The Thaipusam 2018 procession started at 9.30pm on Tuesday, with a turnout of about 40,000 people including tourists.
“It’s very heartwarming to see all types of people come together for this celebration,” Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple chairman K Vellayapan told local paper Straits Times.
Devotees walked from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, which is 4km away. Starting 2am on Wednesday, bearers of kavadis started their walk along the same route. There were about 250 kavadi bearers and 10,000 devotees holding milk pots.
The celebrations were organised by the Hindu Endowments Board and the two temples.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wished all devotees a fulfilling Thaipusam in a post on Facebook, "Singaporeans are familiar with devotees carrying milk pots or kavadis in procession, from temples in Serangoon Road to Tank Road. I wish all devotees and celebrants a fulfilling and meaningful Thaipusam."
With the lunar eclipse taking place from 6.51pm to 11.11pm on Wednesday, the procession, which usually lasts 24 hours, has been cut short because Hindu temples close when it gets dark. According to the Hindu Endowments Board, "during an eclipse, light and energy from the sun or moon are blocked and cannot reach the earth. Eclipses are therefore considered inauspicious and Hindu temples are closed."
Thaipusam or Thaipoosam is celebrated by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community.
