Singapore Thaipusam 2012

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Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai and is dedicated to Lord Murugan (the son of Shiva and Parvati) or Kartikeya. It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as Mauritius, Singapore and Malaysia.The word Thaipusam 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 Soorapadam. There is a misconception among people that Thaipusam marks Murugan’s birthday; however, it is believed that Vaikhasi Vishakam, which falls in the Vaikhasi month (May/June), is Murugan’s birthday.