TranslateWhen: January/February
Kavadi Attam is the ritual dance and burden-bearing performed by devotees of Lord Murugan, most visible during Thai Pusam and Panguni Uthiram. A kavadi is an arched frame carried on the shoulders, decorated with peacock feathers and flowers, often holding pots of milk or water carried to the temple as an offering.
When
Thai Pusam in January or February, and Panguni Uthiram in March or April
Where
Palani, Thiruthani, Thiruchendur, Swamimalai and Murugan temples statewide
Duration
One main day, with pilgrim walks over the preceding days
Main highlight
Kavadi Attam dance and milk abhishekam at the temple
Devotees prepare with a vow, typically involving weeks of vegetarian fasting and abstinence. On the day, they bathe, wear saffron or yellow, and lift the kavadi to walk to the temple, often over long distances. On arrival, the milk or water carried in the pots is used for abhishekam of the deity.
Paal kavadi carries pots of milk. Pushpa kavadi is decorated entirely with flowers. Mayil kavadi is shaped with peacock feathers, and Agni kavadi involves carrying fire pots. Vel kavadi, involving skewers through the skin, is undertaken by devotees fulfilling severe vows and is accompanied by continuous drumming.
Palani in Dindigul district sees the largest gatherings, with pilgrims arriving on foot from across Tamil Nadu. Thiruthani near Chennai, Thiruchendur on the coast and Swamimalai near Kumbakonam also host large kavadi processions. The routes into these towns fill with walking pilgrims for days before the festival.
