Thaipusam

Thaipusam, a Hindu festival from South India, is celebrated in many parts of the world, including Singapore, where the Tamil diaspora has migrated. Thaipusam is observed on the day when the moon is said to pass through the star Pusam in the Tamil month Thai, which is the 10th month of the Tamil calendar. Thai usually falls between January and February in the Gregorian calendar. The festival venerates Murugan, a popular Tamil deity who has been worshipped for over 2000 years. The history of the festival dates to the 1st century CE and is in honour of Murugan’s triumph over the demon Suran. In Singapore, it has been celebrated for over 160 years, and over time, it has expanded beyond its traditional boundaries, attracting followers from non-Tamil ethnic communities and non-Hindu faiths.

The Nattukottai Chettiars, a mercantile community that had long traversed Asian sea routes, worshipped Murugan as their patron god and built temples for him in their diasporic abodes, and thus the celebration of Thaipusam in Singapore is linked to them. In 1859, the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple was constructed by the Chettiars on Tank Road. Within a year, Thaipusam was celebrated in Singapore for the first time. The festivities spanned three days and included fireworks and a silver chariot procession.

The highlight of Thaipusam is the kavadi procession. The kavadi, a symbol of penance, is carried by devotees as they make their way to the Murugan temple by foot. In the early years, the kavadi bearers began their journey from any Hindu temple in Singapore and ended it at Sri Thendayuthapani Temple with the route covering various parts of the city, such as Chinatown, the Central Business District, Clemenceau Avenue, Orchard Road and Beach Road. Later, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road became the starting point for all kavadi bearers. They assembled there and, throughout the day, there was a continuous procession of kavadis to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. The kavadi takes many forms and can range from simple to elaborate structures. The most common kavadi is a simple semi-circular wooden structure carried on the shoulder, while the alagu kavadi is a more elaborate structure that includes a stainless steel or aluminium framework with vels -- tiny versions of the spear Murugan bears as his divine symbol -- pierced into different parts of the body (see image). The devotee is usually in a trance-like state but fully conscious. The piercing is a ritual that stuns the uninitiated onlooker, as there is no blood and no cry of pain. The paal kudam or milk pot is, however, the most common form of offering (see image) that is carried by thousands of devotees annually, including women and children. The 4-kilometre journey between the two designated temples begins in the early hours of the morning and is covered by most devotees in about 2 to 3 hours. However, with thousands of devotees in the procession, the last of the kavadis reach their destination as late as 1 am the next morning. 

Though a highly popular festival among Tamils and an event with many Singaporean and foreign spectators, Thaipusam has had its share of detractors. The practice of self-mortification, especially through piercings, has been a topic of debate, with some viewing it as a deeply meaningful and spiritual act while others have raised concerns about the potential harm to the body. In the late 1930s, Tamil organisations, associated with the Self-Respect Movement, began protesting against self-mortification. In response to pressure from these groups, the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple banned the alagu kavadi in 1950, but reversed its decision later that same year due to opposition from devotees. In India, however, this practice has been banned. Thaipusam used to be a public holiday from 1879 to 1914, until some community leaders petitioned the government to have the more widely celebrated Deepavali declared a day off instead. The use of musical instruments was banned in 1973 due to unruly behaviour associated with group rivalry among those playing musical instruments. However, later the authorities acknowledged that the accompaniment of devotional music was necessary for kavadi carriers to keep their minds focused on their prayers. In 2016, after more than 40 years, the government permitted live music during the street procession carrying kavadis. However, there were stipulations about which musical instruments could be played and at which points along the procession route. An interesting aspect of Thaipusam is that people of diverse faiths and ethnicities participate in the procession. This is a testament to the syncretic nature of cultural appropriations in Singapore. Thaipusam remains a long-surviving cultural umbilical cord that extends beyond ethnic, religious and state boundaries.

For more information
“Kavadi-Making.” Roots.sg. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.roots.gov.sg/ich-landing/ich/kavadi-making. 
Gopal, Nalina. “The Divine Lance: Thaipusam and Murugan Worship in Singapore.” BiblioAsia 18, no. 4 (Jan–Mar 2023). https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/vol-18/issue-4/jan-mar-2023/thaipusam-murugan-singapore. 
Krishnasamy, Janarthanan. “Almost 16,000 Devotees Take Up Milk Pots and Kavadis at Thaipusam 2025.” The Straits Times, 11 February 2025. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/almost-16000-devotees-take-up-milk-pots-and-kavadis-at-thaipusam-2025. 
Vardni, Vishnu. “Thaipusam 2024 drums up cheer and hope for 18,000 devotees.” The Straits Times, 25 January 2024. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/thaipusam-2024-drums-up-cheer-and-hope-for-18000-devotees. 

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.