southeast asia
WHEN
January 31, 2018; it’s generally two days long,
but can be as long as four days
WHERE
You can witness the processions in Little
India, and at the Sri Thendayuthapani and Sri
Mariamman temples
HOW
Traffic comes to a standstill in during these
areas during Thaipusam, so catch the MRT
DOS AND DON’TS- Do come with a strong stomach and pack
good walking shoes - Don’t drive. The roads will be blocked off
EXPERIENCE
THAIPUSAMThis festival is not unique to
Singapore, as it is celebrated in all
Tamil communities, primarily in India,
Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.
But it’s certainly one of the most
interesting festivals on the tiny island.
The word “Thaipusam” is derived
from the name of the month, Thai, and
the name of a star, Pusam, which is at
its highest point during the festival.
It honours the destruction of an evil
demon, Soorapadman, at the hands
of Murugan (also known as Lord
Subramaniam), the Hindu god of war,
who was given a spear by Parvati to
wage the battle. Murugan is seen to
be the personification of Shiva’s light
and wisdom, and so devotees pray to
him as the destroyer of evil.
Thaipusam starts in the early hours,
and devotees carrying milk pots and
kavadis take to the streets. A kavadi is
a semicircular steel or wooden frame
with bars for placing on the shoulders
of the devotee. It is decorated with
flowers and feathers. Sounds pleasant
enough – until you see the spikes
designed like spokes on a wheel to
penetrate the bodies of the followers.
The frame – which can weigh up to 40
kilograms and be almost four metres in
height – is hoisted onto the shoulders
of the participants in the procession.
The ceremonial sacrifice through
the physical burdens exercised in the
ritual is called Kavadi Attam, which
literally translates from Tamil to
“sacrifice at every step”. The devotees
pray to Murugan, and atone for their
spiritual debts and sins. Some of
the participants also pierce their
tongues and cheeks with skewers
(which is hard to watch!), symbolic of
renouncing the gift of speech so that
he or she may concentrate more fully
upon the deity in silence.
Devotees spend the preceding
month undergoing mental and spiritualFESTIVAL MUST-SEE: THAIPUSAM
Singapore
preparation for the ordeal, which also
involves following a strict vegetarian
diet. Tamil Hindus believe that
undergoing such self-inflicted physical
pain frees the mind of concerns
with worldly pleasures, allowing for
spiritual transcendence and purity.
However, not all the believers who
join in the Thaipusam procession go
to such extrenes: Some kavadi do
not have any flesh-piercing spikes,
and many women simply carry a pot
of milk, which is an offering aimed at
ensuring fertility.
The devotees cover a distance
of around 4.5 kilometres, trailed by
a crowd of friends and family who
support and encourage them.IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCKSINGAPORE
Little
India66