Singapore Hotels

Singapore's Thaipusam festival, some aspects of which may seem strange to Westerners, is a Hindu thanksgiving celebration, held in honour of Lord Subrahmanya (also known as Lord Murugan) who represents virtue, youth and power and is the destroyer of evil.

Thaipusam's signature event is a spectacular four-kilometre procession through the streets of Singapore. It starts at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road and finishes at the Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple on Keong Siak Road.

The first devotees set off in the early hours of the morning carrying milk pots as offerings to Lord Subrahmanya. Following them are some devotees for whom Thaipusam is a display of faith and mind over matter as they pierce their tongues with metal skewers. Others attach large metal frames called kavadis to their bodies using a horrific array of hooks and spikes. During the procession these highly dedicated participants - who undergo a strict regime before they proceed to carry the kavadi - are joined by supporters who drum and chant to keep up their morale. Some of the more hardy devotees also hang weights from their kavadis.

In the build up to Thaipusam, these devotees must live a life of abstinence while maintaining a strict vegetarian diet. It is believed that only when the mind is free of material wants and the body free from physical pleasures that a devotee can undertake this sacred task without feeling any pain.

Thaipusam occurs on the full moon day in the month of Thai, which falls in January or February. The parade is a unique spectacle, but definitely not one for the faint-hearted. A few days before the procession itself, it's also possible to visit the stalls on Serangoon Rd which offer the kind of equipment used in this rather unusual event.

Event Details
First date 8 Feb 2009
Country Singapore
State 
County 
Town Singapore

Venue Details
Venue Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple
Address  397 Serangoon Rd 218123,  Singapore,  Singapore
Tel +65 6298 5771
Directions By MRT to Farrer Park or Little India.

Venue Singapore
Address  Singapore,  Singapore
Tel 
Directions 

Contact Details
Number +65 (0) 6296 3469
Fax +65 (0) 6292 9766
Email heb@pacific.net.sg
Address  397 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 218123,

Tourist Office
Name Singapore Tourism Board
Address  Tourism Court, 1 Orchard Spring Lane, Singapore 247729,
Phone +65 6736 6622; in UK +44 (0) 20 7437 0033
Fax +65 6736 9423

Event details can change. Please check with the organizers that the event is happening before making travel arrangements.

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