Devotees often experience the state of feeling united with the lord.

This is the most difficult kavadi offering.The devotees walks through a pit of burning coals.The devotees all around the pit sing hymns in praise of the lord.The baeting of the drums and the burning of the incese make the entire atmosphere awe inspiring.The real devotees gets into a state of ecstasy and easily walks over the fire.

The kavadi bearer has to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi, and at the time of offering it to the lord. He swears saffron coloured cloth and carry a cane silver capped at the both ends. The kavadi bearer observes silence and celibacy.He takes vegetarian food and abstrains from all sorts of intoxicating drinks & drugs.

The vels represent the spear of Lord muruga that killed Idumban.Lemons are pierced and hanged from the vels.The acid juice of lemons and bhasma spread over the pierced flesh cures bleeding.

Many of the kavadi bearer , impose various forms of self torture. some pass a sharp little spear [ vels] through their tounge, which is made to protrude out of the mouth, others may pass a spear through the cheek. This sort of piercing is made in other parts of the body also.

The kavadi has various sizes & shapes. It contains a wooden stick with two baskets at each end, slung across the shoulder.It is decorated with flower and intermoven with peacock faethers.

The two baskets hanging at each end of kavadi contain milk, rose water, chandanam, tender coconut water , bhasmam, seasame oil etc, that the devotee has vowed to offer the lord. Devotees collect all these articles by begging .They travel on foot from village to village , and beg from door to door.The devotees conduct pooja for Idumban before starting the bhiksha.

Lord Muruga destroyed Tharakasuran on the pooyam nakshatram day in the tamil month of Thai and hence Thypooyam is celebrated in all muruga temples.

The Thypooyam festival occuring in the month of Jan- February.The history of the thypooyam was related to the destruction of a demon called Tharakasuran by Murugan , the son of Lord shivs & Parvathi. The Tharakasuran was troubling the rishis & saints , then lord muruga was called by his parents and given the job of destroying the asuran. Lord muruga destroy the demon by fighting ,he carried 12 weapons , 11 of which were given by his father Lord shiva and the 'vel' given by his mother Parvathi.