Why Thaipusam festivities in Singapore end earlier this year
Kavadi bearers, live traditional music and a procession stretching over 3km. Thaipusam has to be one of the more exciting religious events in Singapore, with this year’s festivities being extra special due to the lunar eclipse.
Both circumstances will be taking place on the same day on Wednesday (31 Jan) and because of this, Thaipusam will have to end hours earlier as no religious and milk offerings can be made during this natural phenomenon. All Hindu temples in Singapore will also be closed during this period.
“During an eclipse, light and energy from the sun or moon are blocked and cannot reach the earth,” said the Hindu Endowments Board on the Thaipusam.sg website. “Eclipses are therefore considered inauspicious and Hindu temples are closed. Arulmigu Thendayuthapani Swamy Thirukovil (Palani) and religious experts were consulted regarding the above information.”
According to timeanddate.com, the eclipse will begin at approximately 6.51pm and end at about 12.08am on Thursday (1 Feb).
But that doesn’t mean that the Thaipusam festivities have to be cut short. This year’s procession will begin a day earlier on Tuesday (30 Jan) from 9.30pm and start at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple near River Valley Road and end at the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple (STT) near Race Course Road.
All devotees will have to complete their walk or vows and reach STT by 6.30pm on Wednesday.
If you’d like to catch the live traditional music, you can do so from 8am to 5pm on Thaipusam day at three points along the procession route.
UPDATE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said fire walks are part of the Thaipusam festival. The article has been updated to remove that reference.
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