Yangon: Panguni Uthiram

                                                     

While in Yangon walking around the lake we heard loud drumming coming from the other side. We saw a crowd but could not figure out what was going on. We persuaded our guide to go check it out. What we saw was spectacular.
After doing some research I figured out the celebration/festival is Panguni Uthiram. It is recognized by the Tamil. It falls in the month of Panguni (March/April) and celebrates the significance of the marriage of Pavarati and Parameshwara, Muruga and Devansena and Andal and Rangamanna.  Ramayana also says it is on this day and star that Sita's marriage to Rama was celebrated.
The ancients chose Uthiram to convey to humans the glory of Grahasta Dharma or Married Life, despite his changelessness, childhood, youth or old age.
In the places where Lord Subramanya has a temple, his devotees carry a Kavadi in fulfillment of vows.
There were three boys preparing to carry a Kavadi.

Above one of the men was doing a Snake Dance, where he took the rope and would dance with it as if it were a snake, while violently lashing his ankles and legs with it. People were in trances and passing out, the trance like state was due to the drums and is common for these festivals.