Thaipusam
Next: January 22, 2027
A vow fulfilled, a hill climbed.
The story
Where it comes from
Thaipusam takes its name from the Tamil month of Thai and from Pusam, the star under which the Moon stands on the festival day, usually the full moon of Thai in late January or early February. It honours Murugan, son of Shiva and Parvati. In the Kanda Puranam, the Tamil telling of his story, Parvati gives him a divine spear, the vel, with which he defeats the demon Surapadman, and Thaipusam celebrates that victory. Kept by Tamil Hindus in India, Sri Lanka and around the world, it is celebrated on its grandest scale in Malaysia and Singapore.
How it's celebrated
Devotees prepare beforehand with prayer, a vegetarian diet and fasting. On the day many fulfil a vow by carrying a kavadi, 'burden', a frame borne on the shoulders as an offering to Murugan, or pots of milk; some pierce their skin, tongue or cheeks with small spears, walking barefoot to drums and chanting. In Malaysia crowds climb to the cave temple at Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur and to the hill temple in Penang; in Singapore the procession walks from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.
Did you know
- Thaipusam is a public holiday in several Malaysian states, including Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perak and Johor, and in Mauritius.
- Singapore kept Thaipusam as a public holiday until 1968.
- The vel kavadi, the most elaborate kind, can stand up to 2 metres tall and is decorated with peacock feathers, for the peacock Murugan rides.
The greeting
Happy Thaipusam · தைப்பூச நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்
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