although there is no particular season for devotes to visit kataragama ,the month of july see the annual festival held in grand style.self punishment is a significant feature during the ten day festival.
Hindus perform acts of penance .These acts are performed to settel various vows.the commonest is for pious pilgrims to roll themselves around the MAHA DEWALE and other temples dedicated to various gods.Carring the kavari or kavadi is a common sight.They carry the kavadi across the river and come dancing at the devale.The kavadi is a decoratesd arched framework which is carried on the shoulders .some pilgrims come to kataragama on foot,carrying the kavadi for many miles.
another from of penance is piercing the tongue with a silver needles,while out of the mouth would protrude a cobra made of silver foil.small silver spears are piersed in to the uper portion of the body in addition to numourse small book.often such pilgrims areseen getting in to a trance would then attend on them.
You can also see devotees walking on nail hooks.The most insentive self torture is the pentient letting himself be hanged bay eight hooks on a two traingles, one placed on top of the other so as to from a diagram of skanda.
Fire-walking is the climax of the festival .After bathing in the Manik Ganga, the participant prpceed to break coconut and recieve the blessing of God Skanda.Dry logs and brnches are brought and piled aup When the pile of wood is ready, the head kapurala steps forward and lights it with a burning piece of camphor after reciting a long prayer to Angi the god of fire.The use of camphor is attribute to the fact that it is a pure ,white pleasent smelling substance.
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