Thaipusam 2011

This may be a festival that may interest readers. The full moon day of the Tamil month Thai, also known as Thaipusam, falls on 20 January in the year of 2011. The Thaipusam festival is dedicated to Lord Subramaniam, also known as Lord Murugan. It "commemorates the feats of the Hindu God, Lord Subramaniam, son of Lord Siva. It also acknowledges Subramaniam's triumph over the evil forces." (Source: Singapore Infopedia).

For more information on Thaipusam 2011, please visit: http://www.heb.gov.sg/thaipusam2011.html .

Two years ago, on 7 and 8 Feb 2009, I had made time to observe the various events that celebrated the Thaipusam festival. You could read the series of posts that I had written of my experiences back then here: Thaipusam (2009).

Here's a video that I had taken two years ago of the Silver Chariot procession, may it interest you.


The start of the procession.

8 Feb 2009: Thaipusam

It must have been due to novelty and the enthusiasm to do a simple coverage of Thaipusam to share with my friends such that I could bring myself to wake up early in the morning of 8 Feb 2009 even though I had slept terribly late at close to 2 a.m. after returning home from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple past midnight.

I figured that the best way to travel to the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, which is the start of the Thaipusam procession, would be by the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). This proved to be a good choice. The morning sun was already pretty bright. I did not mind that because that meant brighter colours in the photographs that I would take for the day.

I spent about two hours in the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple watching the various religious ceremonies and the preparation for the Thaipusam procession that took place there. I shall let the photographs tell some of the stories.

Lemon lamps.

Milk pots and garlands.

The offerings made.

These are the tools used for the spike kavadi.

Outside the temple, devotees can be seen making their way from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. Most of the devotees did so barefooted. As I watched the devotees in the Thaipusam procession making their journey of faith to their destination, I felt a sense of awe and respect for their devotion and strong faith.

Here is a video that I had taken along Serangoon Road.




Musicians form an important part of the festival even though they are not the bearers of the kavadis. As I witness the procession, I think the music played by the musicians have an encouraging and positive effect on the bearers of the kavadis. It was not an easy journey of 4 kilometres to make from the starting point to the destination. The music, I would think, had in some ways cheered the bearers along when the signs of exhaustion and physical discomforts set in.










I think it is noteworthy to mention the volunteers and sponsors who had set up make-shift tents that gave out free food and drinks to the devotees and members of the public who were taking part in the Thaipusam festival. I thought such gestures were like sharing good blessings with others, particularly those who may not be able to afford a square meal. The provision of free drinks also came helpful to the devotees who were walking their journey of faith to Tank Road as it was possibly refreshing to have a sip of water when one's body gets dehydrated due to the hot sunny weather.




I surprised myself by following the route of the devotees all the way to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. When I reached Tank Road, the queue to enter the temple was very long. I had wanted to leave the queue, but when I enquired, the only legitimate exit out of the queue was to follow the queue all the way to the temple, and then one could find the exit once one is in the main hall of the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. That queue from the start of Tank Road to the exit of Sri Thendayuthapani Temple took me about an hour of patient wait.

I was in the queue outside the temple with the devotees.

Finally, I was inside the temple.

Here is where the kavadis are being dismantled.

By the time that I had taken the exit out of Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, my legs were aching. Having gone through the experience of aching legs, I would now strongly recommend that anyone who wishes to join the Thaipusam procession and the journey of 4 kilometres to please start off wth some warm-up exercises before embarking on the long journey. I realised it not only takes physical energy but also a lot of mental discipline to have the determination and faith to walk that long 4 kilometres journey. It was already quite a challenge for yours truly even though I was not carrying a kavadi, and I was walking with shoes on. I am deeply moved by the devotees' strong faith and devotion.

I am glad that I had set aside time to witness the Thaipusam festival for it reminded me that with faith and discipline, what may seem impossible can be achievable.

Catching glimpses of Thaipusam at night

After the Chariot procession on 7 Feb 2009, I took some moments of rest before heading to Serangoon Road. The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) became my most reliable mode of transport for 7 and 8 Feb 2009. There was a number of traffic redirection that day and slow traffic was expected along the stretch of Serangoon Road because of the Thaipusam festival.

By the time when I reached the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, it was about 11.15 p.m. There was a crowd inside the temple already. I was pretty tired from the long day. I had woke up pretty early that day for a work-related event and after that, I was travelling from Tank Road to Serangoon Road to Chinatown area, then back to Tank Road and then to Serangoon Road. I was already pleased that I managed to have the motivations to carry myself to the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple that night. My original plans were to keep myself awake till 2 a.m. to see the first group of the spike kavadi carriers start their procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple. However, by 12 midnight, I realised that I was too exhausted from the day, and had to make some changes to my original plans.

There was such a crowd inside the crowd that I decided to just watch groups of devotees who were carrying milk pots on their head start their procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road. While I was watching the procession from the outskirts of the temple, I started conversations with a few Indians. I found out that a suitable time to visit the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple would be in the morning of the next day since the temple would be relatively less crowded by then, and it would be brighter at that time of the day.

Interestingly, I had found out much later that fellow blog-friend, Eastcoastlife, was actually in Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to do a coverage of the Thaipusam festival. If I had known that she was inside, I might have attempted to overcome my fears for crowds and visit the temple. Meantime, please do read the Thaipusam-related posts that were written by Eastcoastlife:
Thaipusam Festival 2009 - WS
Love - RT

Please do read her posts to get a glimpse of what goes on inside the temple that very night.

Meantime, in order to catch a bus home, yours truly walked from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Selegie Road that night. It was a relatively peaceful walk. The route to Selegie Road was also the route that devotees would take to reach Tank Road. As such, I had the privilege to observe groups of devotees making their walk of faith to Tank Road. The volunteers and personnel who regulated the traffic that night deserved a note of thanks to ensuring that the roads were safe for the devotees to travel on.



This is not the end of my Thaipusam related posts. Please stay tuned to find out more.

The Chariot procession

This post continues from my previous post on my participation in Thaipusam 2009 as an observer. I visited the Thaipusam Heritage Corner when I was in Serangoon area and learnt quite a bit about the festival of Thaipusam.

Thanks to the information that I had gotten from the Hindu Endowment Board's website, I have learnt that there was a Silver Chariot Procession that would take place at 6 p.m. from the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple along Keong Saik Road. The most convenient way to reach Keong Saik Road on 7 Feb 2009 was by the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). It was also the fastest way to get to Chinatown since there were a number of road closures taking place on 7 Feb 2009 because of the Chinatown lights-up events and the Thaipusam festival.

7 Feb 2009. It was the first time in my life that I witnessed a Silver Chariot Procession. Prior to the event, I mustered enough courage to mingle with the devotees to learn more about the festival. I saw devotees carrying trays containing coconuts, banana and grapes. I was told that these items are offerings to the Gods. The coconut and the banana both symbolise purity.


Outside the temple, I was lucky to witness a part of the rituals that were to take place before the Silver Chariot Procession. Devotees were waiting outside the entrance/exit of the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple waiting for the idol of Lord Murugan to leave the temple. An observer can easily sense the devotees' strong sense of devotion to their God.



Video taken just outside the temple.


While I was waiting for the chariot procession to start, I noticed that there were men carrying kavadis on their shoulder. I had learnt from the Thaipusam Heritage Corner that I had visited much earlier the day that kavadis can come in various shapes and sizes. Some devotees actually carry their offerings of milk for Lord Muragan with their kavadis. Many of the devotees, if not most, were barefooted. I think that it will require much perseverance and strength in the devotees to carry and walk long distances with their kavadis.





I learnt a bit about a group of Indians known as the Chettiars and their close association with the Thaipusam festival while I was conversing with a few of the Indian devotees. The Chettiars are Tamils who originate from South India. This group of Tamils migrated to Singapore in the early 19th century and many became money-lenders here. I went to do some research and found that the temples which were both the starting points and the ending points of 7 Feb 2009 evening's Thaipusam Silver Chariot procession were both under the management of the Chettiars' Temple Society. Both temples were built by the Chettiars.




Meantime, while I was waiting for the Silver Chariot Procession to start, it was interesting to reflect on how Thaipusam has progressed with times. A few decades ago, the chariot was pulled by animals. Today, a vehicle would be used to pull the chariot.




When the chariot procession started, I followed it from Keong Saik Road to Maxwell Food Centre. Along the way, my ears were tuning in to the songs and music that were sang and played throughout the procession.


The start of the procession.










The Chariot procession was actually heading for the Bank of India along Robinson Road and D'Almedia Street. Eventually, it would be scheduled to reach Sri Thendayuthapani Temple by 9 p.m. I realised I needed a break, so I left the procession and headed to Chinatown area for a refreshment break. Afterwhich, I walked all the way from Chinatown area to Tank Road.

When it was close to 9 p.m., I was luck to spot the Chariot procession heading back to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. It was an inspiring sight to see how much reverence that the devotees have of Lord Murugan, as I watched the procession. If you would like a glimpse of the procession, please view the humble video-recordings that I had taken that night.









After catching the Chariot procession reaching its destination, I took an hour's rest nearby Clarke Quay before heading to Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple along Serangoon Road. I am glad that I had made time to have a first hand experience of Thaipusam.


References:

• Street Directory.com: Thandayuthapani Temple, Built by Chettiars. By Mr Dhoraisingam S. Samuel
• http://www.heb.gov.sg/thaipusam2009.html
• Chettiars' Temple Society: Thaipusam

Learning about Thaipusam in the year 2009

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

I write this post to share with anyone of my friends who wish to get a glimpse of Thaipusam. This post is specially written for you.

I have lived in Singapore for close to three decades. I have heard about the festival of Thaipusam ever since I was in Primary School. I have caught glimpses of a Thaipusam procession taking place just once in my life, on a bus. However, for the past years, I have never made time to participate in the Thaipusam festival so as to experience it. I am glad that I have made time to observe the festival, and even walked the 4 kilometres walk that devotees would make from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple (along Serangoon Road) to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (at Tank Road).

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, the Thaipusam festival is dedicated to Lord Subramaniam, also known as Lord Murugan. It "commemorates the feats of the Hindu God, Lord Subramaniam, son of Lord Siva. It also acknowledges Subramaniam's triumph over the evil forces." (Source: Singapore Infopedia).

I am glad that this year Thaipusam was celebrated on the weekends. This made it much more convenient for me to make time to learn about it. The most challenging part was to figure out when would be a good time to experience the Thaipusam. I have, admittedly, very limited knowledge of the festival. I am just starting to learn about it.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

How did I get myself started? First of all, I used the online search engines to find out about the festival. Then I asked a friend of mine who's an Indian and she kindly directed me to the website of the Hindu Endowments Board and I found out more about the schedules for Thaipusam 2009. The next step was to make time to observe the festival.

Tents for dismantle of kavadi

On 7 Feb 2009, I visited the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple and the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in the mid afternoon when there was no crowd yet. There was a sense of peace as people in the temple attempted to prepare for the festival.

I realised that there were Chinese who had volunteered to prepare free flow of food for the devotees. Preparations for the food had started way before the event started.

Food preparations at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

Nearby Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple was a Thaipusam Heritage Corner that was set up just opposite the Serangoon Plaza. The exhibits there gave visitors a better appreciation of the festival. I was grateful that a youth volunteer took time to explain the exhibits to me, and to enlighten me with the significance of the heritage.

The Heritage Corner.

An exhibit featuring the Vel.

At the exhibition, I learnt about Lord Murugan's Vel. It is a divine spear that symbolises "Gnana Sakthi" (Power of Knowledge) and is considered "one of the most powerful weapons against ills and negative characteristics such as ignorance, lust, anger etc. Interestingly, the various parts of the Vel symbolises different values and virtues. For example, "the point of the Vel symbolises the need to sharpen our minds so as to differentiate between good and evil".

The exhibition also showed photos that depicted how Thaipusam was celebrated decades ago. In those days, the chariot in the procession was pulled by animals such as the bull. Today, it is moved using machinery. Whatever it is, my sense of Thaipusam is that faith is always alive in the hearts of the devotees no matter how Thaipusam is being celebrated over the years.

After viewing the Thaipusam Heritage Corner, my next destination was Chinatown. I was planning to witness the Silver Chariot Procession that would start at 6 p.m. from the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple along Keong Saik Road.

Meantime, please stay tuned for my next post on Thaipusam 2009.

Videos of Thaipusam

After my introductory post on Thaipusam, I figured that it would probably take a while before I sit down to compose another post on Thaipusam, and my experiences observing this festival for the first time in my life on 7 - 8 Feb 2009.

If it does help to lend you some ideas about the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, I shall point you to a couple of videos that were taken during Thaipusam. Some were taken by others (whom I do not know), while the simply plain one was taken by yours truly. I shall share them here with all my friends who are keen to find out more about Thaipusam.

Do also read The Spirit of Thaipusam, found on Yesterday.sg.



Source: Posted by market2garden.



Source: Posted by shantishanti17.



Source: Posted by Goforthehole.


The Chariot Procession by yours truly.

Thaipusam

If you are wondering what festival the devotee in the photo above is celebrating, the answer is that he is celebrating the Hindu festival known as Thaipusam. According to Singapore Infopedia, "Thaipusam is actually derived from the word 'Thai' which means '10th', and 'pusam' meaning'when the moon is at its brightest'". This festival is dedicated to Lord Subramaniam, also known as Lord Murugan.

As best as I can make out from various sources and from speaking with a few of the devotees, Thaipusam is a day for thanksgiving, a day for the Hindus to show sincerity of their faith, a time to demonstrate repentence, and a time for making and fulfilling vows.

This year, Thaipusam was celebrated on 8 Feb 2009.

I managed to catch a part of the Chariot procession that took place on 7 Feb 2009, from 6 - 9 p.m., and a part of the Thaipusam procession that took place on 8 Feb 2009.

This year marks the very first year in my life when I was physically present to observe a Thaipusam celebration. While I take my time to work on writing out my experiences of observing the Thaipusam festival, please do visit Eastcoastlife's blog for her latest blog-entry on this subject of Thaipusam. The post is titled Thaipusam Festival 2009 - WS. Happy reading.

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References:
Thaipusam Singapore in Little India - A Festival for the Brave (e-tour Singapore)
Thaipusam - Singapore Infopedia, by Tan, Bonny.
Hindu Endowment Board - Thaipusam 2009