Carrying Kavady signifies devotion
Devotees carry the Kavady, which is a wooden frame decked with flowers, Hindu deities, lime, other fruit, and milk.
Devotees who abstained from meat and observed strict discipline for a month, celebrated Kavady with colourful and impressive displays of devotion at three local temples, Umzimkulwana Shri Shiva Soobramoniar Temple, the Port Shepstone Tamil Association and the Umbango Siva Soobramoniar Temple last Saturday.
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The Herald visited the Marburg Sports Complex where the Umbango Siva Soobramoniar Temple’s Kavady took place.
Cohen Pillay, spokesman for the temple, said Kavady signified devotion and the essence of life.
“Participants are encouraged to follow the strict requirements dedicated to Lord Muruga, the Hindu deity regarded as the God of protection and preservation.
“Devotees carry the Kavady, which is a wooden frame decked with flowers, Hindu deities, lime, other fruit, and milk.”
He added it was a festival of purification where prayers were offered and penance observed for a month.
This year saw many devotees pierce their bodies with pins laced with various items (lime, fruit, flowers) while others pulled a large chariot with hooks attached to the skin on their backs.
The Kavady symbolises the carrying of one’s burdens and the laying of it at the Lord’s feet.
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