Malaysia Holds Thaipusam Festival For First Time Since Pandemic

SELANGOR, MALAYSIA - FEBRUARY 05: Kalaivanan Rajenthiran, 35, a classical dancer, poses in a cultural costume before performing a peacock dance known as ''Mayilattam'' during the Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves on February 05, 2023 in Selangor, Malaysia. After two years of celebrating Thaipusam on a small scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hindu festival is back in full celebration as devotees commemorate the day when the goddess Parvathi gave her son Lord Murugan a powerful lance to fight for good over evil. The annual procession by Hindu devotees involve piercing parts of their body such as their cheeks, tongues, and backs before carrying kavadi or milk pots on a journey of faith to seek blessings. (Photo by Annice Lyn/Getty Images)