Fulfilling a vow

From The Star Online, this story about a woman who shaved her head to fulfill a vow she made.

KUALA LUMPUR: M. Maliga was on her deathbed on her 50th birthday last March after taking a new medication for her arthritis. Her lungs were swollen, she was paralysed from the neck down and on a ventilator. In her moment of need, she cried out to Lord Muruga to heal her and vowed to shave her long, thick waist-length hair if he did.

Today, Maliga is not only alive and well but is able to walk with the aid of a walking stick. In keeping with her promise, Maliga shaved her head during the Thaipusam celebrations at Batu Caves here yesterday.

The Thaipusam celebrations are an annual Hindu festival. Shaving one's head bald as a symbol of humility and atonement is common at these festivals.