With its colourful traditions, the annual Hindu festival, Thaipusam, often brings traffic in Singapore to a standstill—and with good reason. Anchored by a large, colourful annual procession, Thaipusam sees Hindu devotees in Singapore seeking blessings, fulfilling vows and offering thanks.
The festival is celebrated in honour of Lord Subramaniam (also known as Lord Murugan), the destroyer of evil who represents virtue, youth and power. The festival generally lasts for 2 days. On the eve, a chariot procession bearing a statue of the Lord Murugan begins from Sri Thendayuthapani Temple at Tank Road to Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple at Keong Saik Road.
The Thaipusam ceremony starts in the early hours of the morning. The first batch of devotees carry milk pots and wooden kavadis (ceremonial devices used for religious self mortification in Hinduism). Some pierce their tongues with skewers and carry a wooden kavadi decorated with flowers and peacock feathers balanced on their shoulders. Other devotees carry spiked kavadis that require elaborate preparation.
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