subject: Thaipusam: A Celebration Of Endurance And Faith [print this page] Of great religious importance to Tamil Hindus, mostly in the South Asian Region, is the festival of Thaipusam which celebrates the moment when Parvati handed Murugan a spear which would enable him to defeat Soorapadam, a demon. God Murugan, the son of God Shiva, is said to be the antidote to evil and idolises virtue and power. The festival of Thaipusam derives its name from a star named Pusam which is at its highest point through the duration of the festival and is celebrated mainly in India and also in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Singapore where there is a minority of Tamil communities. The festival is held annually with devotees marching in a procession whilst praying for blessings from the Gods and offering their thanks.
The celebrations are conducted with pomp and grandeur across South Asia whilst in Singapore it is celebrated with a procession from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple which is roughly a five mile walk. Devotees commence the procession early in the morning and walk while fulfilling their vows. The entire procession can be segregated to different sections: an observer will first witness Kavadi Pattam which is a dance where devotees carry wooden kavadis and milk pots as offering while is also serves as a plea for help from God Murugan as well. Therefore, whenever a devotee wishes to ask for blessings, they would carry a wooden kavadi during the Thaipusam festival procession. The carrying of such an offering is not an easy task for devotees have to observe abstinence and a vegetarian diet before they could carry the kavadi. It is believed that such practices will help them carry it without feeling any pain as he has denied his body physical pleasures.
Therefore this festival is not only a religious celebration where one asks for blessings, but also one of endurance and faith. It is also an extremely colourful celebration of faith with periodic chanting and the rhythmic beatings of drums. Tourists looking for a Singapore hotel which is ideally located to allow them to experience local culture and partake in festivals such as Thaipusam should search no further than the Raffles hotel Singapore. Celebrating 125 years of excellence, this luxury hotel Singapore provides travellers with the right balance of exclusivity and local flavour for a truly wholesome holiday in this city state.
