Cavadee is celebrated in January/February primarily by Hindus of Tamil origin in honour of Kartikeya, the elder son of Siva.
Cavadee is among the most impressive hindu events:
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devotees with their tongues,
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cheeks and body pierced with needles,
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hooks and skewers,
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dance their way trance-like to the temple carrying the `Cavadee' - a wooden arch covered with flowers with a pot of milk at each end of its base.
The Cavadee is placed before the deity in the temple.
At this point, despite the long, hot trek the milk should not be curdled.
For some, the penance is even more harrowing because temples are sometimes located on mountain slopes.
