The Hindu festival of Thaipusam honours Lord Muruga, Son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and brother of Ganesha. Lord Muruga frees people from their bad karma and enriches their lives with positivity. It is regarded as a day when good triumphs over evil. In Singapore in 2026, Thaipusam was the largest it has been. Some 19000 devotes carrying a milk pot and almost 350 devotees carrying a kavadi with piercings and skewers. Carrying a kavadi is an act of devotion and penance to soften and relieve the burdens of karma. The festival starts when Lord Muraga is taken in his silver chariot from the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road to the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple on Keong Saik Road. En route it stops at the Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road in Chinatown. The Thaipusam procession that devotees take is from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road to the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road. There was an army of volunteer marshalls that helped control the procession at road junctions and keep people safe. An amazing spectacle that I first witnessed in 1960. These pics are from Jan 31st and 1st Feb 2026. In the resizing to comply with the upload image sizes in WordPress, some pics have lost their sharpness.
