Then he realized it was God himself, who is playing with him. He regretted his fault and pleaded to Lord Muruga. People who visit Palani would make a visit to this hill too. A simple kavadi is made by attaching a decorated arch to the wooden log. Many devotees carry the Kavadi, where they also place many things which are to be used for the prayers, and sacred veneration.
It is the milk pot, which is carried by their devotees. It is usually the fresh milk from the cows, where they carry it from the entire stretch of their homes to the temples. Rosewater is one of the fragrant things used in worship.
Many people would pray to God, and as the symbol of their devotion, they carry the pot filled with aromatic rose water. When the Kavadi is decorated with flowers, it is called Pushpa kavadi. Many flowers are used to decorate the Kavadi. The flowers are then given to Lord Muruga. Peacock is the Vahana or the animal mount of Lord Muruga.
To commemorate that, many devotees would use peacock feathers in their Kavadi. Sometimes nadaswaram, a wind instrument, is also used. Movements of the peacock, believed to be the vehicle of Lord Muruga, are incorporated into the dance motifs. Devotees proceed to the shrine in groups, performing these movements. When heavier kavadis especially with piercings are used, the movements tend to be more restricted.
The Kavadi Attam in temples is often performed in a state of trance; the movements are not learned but performed through the memory of having witnessed or experienced the movements during the ritual. The movements largely hinge on the acts of balancing and controlling the kavadi. Steps and formations from other folk forms are also visible in Kavadi Attam. The lyrics that accompany the dance are generally folk songs with fast rhythmic tempo known as Kavadi Chindu, dedicated to Lord Muruga and composed mainly by Tamil poet Annamalai Reddiar.
Kavadi Chindus are sung by devotees, to ease out some of the strain and physical exhaustion of the ritual. Wearing a garland around the neck, devotees performing Kavadi Attam smear sacred ash on their bodies. Each devotee carries on his shoulder an ornate kavadi. This is a long bamboo pole, suspended with weightless bamboo pails at both ends, that are filled with flowers or other items. This is made to rest on the shoulders of the devotee, swinging and swaying to the walk and dance of the devotees.
Kavadis are usually of different sizes and shapes, each with its own significance. A Pookavadi is one decorated with brightly coloured artificial flowers, a mayilpeeli kavadi decorated using only peacock feathers and ambalakavadi, one shaped like the gopuram tower of a temple. Another account suggests that when Sage Agasthiar asked for the two hills, Idumban fetched the peaks of the hills and attached them to the ends of a kavadi, which is a pole used to carry loads.
Upon the reaching the peak of Palani Hill, Idumban spotted a young boy and demanded that he vacate at once to proceed with his task. The boy, none other than Lord Murugan himself, who was in a fighting mood, refused. A fierce battle began and Idumban was slain. Their wishes were granted by Lord Murugan. It is believed that devotees who carry their Kavadi to the temple will also have their wishes granted. The two sides of the Kavadi are covered with feathers of a peacock — the vehicle of Lord Murugan.
The sides also contain milk pots or two bags to carry offerings to the Lord. Some devotees seek contributions from different households by 'begging' a religious practice in Hinduism to collect offerings to the Lord.
But today, most people fill the bags on their own. Sources: Hindu Blog, Palani. Durban actually has the biggest concentration of Hindus outside India. The Hindus worship Muruga for his youth, virtue, healing abilities and being able to dispel misfortune.
Durban Tourism Tourism directory for the Kingdom of Zulu. Hinduism Part 2 A good detailed description of the Kavadi festival in Durban and explains it in terms of the Indian culture in South Africa.
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