Tamil Calendar 2025

Thaipusam Festival Date 2025

Thaipusam, also known as Thaipoosam, is a vibrant and deeply revered Tamil Hindu festival. It takes place on the first full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai, coinciding with the auspicious Pusam star. This festive occasion holds great significance as it commemorates the triumph of the Hindu deity Murugan over the formidable demon Surapadman, accomplished through the divine spear granted by Parvati.

The festivities encompass various ritualistic practices, with one notable act being the Kavadi Aattam. This ceremonial undertaking involves devotees shouldering a physical burden as a symbolic representation of balancing their spiritual debts. Additionally, worshippers often carry a pot filled with cow milk as an offering to the divine. To demonstrate their devoutness, some individuals even engage in self-mortification by piercing their skin, tongue, or cheeks with vel skewers.

To prepare for these sacred rituals, devotees adhere to a strict regimen. They prioritize cleanliness, engage in regular prayers, follow a vegetarian diet, and abstain from worldly pleasures while observing celibacy.

Thaipusam is celebrated by Tamil communities across various parts of the world. It is observed in India, Sri Lanka, and several Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. Additionally, countries with significant populations of Tamil origin, including Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Canada, and several Caribbean nations like Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname, partake in the festivities. Furthermore, regions with substantial Indian migrant communities such as the United States and Australia also embrace this joyous occasion. Notably, Thaipusam is recognized as a public holiday in Mauritius, numerous states in Malaysia, and the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Thaipusam 2025 Date in India: 11th February, Tuesday

Thaipusam 2025 Overview

What is Thaipusam?

Thaipusam is derived from the amalgamation of two Tamil terms, namely the designation of the Tamil month known as Thai and the appellation of the celestial body denoted as Pusam.

Every year, the vibrant festival of Thaipusam takes place, joyfully commemorating the auspicious alignment of the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai with the converging star Pusam.

Thaipusam Date and Time 2025

Thaipusam, a significant religious festival celebrated by Hindus, is eagerly anticipated and is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. The auspicious Poosam Nakshathram, a celestial alignment that is believed to enhance the spiritual potency of the festival, commences at 06.01 PM on February 10, 2025 and concludes at 06.34 PM on February 11, 2025. During this sacred time, devotees will gather at temples, adorned in vibrant traditional attire, to offer prayers and seek blessings from deities. It is a time of fervent devotion and deep spiritual significance for the Hindu community.

Story Behind Thaipusam

In accordance with the Kanda Puranam, the asuras Surapadman, Tarakasuran, and Singamukhan undertook rigorous penances to appease lord Shiva. As a result, Shiva bestowed upon them various blessings that granted them dominion over the three realms and almost eternal life. Consequently, they oppressed the celestial beings, including the devas, and established a reign of oppression in their respective domains. Moved by the pleas of the devas, Shiva manifested five additional heads, and from each emerged a divine spark.

Initially, the wind god Vayu carried these sparks, but due to the unbearable heat, he relinquished them to the fire god Agni. Agni then deposited the sparks into the Ganga river. The water in the Ganga began to evaporate under the intense heat, prompting Ganga to transport the sparks to Saravana lake, where they eventually developed into a baby boy. These six boys were nurtured by the Kriththikas handmaidens, until Parvati merged them into one entity. Thus, Murugan, with his six heads, came into existence. Parvati gifted him a divine spear known as the vel.

Accompanying Murugan was Virabahu, who served as his chief commander, along with eight others who were the offspring of nine shaktis arising from the gems of Parvati’s broken anklet when she fled her seat due to the sparks’ intense heat. Teaming up with the forces of the devas, Murugan waged war against the asuras. He used his vel to split Surapadman in two, causing the halves to transform into a mango tree and later a peacock and a rooster. Murugan chose the peacock as his mount and adopted the rooster as his banner. Within Hinduism, Murugan is revered as a deity associated with yogic discipline and ascetic practices. His devotees believe that by venerating him, one can achieve spiritual liberation, known as mukti.

Celebration of Thaipusam 2025

Kavadi Aattam, a sacred ritual observed by devoted individuals, entails an act of sacrifice and offering. This practice holds great significance during Thaipusam and underscores the concept of indebtedness. The term “kavadi,” originating from Tamil, connotes a weighty burden that adherents carry. It is through the bearing of this burden that devotees beseech Murugan for assistance, often on behalf of loved ones in need of healing or to restore spiritual equilibrium.

As an offering, worshipers may present a pot of cow milk, accompanied by a form of self-mortification involving the piercing of the skin, tongue, or cheeks using vel skewers. It is important to note that due to legal prohibitions on public self-mutilation in India, these practices are constrained.

To enter a trance-like state, individuals engage in drumming and chanting verses, while Vibuthi, a sacred ash, is applied to their bodies, including the pierced areas. Devotees diligently prepare for these rituals by maintaining cleanliness, engaging in regular prayers, adhering to a vegetarian diet, and observing fasting and celibacy. With bare feet, they embark on a pilgrimage, dancing along the route while bearing their burdens.