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Lord Murugan’s Birthday: Joy and Self-Flagellation on the Streets of Singapore
You don’t expect to see acts of self-flagellation and ecstatic dancing in Singapore at six o’clock in the morning in the main thoroughfares of the city. Yet for a whole day following the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai, thousands of Hindus engage in precisely such acts when they take to the streets to celebrate the birth of Lord Murugan, the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, in Thaipusam, a festival both joyous and gruesome.
Many of those taking part in the procession bear kavadi, a tall metal framework colourfully decorated with peacock feathers and symbols of Lord Murugan and other deities and attached to the body of the bearer by a painful-looking array of hooks and spikes. In addition, many devotees spear their cheeks with long, shiny steel rods and pierce their chests and backs with hook-like needles. Others walk on shoes of nails. Many, it is true, merely wear track suits and jogging shoes, and merely carry a pail of milk and some fruit as offerings. Even so, the sight of members of Singapore’s prosperous, middle-class Indian community engaging in such rites seems rather anomalous.
There appears to be little blood and even less pain. On occasion, a bearer will appear to be overcome for a brief period, but his friends will exhort him with song and prayer. “Listen to the music! Listen to the music!” an old man shouts at a younger relative who sags in front of the door of the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, dedicated to the Hindu Goddess, Kali, the consort of Shiva. Looking in through the doors at the jet black statue of Kali, with her son Murugan by her side, the young man’s eyes brighten. He even manages to break into an ecstatic jig, an offering to the goddess, before continuing on his way. His friends dash coconuts onto the ground: the coconut is the purest form of offering, for the sweet, nectar-like water that it holds is fresh and untouched by the human hand.
Medical experts and anthropologists from around the world continue to speculate on the nature of this demonstration of human will, of mind over matter. Some have speculated that the white ash smeared on the body, the juice squeezed from the yellow lime fruit or the milk poured on the pierced areas may help to numb the skin. For the devotees, there is a simpler explanation. In preparation for the festival, the devotees fast, meditate and pray in preparation for up to a month beforehand. “The belief in Lord Murugan is what prevents the pain and the bleeding,” says Krishna Vadyar, a priest at the temple where the devotees congregate.
Appropriately, the story of Murugan represents the ascendancy of divine power over the uncontrolled ego. According to legend, Shiva granted an earthly worshipper a boon. The devotee asked for powers that would allow him to control the earth. Shiva granted him these powers, which, predictably, went to his head. He became a tyrannical and bloody dictator whom no-one could unseat. While Shiva could not retract his boon, he created a new god, Murugan, whose name signifies youth and justice. Murugan couldn’t destroy the devotee, but he subdued him, transforming him into the peacock which serves as his mount. Thus, humanity’s ambition and pride are not destroyed, but are made to serve the divine purpose.
The worship of Lord Murugan as the Supreme Being is particularly prevalent amongst those of Tamil descent, who make up the vast majority of Singapore’s and Malaysia’s Hindus. Oddly, while the Thaipusam Festival is celebrated on a grand scale in both these countries, it is now officially banned in its country of origin, India. As a result, large numbers of devotees from India travel to Singapore and Malaysia to participate. While most of the participants are Hindu and of Indian descent, it is notable that there are always a few from Singapore’s other ethnic groups. It is by no means unheard of for a Singaporean of Chinese descent to bear a kavadi, just as they occasionally pray in the Hindu temples. The Chinese are practical people, and there is no telling whose gods may be the most efficacious.
In Singapore, the Festival begins on the day before Thaipusam at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, where a statue of Lord Murugan is decorated with jewels and finery and, together with his two consorts, Valli and Devayani, is placed on a chariot and paraded throughout the streets. Throughout the day, kavadi bearers and their supporters will be preparing themselves at the festival. On the day of the festival, participants will make their way from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road, past the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, also in Serangoon Road, and ending up at Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, where they render up their offerings.
Other Hindu Festivals
While Thaipusam is the most dramatic of the Hindu festivals celebrated in Singapore, it is certainly not the only one. Most of the Hindu holy days are celebrated here, either as family holidays or as major communal events. When these holidays are celebrated communally, most of the activity centres around the temples mentioned above, spilling over into the loosely defined area known as Little India, the centre of which is Serangoon Road and the streets surrounding it.
Deepavali (Festival of Lights)
The Festivals of Lights or Deepavali is celebrated by Hindus throughout the world, including both North and South Indians. In Singapore, Little India is transformed for the whole month, with colourful arches, lights, bazaars and cultural performances along Serangoon Road.
Tamil New Year
Puthandu, or Tamil New Year, takes place in the month of Chittirai (April). It is celebrated by Tamils all over the world as the day when Lord Brahman created the universe. This holiday is mainly a family event, although Little India will be a hive of activity for several weeks beforehand, with clothing shops particularly busy and offering large discounts to attract custom.
Pongal (Harvest Festival)
Pongal is traditional Indian harvest festival. It originated in South India as a festival to celebrate a bountiful harvest. In Singapore, this festival is celebrated at the beginning of the auspicious month of Thai. For four days, Hindu temples throughout Singapore are hives of activity, with the rhythmic sounds of drums, clarinets and conch shells as Hindus celebrate Pongal festival.
Navarathiri (Nine Nights Festival)
Navarathiri (which means “nine nights” in Tamil) is held in honour of the Mother Goddess, Rajarajeshwari, who manifests herself in the form of various Goddesses; Sri Durga (representing power), Sri Lakshmi (representing wealth) and Sri Saraswathy (representing knowledge). For nine consecutive nights, the temples in Singapore are filled with the exotic sounds of Indian music, songs and dances in honour of Goddess Rajarajeshwari. The nine nights festival is divided into three segments of three nights, each dedicated to one of the various manifestations of the Mother Goddess.
Theemidhi (Fire Walking Festival)
Theemidhi, or the Fire Walking Ceremony, honours the Goddess Draupadi, heroine of the epic poem Mahabarata, which is also extremely popular with Indonesian audiences through the wayang. When her chastity was called into question, she proved her innocence and fidelity by walking barefoot over hot coals. Every year, Theemidhi is celebrated in October or November. On the day, the ceremony starts at 1.00am at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, where the devotees take ritual baths before setting off on a four kilometre walk to the Sri Mariamman Temple. The highlight of the ceremony is the walk devotees make across a pit of fire.
Vaikunda Ekadesi
The festival is observed in the month of Maargazhi (Dec-Jan). Devotees participate in group singing (kirthans or bhajans), chant Lord Vishnu’s various names, engage in meditation and visit temples. A sanctified gateway in the temple (sorka-vaasal or Vaikunda dwaaram) is thrown open on this day and devotees pass through this symbolic gate of Heaven or Vaikunda, the abode of Lord Vishnu. Vaikunda Ekadesi is one of the major festivals of the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple.