Thaipusam 2027

Thaipusam is a Tamil Hindu festival honouring Murugan, the god of war and victory, held on the full moon of the Tamil month of Thai. It commemorates the moment Parvati gave Murugan the vel, the divine spear with which he defeated the demon Soorapadman, and the spear remains the festival's central symbol. Devotees prepare with weeks of fasting and abstinence before carrying a kavadi — a physical burden ranging from a pot of milk to an elaborate decorated frame borne on the shoulders — as an act of penance or thanksgiving. Some participants pierce the cheeks, tongue or back with small vel skewers and hooks. The largest observance is at Batu Caves outside Kuala Lumpur, where hundreds of thousands climb the 272 steps to the temple, and Singapore holds a long overnight procession between its two main Hindu temples. It is also marked across Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the wider Tamil diaspora. The 2027 observance falls on 22 January.

• AirportSultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport (SZB), about 15 km
• Time zoneAsia/Kuala Lumpur

• Currency: Malaysian ringgit
• Language: English, Malay
• Driving: on the left
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Phone: +60
• Emergency: 999
• Electricity: 230 V, 50 Hz, plugs C/G/M