THAIPUSAM Festival

Points to Note

• Free food and drinks will be distributed to all devotees at SSPT on the eve and actual day of Thaipusam. Annathanam will also be available on the day of the Thaipusam between 12.30pm and 3.00pm at STT.
• Devotees are encouraged to be attired appropriately. Painting of faces or bodies and wearing any form of disguise is not in keeping with Thaipusam practices.
• Anyone below the age of 16 years is only allowed to carry a Paal Kudam or a Paal Kavadi. Piercing of hooks and spikes for persons below the age of 16 years is not allowed.
• Participants carrying any form of Kavadi are requested to assemble and dismantle their Kavadis at the designated areas at SSPT and STT respectively.
• All Spike and Chariot Kavadis leaving SSPT will be tagged by temple officials and the tag must be retained until it is removed by temple officials at STT.
• Every Spike or Chariot Kavadi bearer accompanied by an entourage, shall nominate one adult (above 21 years old) from that entourage as the Kavadi Representative to act as liaison with the Temples in case of an emergency. Kavadi bearers and representatives would be required to sign an acknowledgement at the time of purchasing participation tickets. Kavadi bearers should attend at least one Thaipusam briefing organised by SSPT.
• Kavadi bearers engaging musical parties are kindly reminded that the playing of musical instruments should only be confined to within the grounds of Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Sri Thendayuthapani Temple. Special provisions have been made along the procession route for LIVE and transmitted music. There will be 2 LIVE music points with nadaswaram/thavil musicians and 1 LIVE music point with urumi melam musicians (subject to availability). In addition, along the Thaipusam procession route there will be 23 music transmission points playing Kavadi Songs. With music provided by the organisers at the two temples and all along the procession route, kavadi bearers need not engage and pay for additional musicians to accompany them on the walk.
• Devotees are requested to enter and leave SSPT for the Thaipusam procession as follows

  Service	Entering SSPT	Leaving SSPT
  Paal Kudam	08/02/2017 8.00pm onwards	09/02/2017 12.05am onwards
  Paal Kavadi	08/02/2017 8.00pm onwards	09/02/2017 12.05am onwards
  Thottil Kavadi	08/02/2017 8.00pm onwards	09/02/2017 12.05am onwards
  Ratha (Chariot) Kavadi	09/02/2017 2.00am onwards to 11.00am (Unloading at Tessensohn Road; Waiting area - Tent near Civil Services Club)	09/02/2017 3.00am to 12.00 noon
  Alagu (Spike) Kavadi – AM	09/02/2017 2.00am onwards to 11.00am (Unloading at Tessensohn Road; Waiting area - Tent near Civil Services Club)	09/02/2017 3.00am to 12.00 noon
  Alagu (Spike) Kavadi – PM	09/02/2017 9.00am to 5.00pm (through Race Course Road entrance) (This entrance closes at 5.00pm)	09/02/2017 12.00 noon to 7.00pm

• Devotees performing vows are encouraged to arrive and leave the temple by the stipulated times stated above to prevent congestion and delay to the procession. With a 24-hour period set aside for Hindu devotees to fulfill their vows, there is ample time for Thaipusam devotees to complete their various vows. All devotees, especially Kavadi bearers, must leave SSPT by 7.00pm on Thaipusam day.
• Devotees are required to clear their used prayer materials before they leave SSPT to join the procession. Likewise, devotees completing their vows at STT are requested to keep the temple premises free of litter.
• Devotees are advised not to consume alcoholic beverages and smoke during the Thaipusam procession.
• Devotees with medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or asthma and those who may have undergone treatment for heart conditions are kindly requested to refrain from strenuous kavadi penances. We kindly request you to seek the advice of your doctor on this matter.
• The organisers are working with the authorities to offer more LIVE and static music by Thaipusam 2018. We have increased static music from 9 to 23 points for Thaipusam 2017. We continue to have 3 LIVE music points in 2017. We thank participants who co-operated with us and made it possible to have more static music points in the 2017 Thaipusam. We appeal to participants to avoid playing any musical instruments along the procession route or engage musical groups to play in the procession route and to not leave Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple after 7.00pm (on 9 Feb 2017) to avoid any action to be taken by the authorities. We urge participants to comply with the above permit conditions. With your support and co-operation we can continue to enjoy more music for future Thaipusams. We appeal to you to help preserve the sanctity and decorum of the Thaipusam festival. May Lord Muruga bless one and all!

Important Note:

• Crowds build up from 8.00pm on the eve of Thaipusam to 2.00am on Thaipusam day at SSPT. Devotees are encouraged to fulfil their vows at a later time, if possible, and avoid the early morning rush.
• Ratha and Alagu Kavadi bearers are kindly requested not to secure places with their Kavadis on the gounds of SSPT the day before Thaipusam. Doing so will limit the space required by the batches of Paal Kudam devotees (mainly ladies and children) assembling at SSPT from 8.00pm on the eve of Thaipusam.
• After the first few batches of Paal Kudam devotees leave for STT from 12.05am, the organisers will carry out a quick clean-up of the grounds of SSPT. Devotees are therefore urged to be patient and follow the official announcements regarding movement in and out of SSPT.

Kavadi Bearers’ Briefing for Thaipusam 2017:

Monday, 16 January 2017 & Tuesday, 17 January 2017
7.30pm (both days)
PGP Hall, Level 2 (397 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218123)

• HEB invites all kavadi bearers and their representatives to attend one of the two briefing sessions, which aim to share the highlights of the upcoming Thaipusam Festival. With the ongoing redevelopment works at the Sri Srinivasa Temple premises, access to the Temple grounds will be restricted.
• All kavadi bearers and their representatives should be well-informed about the arrangements for Thaipusam 2017, including the unloading of the kavadis, arrival and departure times, etc.,
• It is important that kavadi bearers and their representatives attend one of the sessions to ensure that their experience of the festival is hassle-free and one that is fulfilling.
• Dinner will be provided for all at the end of the briefing session on both days.