Thaipusam is the biggest Hindu festival outside of India that takes place every year in Batu Cavas, Malaysia.

I've been attending the festival since I was a child but started photographing it in 2005. Since then I developed a style that brings life to the festival to show the intensity of the festival, devotion, passion and energy around it.

This photo was taken in 2015.

In the picture the kavadi bearer is being pierced with the vel that is held by Lord Muruga who the festival celebrates. Eyes closed he is in meditation to the sounds of vel vel being chanted by his friends and family around him. The experience of carrying a kavadi which is often 7-15 KG in weight is a team effort and in a way a journey to god.

This picture is part of a series of photos to receive Honorable Mention in the Culture category of Prix de la Photographie Paris" (Px3) in 2016.

The jury selected winners from thousands of photography entries from over 85 countries.

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