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SINGAPORE: Hindus in Singapore celebrated the annual festival of Thaipusam on Thursday in honour of Lord Subrahmanya (also known as Lord Murugan) who represents virtue, youth and power to Hindus and is the destroyer of evil.
It is the statue of Lord Subrahmanya that is decorated with jewels and finery on the first day before Thaipusam and together with his two consorts, Valli and Devayani, is placed on a chariot and brought in procession.
The ceremony starts in the early hours of the morning when the first batch of devotees of Lord Subrahmanya carrying milk pots leave Sri Srinvasa Perumal Temple for Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, where the milk is offered to the deity of Lord Subrahmanya.
The festival also sees a spectacular four-kilometre procession by devotees from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple at Serangoon Road to the Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple at Keong Siak Road.
Some devotees pierce their tongues with skewers and carry a garlanded wooden arch across their shoulders, while others carry a kavadi (semi circular metal structure decorated with peacock feathers, flowers and palm leaves) walking in procession between the two temples.
Placing a kavadi at the end of the foot procession at the altar of Lord Subrahmanya and making an offering of milk symbolises the cleansing of the mind and soul and blessings from the deity.
Prior to Thaipusam, a devotee must prepare himself spiritually by living a life of abstinence for a month whilst 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 the sacred task without feeling any pain.
Deputy Prime Minister Professor S Jayakumar, who joined in the celebrations, was impressed by this year’s arrangements and encouraged other races to know more about the Hindu festival.
"The procession goes through a long stretch before it reaches Tank Road. There is some inconvenience to motorists and other members of the public. So the other races in Singapore need to understand what is this festival all about", he said.
Thaipusam is celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February) - Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival.
It is also largely celebrated in Malaysia, where the festival at the Batu Caves temple near Kuala Lumpur attracts more than one million devotees and tens of thousands of tourists. - cna.com/yy
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