The annual festival is held in the Tamil month Thai (January-February), in honour of Lord Muruga, the son of Lord Shiva and Parvathi, according to Hindu tradition.
Celebrations include a procession through the streets around the temple, with participants carrying small structures called Kavady, which represent the burdens and troubles they carry in life.
Before the procession begins, many devotees undergo a ceremony during which their bodies are pierced.
Several devotees also pull chariots through the streets by attaching these to their backs with hooks.
The festival is preceded by a minimum of 10 days of fasting, during which participants abstain from eating meat and drinking alcohol.
The public Kavady celebration was held on Sunday to allow for public attendance, but the actual culmination of the festival fell on February 9, during which a celebration was held at the temple.
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Hammond Pole ForeTheBoys Daveyton Golf Day Initiative, February 18, 2017
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