Not very far from Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, is a tiny village called Kaveripattinam, known for its mangoes and surrounded by lush green vegiation thanks to the nearby KRP Dam.
Angalamman Festival is celebrated every year here, the day after Maha Shivratri, to worship the deity Angalamman, 'The Guardian Goddess', an incarnation of goddess Parvati. Devotees throng here in tens of thousands to take part in a day-long festival. Often as part of a vow, or in response to wishes fulfilled, worshippers pierce themselves in the cheeks or tongues with rods and pins, and make rounds of the village.
While this may appear gruesome to those unfamiliar with Indian rituals, there is a sense of joy and excitement among those that participate in the ritual. Entire families come here to watch men and women displaying courage and grit in being able to bear physical pain, as if taking a little of the burden that befell goddess Angalamman herself.
At around noon, a completely different side of the festival emerges, from the deep confines of private homes and roadside temples. Often taking hours to complete, men, women and children go through a laborious makeup session, and dressed up like goddess Kali, or Kaliamman as she is called in the South, they come out on the streets, dancing in frenzy, the Rudra Thandavam.