Vintage Kartikeya Kavadi Panel

This exquisite vintage panel of Lord Kartikeya is a rare depiction of him with features that clearly point to it being a piece from Kerala. His vahana, the peacock is also shown as a more than normal extended version that you would usually see and he holds his symbolic Vel in his right hand. Gorgeous vintage pieces like these are rare and make great decor collectibles.

Kavadi, also known as Kavadi Attam in Tamil, is a ceremonial sacrifice/offering practiced by devotees of Lord Murugan (Kartikeya, the son of Shiva), as part of the Thaipusam festival in Tamilnadu, which emphasizes debt bondage. The practice involves devotees bearing a physical burden or a kavadi, to seek Lord Kartikeya/Murugan’s help. The act is usually performed on behalf of a loved one who may be in need of healing. It is performed to balance a spiritual debt. Devotees usually carry the burdens while walking and dancing along a pilgrimage route.