As the noon sun reached its peak on Feb 1, the heat did little to deter the spirits of the more than 19,000 devotees who turned up to fulfil their vows to the Hindu deity, Lord Murugan, this Thaipusam.
A river of amber, yellow, and red hues coursed through streets between the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple at Serangoon Road and the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple at Tank Road as devotees carried paalkudams (milk pots) and kavadis – decorated wood and metal arches – along the 3.2km procession route.
Among the masses was Ms Mandy Tan, 31, a civil servant, who carried the paal kudam. It is her second time taking part in the festival, alongside her Indian husband. The pair got married in 2019.
“I’m just following my husband’s culture. I feel very accomplished after walking for so long, getting to pray at the sanctum and see the milk we carried being poured over the statue of Murugan,” she said.
They were also joined by Ms Michelle Punitha, a family friend, who walked the procession with them and another friend who carried the kavadi. The group noted that crowd control was better this year, with more checkpoints added to facilitate the flow of devotees.
At Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, Mr Yeo Shao Jie, 29, waited patiently in the aisles, his Nikon full-frame mirrorless camera in hand. As devotees brushed past him, he captured candid moments with quick, practised clicks of his camera.
“I wanted to experience something different from my own Chinese culture. I think it’s unique how we are able to experience many different cultures within Singapore,” Mr Yeo noted.
He had earlier spent six hours, from midnight to 6am, at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, as he wanted to photograph devotees carrying alagu or spike kavadis.
A total of 349 devotees registered to carry kavadis this year, with the first batch departing the temple at 3.15am. The festival will end at about 11.30pm on Feb 1.
Mr Yeo, a pharmacist, had posted his photographs of Thaipusam from previous years on his @canonink Instagram account. His wife, Ms Rachel Teng, 27, a civil servant, joined him for moral support and to soak in the festive atmosphere.
“It’s my first time here, and I think it’s very lively and fun. I’m learning a lot about Indian culture, specifically Indian culture in Singapore. It’s something everyone should experience first-hand,” Ms Teng said.
A few feet away, kavadi-carrying devotees and their families who had completed their prayers were taking respite under a designated tent. Barricaded zones allowed devotees to comfortably dismantle their kavadis without encroaching on one another’s space.
In one of the zones was Mr Derrick Teo, 50, and Mr Geajaindran Mariapan, 49, who were dismantling the latter’s kavadi together. The longtime friends had arrived at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple at 2am, and started their procession at 7am.
Mr Teo, a civil servant, carried the paalkudam and reached Sri Thendayuthapani Temple just before noon. “I joined because my friend, Indran, asked me to join,” he said.
Mr had previously taken part in Thaipusam in 2018 and observed that it was not as crowded then. He was able to secure his ticket right before registration closed on Jan 27. It later reopened from Jan 30 to 31, following feedback from devotees.
“The entire experience was fantastic. It was very spiritual, and more importantly, it made me appreciate my friendship and kinship with Indran,” Mr Teo added.
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