Date : 31 January 2010
The Straits Times - 9,000 take part in Thaipusam procession
31 January 2010
The usually quiet Penang Lane next to Park Mall came alive yesterday as thousands of people poured onto the street to celebrate the annual Thaipusam festival.
The stretch was part of a 4km walk - beginning in Serangoon Road and ending in Tank Road - that Hindus here took to show their devotion to Lord Murugan, an important Hindu god.
Most carried milk pots along the way; others fixed heavy, spiked kavadis onto their bodies to express their faith.
Organisers from the Sri Srinivas Perumal Temple in Serangoon and the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple near UE Square said more than 9,000 devotees took part in the procession - possibly the largest turnout in recent years.
Onlookers numbered roughly 50,000 at the weekend.
Thaipusam is an occasion for Hindus to give thanks for their blessings.
Volunteers from other religious and secular groups helped to distribute food and drinks to the walkers.
Last Friday, a decorated chariot carrying an idol of Lord Murugan was taken through the Central Business District.
Yen Feng
(With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com)
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Lianhe Zaobao - 万人参加大宝森节游行
31 January 2010
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(With thanks to SPH - Lianhe Zaobao.com)
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The Straits Times - Keeping up a 30-year ritual
28 January 2010
Carrying the spiked kavadi during Thaipusam has been an annual practice for Mr Devendran Balasubramaniam for 31 years.
The 46-year-old civil servant, who first took part at 13 by carrying a kavadi of milk pots, will be back for the Hindu ritual on Saturday.
During the festival, devotees gather to make offerings to Lord Murugan. They fulfil their vows by carrying kavadis along a 4km journey. A kavadi can be as simple as a pot of milk or an intricate metal structure pierced into the body.
The journey will start at midnight on Thaipusam from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and end at the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.
(With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com)
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.