Thaipusam, one of the important Hindu festivals celebrated by the Tamil community across the globe, was a low-key affair this year in India as the Tamil Nadu government had decided to shut the temple for devotees. Citing the threat of rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the Tamil Nadu government had declared that devotees would not be allowed to visit the Palani Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani temple from January 14-18 during the Thaipusam festival.

In Tamil Nadu, Thaipusam is celebrated at the Palani Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani temple over a period of 10 days, also known as Brahmotsavam. Providing an alternative option to the devotees, the government had said that the devotees would witness the ceremonies and rituals through the temple website or YouTube channels.

Thaipusam celebrated in Batu caves Malaysia

Thaipusam is an important festival of the Tamil community and is observed with much fanfare in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Singapore. However, in Malaysia, the Hindus were allowed to visit Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in the famous Batu Caves according to Covid protocols and some preventive measures.

According to the local reports, the devotees this morning rushed to the temple, eager to fulfill their vows and offer prayers on the occasion of Thaipusam. The authorities at the Batu Caves had issued an SOP earlier that said they would provide devotees with a duration tag and would allow them inside the temple only after scanning the temperature and oxygen level.

The authorities accordingly allowed only 500 people to the temple ground at a time to ensure physical distancing and to avoid crowding. The Selangor police chief Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed said that overall, 1,500 police personnel were involved, with the assistance of other agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department to maintain the safety and security of devotees.

Thaipusam in Singapore

The Singapore government meanwhile permitted only the vaccinated devotees to participate in any of the Thaipusam-related proceedings. It has denied permission of foot procession to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple and said that only milk-pot offerings from the temple can be used. The Hindu Endowments Board in Singapore has also banned gatherings in and around the temple and is allowing devotees with pre-book time slots to enter the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.

Thaipusam is one of the most important festivals of Lord Murugan. This festival is celebrated in the month of Poosam with the coming full moon. According to the reports, the festival is dedicated to Lord Murugan who is believed to possess the invincible spear or a Vel. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving ceremony to Lord Murugan and signifies the victory of good over evil.

Earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu government also had denied permission to devotees in temples during the Hindu festival of Pongal and had cancelled all related cultural functions and gatherings across the state. On Monday, the state recorded 23,443 new COVID-19 infections taking the state’s active caseload to 1.5 lakh. In the last two days, the number of samples tested is around 1.40 lakh while the overall positivity rate stands at 16.71 percent.

References:

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff