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Thaipusam 2012 Singapore Part 2 – The Walk to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

The next leg of my Thaipusam visit was the 4.5km walk from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road to the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road. This little over 1 hour walk took me from Serangoon Road to Selegie Road and Prinsep Street then a right turn to Penang Road and a left turn into Clemenceau Avenue before reaching Tank Road.

The walk for the devotees starts with crossing to the opposite side of temple on Serangoon Road. There were traffic police on hand to stop the oncoming traffic to allow the devotees to cross. I could join them but I decided to cross at the next traffic crossing

This passes the old New World Amusement Park which was one of the “World” which offers nightly fun and games for the people from the 1920s to the 1960s. It was redeveloped as City Square Mall as a eco-friendly shopping complex and residential hub

The famous Mustafa Centre at Syed Alwi Road. This is probably the largest department store and supermarket in Singapore which if I am not wrong is housed over 4 buildings. The department store operates 24 hours.

The procession continues passed Hindoo Street across from Broadway Hotel

Opposite the housing estate at Klang Lane

Opposite the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

Spectators taking photos of the oncoming devotees

The Jungle Tandoor Restaurant

The 3 Maidens of The Jungle Tandoor

Spectators waiting at the temporary fence after Upper Dickson Road

Opposite the Tekka Centre

Outside of The Verge Shopping Mall which is across the Tekka Centre

At the end of Serangoon Road and now waiting at the traffic light crossing into Selegie Road

Opposite Selegie Complex

Crossing Peace Centre at Prinsep Street

Outside Parklane Shopping Centre

Just pass PoMo Mall

Taking a rest and a drink opposite the School of The Arts (SOTA)

Doing a diagonal crossing from Rendezvous Hotel into Orchard Road

An ambulance standing by

Crossing the red carpet opposite The Cathay.

Opposite the Orchard Road Presbyterian Church

Crossing Park Mall at Penang Road

This man was actually be tugged by the hooks on his back while being pulled by someone and pulling the statue of the deity.

This devotee was walking on shoes made of nails

Into Clemenceau Avenue after the House of Tan Yeok Nee which is currently occupied by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and was previously the home of the Salvation Army between 1938 to 1991. The Istana Park is all the way at the back.

This devotee was asking for water but told that he needed to dance first which he did but in the end, he never got his water

The procession passes the Church of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic Church at Tank Road

The Teochew Building home to the Ngee Ann Kongsi and the former premises of the Tuan Mong High School

Queuing up to enter the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

Devotees entering the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

This is the end of my journey as only devotees can enter this temple and besides it would have been really crowded.

Since last year with the enforcement of the No Drums regulations, the Thaipasum walk seems dull compared to previous years.

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Thaipusam 2012 Singapore Part 1 – Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

The last time I visited Thaipusam was back in 1999 and have not been since that time until today. There was an earlier blog on my 1999 visit if you are interested. In 1999, I only taken photos within the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road as the roads were really crowded with devotees making the 4.5km walk to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road. This year I thought I do the whole deal, without the kavadis, milk pots and piercings of course.

Since the partial road closures and the bus diversions, I decided to hop on the MRT for the first time this year. I actually vow not to talk the MRT because of the constant delays and system failures of late. Anyways, since that was my only option, I went on the train and it was actually quite empty at 7:30am and had a seat to my ride to Farrer Park MRT Station, the closest MRT station to the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road. The procession actually started at 12:05am in the wee hours of February 7 2012 but there was no way I would be there at that time and my camera wasn’t really apt for night photography. Morning was a good option and the weather was bright but it wasn’t exceptionally hot today.

The police cornered off one lane of the road for the devotees and spectators to walk the path.

There were already devotees who made the walk when I was there at about 8am

The girls were milk pots on their heads while making the 4.5km walk barefooted to the temple in Tank Road

Just in time also to catch the carrying of the shrine of the god to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

When I was entering, there was a devotee carrying the kavadis to make the long walk. Barefooted I entered the temple.

A Devotee making his offerings to the god Murugan

There were chanting and dancing within the temple

This devotee was getting mini milk pots hooked on to his body

A devotee getting his kavadi secured

I saw this one legged man who was getting his body pierced and subsequently making the walk on one leg and crutches

Offerings to the god Murugun

The piercing does enter the flesh but there is no bleeding

This devotee has his tongue, cheeks and body pierced

On the ceiling in the temple is this motif which looks almost like the horoscope we know today

Musicians in the temple

In the midst of all the chanting and loud music, there was a little baby girl who fell sound asleep

A devotee getting his cheeks pierced

Free vegetarian food and drinks were being served to the devotees and visitors to the temple on Thaipasum

Joining the devotees, I made the 4.5km walk to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road

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Thaipasum Festival in 1999 (Explicit Body Piercing) Singapore

I just realized that the Thaipusam Festival would be held on January 7th 2012 in Singapore and while looking back at my old photos I’ve taken in 1999, I am certainly planning to go back to refresh the photos I’ve taken and get immersed in the festivities.

The Thaipusam Festival is a Hindu Festival where devotees would seek blessings, fulfill votes or offer thanks to Lord Murugan, the god of  virtue, youth and power and the destroyer of evil. In the procession, they were carry milk pots, have their body pierced and carry the wooden spiked Kavadis on their shoulders and in Singapore, walk the 4.5km from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple along Serangoon Road to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road barefooted.

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

Devotee preparing to put on his Kavadi

Metal hooks are embedded into the skin of devotee

Cheeks Pierced and Kavadi placed on

Offerings to the god

Female devotees do not carry the kavadis or do any body piercing but carry the milk pot while they make their journey

Piercing of the cheeks

The devotees are in a trance-like state and do not feel the pain or bleed during the piercings and from what I was told, they do not have any scaring when the pierces are removed

Seeking blessings before the piercings

Pouring Milk into the Milk Pot

A Man in Trance

Roti Prata being cooked

I did not walk with the devotees to the temple in tank road. Even with shoes, it was already too hot as it is and there was a very big crowd throughout the way.

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