ABSTRACT
As celebrated by the Tamils of Penang, Malaysia, the Thaipusam festival, which honors the god Murugan, son of the great Hindu deities Siva and Parvati, lasts for three days and is the most important festival of the year. The legend that associates Murugan with ascetic practices is a tale of sibling rivalry that ends in the fantasy of the son who compels his father to recognize his position as the newly constituted authority. Murugan and Vinayagar, the elephant-headed god who is his brother, both wish to have a golden mango that the sage Narada has brought to their parents. The legends associated with Thaipusam identify the worshiper who fulfills a vow by carrying a kavati with the demon Idumban, Murugan’s chief devotee. For Saivite Hindu Tamils the divine family consists of Siva, his consort Parvati, and the brothers, Vinayagar and Murugan.
