How food, caste and class defined Tamil worship rituals

Every year in early January, thousands of people, barefoot walk about 160 miles to the town in Tamil Nadu. They are devotees of the Tamil god Murugan, and carry a specific food item with them. Similarly, in the peak of summer, another set of men take the same journey, but carry a different food item with them. But why do they do so? This week, we travel to the Palani (Pazhani) region of Tamil Nadu, and uncover the complex food, caste and community dynamics of the worship of Lord Murugan, and what it teaches us about encountering new religious practices.

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