| Thaipusam | |
|---|---|
 Chariot ofMurugan during Thaipusam festivities in Malaysia | |
| Observed by | PrimarilyTamil Hindus inIndia,Sri Lanka,Malaysia,Singapore,Indonesia,Southeast Asia,Caribbean,Mauritius,Fiji,South Africa andUnited States |
| Type | Hindu |
| Significance | Commemoration ofMurugan's victory overSurapadman |
| Celebrations | Kavadi Aattam |
| Date | Firstfull moon coinciding withPusanakshatra in theTamil month ofThai |
| 2024 date | Thursday, 25 January |
| 2025 date | Tuesday, 11 February |
| Part ofa series on |
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 Hinduism portal |
Thaipusam orThaipoosam (Tamil: Taippūcam,IPA:[t̪əjppuːsəm]) is aTamil Hindu festival celebrated on the firstfull moon day of theTamil month ofThai coinciding withPusamstar. The festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory ofHindu godMurugan over thedemonSurapadman. During the battle, Murugan is believed to have wielded avel, a divine spear granted by his mother,Parvati.
The festival includes ritualistic practices ofKavadi Aattam, a ceremonial act of sacrifice carrying a physical burden as a means of balancing a spiritual debt. Worshipers often carry a pot ofcow milk as an offering and also domortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks withvel skewers. Devotees prepare for the rituals by keeping clean, doing regular prayers, following a vegetarian diet and fasting while remaining celibate.
Thaipusam is observed byTamils inIndia,Sri Lanka,Southeast Asia notably inMalaysia,Singapore, andIndonesia. It is also observed by other countries with significant Tamil diaspora likeFiji,Mauritius,Seychelles,South Africa,Canada, theCaribbean countries includingTrinidad and Tobago andGuyana, and in countries with significant Indian migrants like theUnited States. It is a public holiday in Mauritius, select states in Malaysia and in theIndian state ofTamil Nadu.
Thaipusam is a portmanteau of twoTamil words:Tamil month ofThai and the name of thestarPusam, denoting the day of occurrence of the festival.[1]
According to theKanda Puranam (the Tamil version of the Skanda Purana), threeasuras (a race of celestial beings)Surapadman,Tarakasuran, and Singamukhan performed austerities to propitiate theHindu godShiva. Shiva granted them various boons which gave them near-immortality and the ability to conquer thethree worlds.[2] They subsequently started a reign of tyranny in their respective realms and oppressed the celestial beings including thedevas and other people. The devas pleaded Shiva for his assistance to put an end to the reign of Surapadman and the asuras. In response, Shiva manifested five additional heads and a divine spark emerged from each of the six heads.[3] Initially, the wind-godVayu carried the sparks, but the fire-godAgni took possession of them afterwards because of the unbearable heat. Agni deposited the sparks in theGanga river. The water in the Ganga started evaporating due to intense heat, and so the goddessGanga took them to the Saravana lake, where each of the sparks developed into a baby boy.[3] The six boys were raised byhandmaidens known as theKṛttikās and they were later fused into one byParvati, thus giving rise to the six-headedMurugan.[4]
Parvati granted him a divinespear known as thevel.[5] Murugan was accompanied byVirabahu who served as his commander-in-chief and eight others, who were sons bore by nineshaktis who arose from the gems of the brokenanklet of Parvati, when she ran from her seat due to the heat generated by the sparks emanating from Shiva.[3] Along with the armies of the devas, Murugan waged war on the asuras. Murugan split Surapadman into two with his vel and the two halves transformed into a mango tree and later into a peacock and a rooster. Murugan adopted the peacock as hismount and took the rooster as hisflag.[6] Thaipusam festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Murugan over the Surapadman.[7]
Murugan is a deity associated with yogic discipline and austerities in Hinduism and is regarded by his adherents to be capable of offeringmukti (spiritual liberation) to those who venerate him.[8]
Thaipusam occurs annually and is celebrated on thefull moon day in the Tamil month of Thai on the confluence of star Pusam.[1]
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Kavadi Aattam is a ceremonial act of sacrifice and offering practiced by devotees during the Thaipusam festival. It forms a central part of the festival and symbolizes a form ofdebt bondage.Kavadi (meaning "burden" in Tamil) is a physical burden which consists of a semicircular piece of wood or steel which are bent and attached to a cross structure in its simplest form, that is balanced on the shoulders of the devotee. By bearing the Kavadi, the devotees implore Murugan for assistance, usually as a means of balancing a spiritual debt or on behalf of a loved one who is in need of help or healing.[9] Worshipers often carry one or more pots ofcow milk as an offering (pal kavadi) or other objects such assugarcane,tender coconut, andflowers.[10] The most extreme and spectacular practice is the carrying ofVel kavadi, a portable altar up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall and weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb), decorated with peacock feathers and is attached to the body of the devotee through multiple skewers and metal hooks pierced into the skin on the chest and back.[1][11][12][9]
People also do a form ofmortification of the flesh bypiercing the skin, tongue or cheeks withvel skewers andflagellation.[13] Since publicself mutilation is prohibited by Indian law, these practices are limited in India.[14][13]Vibuthi, a type of holy ash is spread across the body including the piercing sites. Drumming and chanting of verses help the devotees enter a state oftrance.[13] Devotees usually prepare for the rituals by keeping clean, doing regular prayers, following a vegetarian diet and fasting while remaining celibate.[15] They make pilgrimage with bare feet and dance along the route while bearing these burdens.[16]
Thai pusam is a major festival in the Murugan temples including thesix abodes inSouth India.[16] InDhandayuthapani Swamy Temple inPalani, the festival is celebrated over ten days known as Brahmotsavam.[17][18] AtSubramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur, where Murugan was supposed to have emerged victorious against the asuras, the festival attracts lakhs of pilgrims every year for the ritual procession.[19] A float festival is held every year in the temple tanks inMeenakshi Temple inMadurai andKapaleeshwarar Temple,Mylapore,Chennai.[20][21] The festival is also observed as Thaipooyam Mahotsavam inKerala.[22] In 2021, the festival was declared a public holiday in the Indian state ofTamil Nadu.[23]
While the festival originated in India, it has spread across other countries with significant Tamil diaspora.[24] It is celebrated in a much larger scale in some of the countries outside India.[1] It is celebrated inSri Lanka,[13]Myanmar,[25] and countries inSoutheast Asia notably inMalaysia,[26]Singapore,[27] andIndonesia.[28] It is also celebrated in other countries with significant people of Tamil origin likeFiji,[29]Mauritius,[30]Seychelles,[31]South Africa,[32]Canada,[13] theCaribbean countries includingTrinidad and Tobago,[13] and countries with significant Indian migrants like theUnited States.[33]
In Malaysia, the festival attracts thousands of people for the elaborate festivities atBatu Caves nearKuala Lumpur andArulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, Penang.[26][34] In Singapore, devotees start the procession atSri Srinivasa Perumal Temple carrying milk pots and kavadis with spikes pierced on their body and proceeds towardsSri Thendayuthapani Temple.[27] Thaipusam in Mauritius is celebrated with thousands of attendees taking the ritual 'Cavadee' from Kovil Montagne.[30] InSouth Africa,Thaipusam Kavady is celebrated inDurban,Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramonior Temple inCape Town and Shree Sivasubramaniar Alayam in Palm Ridge.[32] AtFiji, the festival is celebrated at Sri Siva Subrahmanya Swami Temple inNadi town and at the Sri Raj Mahamariamman Temple in Suva.[29] In Indonesia, processions areMedan andPalani Andawer Temple,Banda Aceh. At Medan, pilgrims accompany a hundred year oldchariot locally known asRadhoo toSri Mariamman Temple atKampung Madras.[28] In the US, the festival is celebrated in various Hindu temples across the country.[33]
It is a national holiday in Mauritius and a state holiday inKuala Lumpur,Johor,Negeri Sembilan,Penang,Perak,Putrajaya andSelangor in Malaysia.[35][36] It was a declared national holiday in Singapore till 1968.[37]
