Serangoon Road to Tank Road
Little India, Singapore
30 January 2010
Little India, Singapore
30 January 2010
Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). It is also referred to as Thaipooyam or Thaippooyam in the Malayalam language. The word Thai-pusam is derived from the month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (spear) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Preparation
Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God.
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Body Spiking
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Facial Spiking
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Multi-Races
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Supporters
The simplest kavadi is a semi circular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit.
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Bearers
The full album is available at:
Thaipusam 2010 - The Unloading
