Last calendar week I had the good fortune to witness a 24-hour interval that will stay amongst me for a rattling long time. I was able to picket the Thaipusam festival hither inwards Singapore. I really am non inwards a position to endure able to bring precisely how of import Thaipusam is to those who accept purpose or fully explicate what is involved for those devotees. I will, however, describe what I saw hap on that 24-hour interval together with promise this conveys around of the experience to those who create got non seen it for themselves.
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival, celebrated mainly past times the Tamil community, which is held annually inwards award of the Hindu God Subramaniam (Lord Murugan). The 24-hour interval is observed equally 1 of prayers together with thanksgiving for wishes that create got been granted. The ceremony involves the devotees who are giving cheers carrying either milkpots, wooden kavadis or the spiked kavadis (as inwards around of the photos here). The spiked ones are attached to the devotees peel past times agency of hooks together with skewers. The first flick below too shows a devotee who had hooks attached to him amongst limes hooked on to them. The procession begins early on inwards the morning time together with continues throughout the 24-hour interval into the evening.
I really did non know what to aspect from the 24-hour interval but I arrived early on together with ended upward staying until slowly afternoon. As the 24-hour interval progressed I had a definite feeling of wanting to witness equally much equally I could of the events. The procession inwards Singapore began at Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple on Serangoon Road inwards Little Bharat together with ended at the Chettiar Hindu temple on Tank Road. The devotees carrying their kavadis for 4.5 km which is a long agency inwards this oestrus when y'all consider what they were carrying, which I create non imagine existence light.
As I said non knowing what to aspect or indeed precisely how the 24-hour interval panned out I started watching them at the betoken that they left the temple on Serangoon Road and began their walk. It presently became apparent though that we, despite non existence involved inwards the festival, were costless to walk the length of the road amongst the devotees if nosotros wanted to. So I did just that. Those who are carrying the kavadis are joined past times many others taking part who are simply walking the route, or singing, chanting, offering upward prayers and I approximate encouraging together with supporting those carrying the kavadis to maintain going. It did experience initially similar I was intruding but as the morning time progressed it seemed that those that were taking purpose welcomed the attending together with involvement from locals together with tourists alike together with were happy for photos to endure taken together with for y'all to bring together them.
Along the route there were numerous nutrient together with drinkable points which 1 time again I assumed were just for those taking part. I'm still not certain if they really were or non but I was kindly given a bowl of delicious rice together with something to drink. It was a rattling hot 24-hour interval together with I was glad of it together with thence I really admire those taking purpose inwards the festival.
We eventually arrived at the cease of the walk together with at the other temple, 1 time again I assumed that nosotros would endure unable to larn whatsoever further. I was incorrect though equally nosotros were all welcomed into the temple to meet the terminal purpose of the ceremony together with the removal of the kavadis. Again at that topographic point were no restrictions on the taking of photos or on where nosotros could larn inside the temple. As those who had walked the road arrived to laissez passer on cheers together with offering prayers we, equally onlookers, were welcomed inwards together with given the chance to witness this wonderful finale.
It genuinely was a memorable day. I never could create got imagined I'd pass well-nigh of the 24-hour interval there, that we'd endure made together with thence welcome together with that I'd exit feeling that I had been witness to something rattling particular that 24-hour interval inwards Singapore.
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| Leaving the Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple |
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| Arrival at the Chettiar Hindu temple having completed the walk |
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| The kavadis had just been removed together with at that topographic point is barely a grade on him! |