why do People Pierce their Bodies for Thaipusam?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/why-do-people-pierce-their-bodies-for-thaipusam\/#The_Beginning\" >The Beginning\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/why-do-people-pierce-their-bodies-for-thaipusam\/#Todays_Scenario\" >Today&#8217;s Scenario<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Are you fond of getting piercings on your body? Yes or no, the piercings done during the Hindu Thaipusam festival is certainly not a sight for the faint-hearted.<\/p>\n<p>While it is an uncommon sight for some, the locals of Singapore who worship Lord Murugan feel it to be their religious duty. The story that leads so many believers to march in procession as gratitude for the fulfillment of their wishes is explained in detail in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/guide-to-singapores-thaipusam-festival\">Guide to Singapore\u2019s Thaipusam Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>However, the question still remains- why do people pierce their bodies for Thaipusam?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The symbolic reason for the existence of this body piercing festival is about disciplining the mind and body. Once this discipline is mastered, the devotee achieves internal and external purification.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason for the body piercing rituals is to show to the people and to remind self that the physical body is an illusion, whereas the main goal is to become one with God. Thus, meaning that we are beyond our body and must surrender to the almighty.<\/p>\n<p>The Hindu Thaipusam festival revolves around the acts of bravery, courage, daredevilry, and boldness shown by Lord Murugan. That is why his devotees undertake this painful (they don&#8217;t find it painful) and arduous task of piercing their bodies and carrying bulky items. These items can be as small as milk pots and as massive as dragging a chariot just by their skin.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Beginning\"><\/span><strong>The Beginning\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-15028 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tongue-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"467\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tongue-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tongue-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tongue-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tongue.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The <em>body piercing rituals <\/em>began from a small act of piercing only the tongue. People would do so with a small vel, also called a skewer. The significance was to meditate and take God&#8217;s name in silence.<\/p>\n<p>What started as a simple offering has now become grand and severe. However, what seems difficult and painful to us is quite the opposite for the devotees.<\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Todays_Scenario\"><\/span><strong>Today&#8217;s Scenario<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-15043 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Thaipusam-devotees-300x238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"432\" height=\"343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Thaipusam-devotees-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Thaipusam-devotees-768x609.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Thaipusam-devotees-810x642.jpg 810w, https:\/\/blog.fnp.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Thaipusam-devotees.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Hindu Thaipusam festival is no longer only about piercing the tongue or cheeks. It has advanced to a much larger scale of offerings with which people are (literally) mind-blown.<\/p>\n<p>The chanting and drumming of beats put the devotees with fishhooks and spears penetrating their bodies into a trance. They feel no pain, fatigue, or discomfort; only the love and thankfulness for the fulfillment of their wishes.<\/p>\n<p>On 18th January, on the streets of Little India, you will find children, women, and men walking in the procession to pay respects. You will find only the adults, including older men and women, with unbelievable piercings enjoying themselves.<\/p>\n<p>While some celebrate this <em>body piercing festival<\/em> with fishhooks hooked into their backs, carrying pots and lemons, others do so by dragging chariots. Some have innumerable skewers pierced through their skin and carry a bulky kavadi on their shoulders.<\/p>\n<p>The purpose of all these body piercing rituals is to give thanks to and hope for attaining their wishes granted by <em>Lord Murugun<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>It is their faith and reverence in God that leads them to undertake such tasks joyfully.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you fond of getting piercings on your body? Yes or no, the piercings done during the Hindu Thaipusam festival is certainly not a sight for the faint-hearted. While it is an uncommon sight for some, the locals of Singapore who worship Lord Murugan feel it to be their religious duty. The story that leads [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":15018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2181],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15016"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15016"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15044,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15016\/revisions\/15044"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fnp.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}