Thaipusam Festival: History, Significance and Celebrations Around the World
Last updated on January 30th, 2024 at 04:14 pm
What is Thaipusam celebrated for? What is the story of Thaipusam? Let’s find out in this article on the history and significance of this festival and take a sneak peek at the Thaipusam celebrations around the world.
What is Thaipusam?
Thaipusam (where Thai is the name of a Tamil month and Pusam is the name of a star), also spelt as Thaipoosam, is a Tamil Hindu festivity celebrated on the first full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai that coincides with the Pusam star. Tamil Hindus in India, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, United States and South East Asia celebrate this festival.
History of Thaipusam
As per Kanda Puranam, asuras named Surapadman, Tarakasuran and Singamukhan pleased Lord Shiva, who granted them boons, giving them the ability to conquer three worlds. After being granted such powers, they started causing trouble to the devas and other beings. Devas requested Lord Shiva to help them. Lord Shiva transformed himself into a 5-headed being and from each head emerged a divine spark.
First, Vayu carried these sparks and then Agni carried them and deposited them into river Ganga. Due to the heat of these sparks, water from river Ganga evaporated and Ganga took the sparks to lake Saravana where the sparks transformed into a baby boy. Thus, Murugan was born. Goddess Parvati granted him a divine spear called vel. Thaipusam marks the victory of Murugan over the asura Surapadman. Murugan used the vel granted to him by Parvati, to defeat the demon Surapadman.
Story of Thaipusam
Legend has it that Lord Subramaniam appeared before his devotees on the day of Thaipusam. It is the day when Subramaniam defeated the evil forces. It is believed that when the Gods pleaded Lord Shiva to save them from the asuras, Lord Shiva sent his son Subramaniam to defeat the demons. He returned victorious seated on a chariot, with a golden spear in his hand and adorned with jewels. This legend has given rise to the practice of carrying out a procession on Thaipusam day, of Lord Subramaniam’s image decorated and placed in a silver chariot.
There’s another legend that states that Skanda (also known as Muruga, Kumara, Kartikeya or Subrahmanya) was granted a spear by Goddess Parvati. Muruga went on fighting for establishing justice. In his pursuit for eradicating injustice, he killed several beings, and eventually realized that justice is not always absolute, and that he had been fighting for an elusive goal. On realizing this, he went up a mountain (now called Kumara Parvat) and left his body. It is said that Skanda was successful because he got his weapon on the day of Thaipusam. Devotees accept his greatness for his realization; so, he is accepted as great not for his victories, but for his realization of the reality.
Thaipusam Celebrations
The practice of Kavadi Aattam is integral to the celebration of Thaipusam. It is an act of sacrifice, in which Kavadi (which means burden in Tamil) is carried by devotees to seek the blessings of Murugan. Devotees carry a pot of cow milk as the Kavadi or carry out skin/flesh piercing on their body using vel skewers. They practice the chanting of prayers accompanied by drum beats. Vibhuti (or holy ash) is spread on the body and on the piercing sites. Devotees go on a pilgrimage barefoot or dance on the way while carrying the burdens.
The kavadi consists of a wooden pole with a wooden arch decorated using peacock feathers and margosa leaves. Traditionally skewers are pierced through the tongue, cheeks and bodies of those who carry the kavadi. Women carry vessels containing fruits, flowers and milk.
Thaipusam Celebrations in Singapore
In Singapore, kavadi bearers walk from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Tank Road. The kavadi bearers, with their friends and relatives gather at the temple in the morning and begin their 3-4 kms procession that culminates at the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple (also called Murugan Temple). Kavadi bearers start early in the morning chanting ‘vel vel kavadi’.
Thaipusam Celebrations in Malaysia
Thaipusam is a public holiday in Malaysia. Devotees wear orange or yellow-coloured clothes and join the procession that starts at about 4 am from Sri Mahamariamman in Chinatown. They carry a Kavadi up the 272 steps of Batu Caves.
At Batu Caves, thousands of locals and foreigners gather for Thaipusam. For them, it is a day of giving thanks and of endurance and penance. Some carry decorated kavadis while some carry small milk pots, they have body piercings as a symbol of sacrifice and walk for miles in a state of trance.
Thaipusam Celebrations in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, Thaipusam is celebrated at the Kataragama shrine in Southern Sri Lanka. Devotees pierce their tongues, cheeks and skin and dance carrying a kavadi. They express gratitude towards the God for banishing the evil.
Thaipusam Celebrations in Mauritius
The Tamil community in Mauritius celebrates this festival by the name of Thaipoosam Cavadee to pay tribute to Lord Muruga (the god of war). Devotees fast for 10 days preceding the festival and on the day of celebration, they pray at the temple and go to a local river for cleansing rituals. They take the vow of silence, to fulfil which, they get their tongues and cheeks pierced with vels. After performing the rituals, devotees start walking barefoot towards the nearest Kovil (Hindu temple) with two pots of milk on two sides of a cavadee, which symbolizes a burden carried for repentance. At the temple, they worship and pray to Lord Muruga and have the prasadam.
Thaipusam Celebrations in India
In India, people walk hundreds of miles to the Murugan temple on Palani Hill in Tamil Nadu.
Thaipusam at Isha Yoga Center
Thaipusam, also known as “Dhanya Purnima,” marks a significant day for siddhas, seers and Yogis to attain their ultimate nature. In 2010, on this auspicious occasion, Sadhguru chose Thaipusam for the prana pratishtha of Devi Linga Bhairavi at Isha Yoga Center, Tamilnadu.
Initiated 21 days before Thaipusam, men and women are initiated into powerful Devi Sadhana. This transformative practice involves rituals and guidance, fostering a deep connection with Linga Bhairavi Devi. Thaipusam marks the completion of Bhairavi Sadhana for women, concluding with a grain offering and Devi darshan.
Thaipusam Rituals
Thaipusam practices of piercing the body, fasting and following a strict diet before the festival, carrying a kavadi and walking barefoot for a long distance, are much the same across different parts of the world.
People participate in Thaipusam for different reasons. Some take part in the festival to express gratitude for the good in their lives, some ask for a wish to be granted, while some others wish to get rid of their sins through penance.
Weeks before the actual festival, devotees follow a strict vegetarian diet, abstain from alcohol, fast, meditate and observe celibacy. These practices help them reach a state of trance where they feel no pain despite carrying heavy loads, having multiple piercings on their body and walking barefoot for long hours.
Some other Thaipusam traditions and practices include wearing yellow clothes and breaking of coconuts. The colour yellow is believed to be the favourite colour of Lord Murugan and is also symbolic of new beginnings and peace. Hence devotees are clad in yellow on Thaipusam. Breaking of coconuts signifies the surrendering of one’s ego at the feet of God.
Thus, we can see that Thaipusam is a festival of inflicting pain upon self as an act of penance, giving thanks to the Almighty and seeking God’s blessings for attaining joy and peace. This Tamil festival is also about denouncing worldly pleasures with the goal to achieve dissolution of self, through devotion.