Malaysian Hindus celebrate Thaipusam

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A Hindu devotee with cheeks pierced with skewers, enters a trance while performing a pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu priest helps a devotee attach his miniature “paal kavadi”, or silver pots filled with milk pierced onto his back, before the latter performs his pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee carry 'pal kodam' or milk pot as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee carry kavadis as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee carry kavadis as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee carry 'pal kodam' or milk pot as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

07/16

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A Hindu devotee with his cheeks pierced with skewers, enters a trance as he performs his pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee takes part in cleansing ritual before he begins his pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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Hindu devotees carry 'pal kodam' or milk pot as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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Hindu devotees are seen in silhouette, carry 'pal kodam' or milk pot as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu priest piercing the devotee tongue with skewer as they perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A young Hindu devotee takes part in ritual shower before he begins his pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee takes part in ritual shower before he begins his pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee in trance, perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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A Hindu devotee in trance, are hooked and hanging, perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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Hindu devotees in trance, perform their pilgrimage to Batu Caves temple during the Thaipusam festival near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

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Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotee carries a kavadi and pal kodam (milk) in a pot during Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves temple near Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 20/01/2011

Thaipusam is a festival celebrated by the Tamil community worldwide on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. The festival commemorates the birthday of Lord Murugan, the youngest son of Shiva, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman. Hindu community comprises over eight percent of Malaysia’s 28 million populations.