Thaipusam is a time of celebration for Hindus, who honour Lord Murugan, a son of Shiva, on this day. Festivities are marked by chariot processions and kavadi carrying, where the bearers usually have spikes and metal hooks pierced into their bodies. Some devotees are also pierced with a skewer - known as 'vels', or symbolic spears - through the tongue, as illustrated by the man on the left in this postcard.
