For the past 18 years, barber and grocery store owner Saravanan Ayasamy has embraced a sacred duty - shaving heads for Thaipusam at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves.
Read more at http://tinyurl.com/5b6358at
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Read more at http://tinyurl.com/5b6358at
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Through the switch of razors, barbers play a vital role in shaping the spiritual transformations
00:09 that unfold during Taipusam.
00:13 44-year-old Saravanan Ayasamy has embraced this sacred duty for the past 18 years.
00:19 The father of three is among 51 stall operators providing head shaving services at the Sri
00:25 Subramanya Swami Temple in Batu Caves.
00:28 "I am the one who gives my ability.
00:31 How can I help the people of Kalkan India?
00:36 We open the shop at 4.30pm.
00:38 We close the shop when the temple is closed.
00:42 On weekdays, we open at 10pm.
00:44 On Taipusam, we open at 12pm.
00:49 We open 24 hours."
00:51 Saravanan estimated that he has shaved the heads of at least 8,000 devotees in the last
00:56 18 years.
00:57 He says it takes between 2 and 5 minutes per person, depending on the hair length.
01:02 "Shaving blades are only for one person.
01:06 We cannot use the same blades for other people.
01:10 If we use it for other people, it can cause diseases."
01:15 Since last Friday, Saravanan has shaved between 200 and 400 heads daily for a fee of RM20
01:21 each.
01:22 Often, he doesn't accept payment from the poor and people with disabilities as part
01:27 of his contribution to the community.
01:29 Similar to fellow devotees, the friendly man observes a 30-day vegetarian diet leading
01:34 up to the religious festival.
01:36 "I want to be a monk.
01:39 I will be a vegetarian for 30 days.
01:42 Because many people come to Kalkan India.
01:45 They want to do the worship here.
01:48 Some people do it for 30 days.
01:51 Some people do it for 2 weeks.
01:54 Some do it for 10 days.
01:56 I follow them."
01:59 His job is not without its challenges.
02:01 The sheer volume of people seeking his services during Taipusam presents logistical and physical
02:07 challenges.
02:08 "This place is crowded with thousands of people.
02:09 When we were moving in, they didn't think about coming in.
02:10 Sometimes we would have to take the kids and babies.
02:11 They didn't want to come in.
02:12 They didn't want to come in.
02:13 They didn't want to come in.
02:14 They didn't want to come in.
02:15 They didn't want to come in.
02:16 They didn't want to come in.
02:17 They didn't want to come in.
02:18 They didn't want to come in.
02:19 They didn't want to come in.
02:20 They didn't want to come in.
02:21 They didn't want to come in.
02:22 They didn't want to come in.
02:23 They didn't want to come in.
02:24 They didn't want to come in.
02:25 They didn't want to come in.
02:26 They didn't want to come in.
02:27 They didn't want to come in.
02:28 They didn't want to come in.
02:29 They didn't want to come in.
02:30 They didn't want to come in.
02:31 They didn't want to come in.
02:32 They didn't want to come in.
02:33 They didn't want to come in.
02:34 They didn't want to come in.
02:35 They didn't want to come in.
02:36 They didn't want to come in.
02:37 They didn't want to come in.
02:38 They didn't want to come in.
02:39 They didn't want to come in.
02:40 They didn't want to come in.
02:41 They didn't want to come in.
02:42 They didn't want to come in.
02:43 They didn't want to come in.
02:44 They didn't want to come in.
02:45 They didn't want to come in.
02:46 They didn't want to come in.
02:47 They didn't want to come in.
02:48 They didn't want to come in.
02:49 They didn't want to come in.
02:50 They didn't want to come in.
02:51 They didn't want to come in.
02:52 They didn't want to come in.
02:53 They didn't want to come in.
02:54 They didn't want to come in.
02:55 They didn't want to come in.
02:56 They didn't want to come in.
02:57 They didn't want to come in.
02:58 They didn't want to come in.
02:59 They didn't want to come in.
03:00 They didn't want to come in.
03:01 They didn't want to come in.
03:02 They didn't want to come in.
03:03 They didn't want to come in.
03:04 They didn't want to come in.
03:05 They didn't want to come in.
03:06 They didn't want to come in.
03:07 They didn't want to come in.
03:08 They didn't want to come in.
03:09 They didn't want to come in.
03:10 They didn't want to come in.
03:11 They didn't want to come in.
03:12 They didn't want to come in.
03:13 They didn't want to come in.
03:14 They didn't want to come in.
03:15 They didn't want to come in.
03:16 They didn't want to come in.
03:17 They didn't want to come in.
03:18 They didn't want to come in.
03:19 They didn't want to come in.
03:20 They didn't want to come in.
03:21 They didn't want to come in.
03:22 They didn't want to come in.