தனனபபரககவல தபபசமம மரக வழபடம / Murugan Worship and Thaipusam in South Africa

The Tamil diaspora in South Africa has preserved its cultural and spiritual identity through rural Tamil religious practices. In particular, the worship of Murugan and the celebration of Thaipusam of the South African Tamils identify their religious practices primarily through their language and folk deities. Tamils in South Africa migrated as indentured labourers between the years 1860 and 1911 and endured harsh working conditions and systemic oppression during the British colonial rule. Even though their linguistic shifts towards English in later generations, Tamil religious and cultural traditions have remained same. Kavadi, Palkudam (milkpot) carrying during the featival Thaipusam, Chithirai Paruvam, Panguni Uthiram and other Tamil festivals such as Aadi Koozh, Mariamman Karagam, and Theemithi portrays the faith and heritage of Tamil people in South Africa. Murugan temples such as the Melrose Sri Siva Subramaniar Temple and the Tongaat Sri Siva Subramaniar Temple play a cultural role in sustaining Tamil religious practices and Murugan worship in South Africa. Hence, this paper explores the historical, social and spiritual modes of Murugan worship and Thaipusam in South Africa.