Little India is the centre of a large Indian community in Singapore and is one of the most colourful attractive places to visit in Singapore.Words cannot express how amazing Little India is, the food, the overall entertainment and attitude.
The town itself is breathtaking, the people are amazing and polite and always smiling. The area has many temples and market stores for attraction to tourist which are a must see. The “Thaipusam” festival was magical and I feel very honoured to have witnessed and experienced it first hand back in 2017.
What would usually be a quiet and mellow night out in Singapore, turns out to be one of the most sanguine moments of the country, and this select occurrence happens to fall on the eve of Thaipusam. To those unfamiliar, Thaipusam is a widely-celebrated festivity dedicated to Lord Subramaniam and observed by the Tamil community to celebrate the full moon on Tamil’s month of Thai. Devotees, friends and family would throng the streets and Hindu temples across Singapore to witness the annual practices and traditions of Thaipusam’s procession. Non-devotees could also be seen flocking the streets yearly to experience its beauty and culture; visitors can be seen mesmerised by the colours and aromas while others could be seen squirming or flabbergasted by the sights of kavadi preparation. As the day would come to an end for the rest of Singapore’s population, Hindu devotees would usually start to gather the night before, carrying milk pots as offerings or even attaching “kavadis” with spikes piercing through their bodies.
“To many of us outsiders, Thaipusam appears as a procession of Hindu devotees, some bearing elaborate kavadis pierced into their bodies. But it is more than that. It is the ultimate display of devotion and faith.
The festivity means more to them than just the celebration. I observed that zealous devotees have to prepare themselves physically, emotionally as well as spiritually before they can commit themselves as Kavadi-bearers.
In order to become a kavadi-bearer, volunteers must properly cleanse themselves through prayers and fasting days before the actual procession to adept themselves to undertake a pilgrimage along the route set out by the respective Hindu temples.
There were men, women, children and even older folks from various traditions can be seen soaking in the cheers of the festivity while celebrating the true meaning of Thaipusam, a true occurrence only possible in a multicultural society. As the day draws to a close, devotees and visitors would count down the days again to usher in yet another year of successful Thaipusam celebration. This is by far one of the most fascinating festival that i’ve came across.
About Jose Jeuland
Jose Jeuland is a professional Fujifilm X – photographer. Photography is one of his many passions in life – from the sprawling green fields of his native Brittany to the dense snarl of Colombo’s back alleys, Jose’s trips are never complete without his trusted camera as his companion.
Jose finds happiness in backpacking and exploring the unknown facades of new cities with his camera, as well as connecting with the locals to document different ways of living that reflects a divergence of cultures.Through the photograph he captures, Jose possesses the innate ability to bring his audience on a journey through his photographs – each frame telling an intricate story of its own. A firm believer of hard work through dedication, Jose approaches his passion for photography with the same grit – capturing life’s fleeting moments and expressions through the lens of perseverance.
In addition to being a professional photographer, Jose Jeuland is a triathlete. Jose has traversed various countries, competing in races held in demanding conditions. Jose is a French National and is married with a Singaporean wife. He is based in Singapore. [Official Website]
