Thaipusam 2027 (Thai Poosam): Date, Pusam Nakshatra Times for Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius and Fiji, Kavadi and Story

Quick answer: Thaipusam 2027 is on Friday 22 January 2027. Drik Panchang marks Thai Pusam on that day for Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Chennai, Port Louis (Mauritius), Suva (Fiji) and Durban. In Malaysia and Singapore the Pusam (Pushya) nakshatra runs from 12:54 PM on Friday 22 January to 10:01 AM on Saturday 23 January, and the full moon (Purnima) tithi ends at 8:16 PM on the Friday. The 2027 procession routes and timings have not yet been officially announced.

Last updated: 21 October 2026. This page earlier described Thaipusam without a date. We have rewritten it in place for 2027 with the date and nakshatra times from Drik Panchang, local times for the main diaspora cities, what is and is not confirmed for the processions, and a health note for kavadi bearers.

Thaipusam 2027 date and Pusam nakshatra time (Thaipusam 2027 kab hai, Thai Poosam 2027 tedi)

The start of Pusam and the end of Purnima come from Drik Panchang's day panchang for Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Chennai. The end of Pusam and the start of Purnima are from our ephemeris calculator, which agrees with Drik to within a minute or two wherever we checked.

Also read in our January-March 2027 festival series: Makar Sankranti 2027, Mauni Amavasya 2027, Vasant Panchami 2027, Ratha Saptami 2027, Maha Shivaratri 2027.

Thaipusam 2027 times by city: Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius and Fiji

All times are local clock time. Drik Panchang lists Thai Pusam on Friday 22 January for every city marked "Drik"; the other rows are our calculation.

In Fiji, Pusam begins only in the afternoon of Friday 22 January, but Drik Panchang still lists Thai Pusam on the Friday for Suva. If your temple announces a different day for the kavadi, follow the temple. Do not convert India's times into your own time zone; use the row for your city.

Batu Caves, Penang, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius and Fiji: what is confirmed for 2027

Thaipusam processions need police, traffic and temple arrangements that are announced only a few weeks before the festival. As of 21 October 2026 we have found no official 2027 announcement of routes or timings, so every route below is marked to be confirmed. We will update this table when the temples or authorities publish their notices.

Batu Caves is the best-known Thaipusam site outside India: devotees climb the 272 steps to the cave temple of Murugan, and a giant golden statue of Murugan stands at the foot of the hill. Expect very large crowds, road closures and limited parking; plan to use public transport. For background on each community, see our guides to Hindus in Malaysia, Hindus in Singapore and Hindus in South Africa.

What Thaipusam celebrates: the vel of Murugan (our summary of the story)

Thaipusam honours Murugan, also called Kartikeya, Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha and Dandayudhapani, the son of Shiva and Parvati. In the telling most often heard in Tamil temples, Parvati gave her son the vel, the sacred spear, so that he could defeat the demon Surapadman and his brothers, who were tormenting the gods. Thaipusam, on the full moon of Thai, remembers that gift of divine power, and the vel itself is worshipped as Murugan's presence.

Traditions differ. Some temples tell Thaipusam as the day the vel was given, others link it with Murugan's victory or with a festival of his particular shrine. At Palani in Tamil Nadu, where Murugan stands as Dandayudhapani, the young renunciant with a staff, Thaipusam is the largest festival of the year. An older story, told in our earlier version of this page, links the day with the river Kaveri being blessed. These are our own summaries of traditional tellings; your family or temple may tell them differently.

The kavadi has its own story. The demon-devotee Idumban was asked by the sage Agastya to carry two hills to the south on a pole across his shoulders. At Palani the load would not move, because the boy Murugan was standing on one of the hills. After a contest Murugan accepted Idumban as his devotee and blessed anyone who came to him carrying a burden on a pole in the same way. The kavadi, a burden carried for the god, comes from this story.

Kavadi, paal kudam and vows (Thaipusam kavadi attam)

• Vow period: many devotees keep a period of prayer, vegetarian food and simple living before Thaipusam, often several weeks. The length varies by family and temple.
• Paal kudam: a pot of milk carried on the head and offered for Murugan's abhishekam. This is the most common offering, and children and elders often carry small pots.
• Kavadi: a decorated frame, often an arch with peacock feathers and flowers, carried on the shoulders to the temple to the sound of drums and the chant "Vel Vel Muruga" or "Vetrivel Muruganukku Arohara".
• Piercing: some devotees take a vow of piercing with small vels, under the supervision of experienced temple elders. It is a personal vow, never an obligation, and many choose a milk pot or a prayer instead.
• Shaving the head and fruit offerings: some devotees offer their hair or bring fruit, especially in yellow and orange, the colours associated with Murugan.

Health and safety note: Thaipusam often means fasting, heat, long walks and crowds. Anyone pregnant, elderly, diabetic, with a heart, blood-pressure or knee problem, or on regular medication should ask a doctor before fasting, climbing the Batu Caves steps or carrying a kavadi. Drink water, protect your head from the sun, keep children close, and follow police and temple crowd instructions. A piercing vow needs clean equipment and proper aftercare; see a doctor at once if a wound becomes red, hot or swollen. A simple prayer or a milk offering honours Murugan just as well.

How to keep Thaipusam at home or at a diaspora temple

1. Bathe early and wear clean clothes, yellow or orange if you like.
2. Place a picture of Murugan or a small vel, light a lamp and offer flowers.
3. Offer milk, fruit, panchamritam or a simple sweet as naivedyam.
4. Chant "Om Saravanabhavaya Namah" 108 times, or recite the Kanda Shashti Kavacham or the Subrahmanya Bhujangam if your family does.
5. If you can, visit a Murugan temple; if not, join an online darshan streamed by a temple you know.
6. Share food with family and anyone in need, and end the day with aarti.

In the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, Murugan temples often hold kavadi, milk-pot processions and abhishekam on the weekend nearest the festival. Friday 22 January 2027 is a working day in most countries, so a short evening puja on the day and a temple visit on the weekend is a practical plan. Check your temple's announcements.

A verse from the Subrahmanya Bhujangam

Adi Shankaracharya's Subrahmanya Bhujangam is widely recited on Murugan festivals. Its third verse, from the text published by sanskritdocuments.org:

मयूराधिरूढं महावाक्यगूढं
मनोहारिदेहं महच्चित्तगेहम् ।
महीदेवदेवं महावेदभावं
महादेवबालं भजे लोकपालम् ॥ ३॥

mayūrādhirūḍhaṃ mahāvākyagūḍhaṃ
manohāridehaṃ mahaccittageham |
mahīdevadevaṃ mahāvedabhāvaṃ
mahādevabālaṃ bhaje lokapālam || 3||

Meaning: I worship the protector of the worlds, the child of Mahadeva, who rides the peacock, who is the hidden meaning of the great Vedic sayings, whose form enchants the mind, who dwells in the hearts of great souls, the god revered by the wise, the very spirit of the Vedas.

Murugan and festival days, January to March 2027

Thaipusam 2027: frequently asked questions

When is Thaipusam 2027?

Thaipusam 2027 is on Friday 22 January 2027. Drik Panchang marks Thai Pusam on that day for Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Chennai, Port Louis in Mauritius, Suva in Fiji and Durban. It falls in the Tamil month of Thai, on the day of the Pusam (Pushya) nakshatra, close to the full moon.

What time is Pusam nakshatra on Thaipusam 2027?

In Malaysia and Singapore, Drik Panchang gives Punarvasu until 12:54 PM on Friday 22 January, after which Pusam (Pushya) begins. By our calculation, which matches Drik where we checked, Pusam ends at 10:01 AM on Saturday 23 January. In India it runs from 10:24 AM on 22 January to 7:31 AM on 23 January IST.

Is Thaipusam 2027 a public holiday?

Thaipusam is a public holiday in several Malaysian states and federal territories, and Thaipoosam Cavadee is a public holiday in Mauritius. It is not a public holiday in Singapore. Each government confirms its official 2027 dates, so check the published holiday list before you book leave.

Has the 2027 Batu Caves chariot route been announced?

Not yet. As of 21 October 2026 we have not seen an official 2027 announcement of the chariot route or timings for Batu Caves, Penang, Singapore, Durban, Mauritius or Fiji, so we mark them as to be confirmed. Follow the temple's own notices and local authority traffic advisories nearer the date.

Is Thaipusam celebrated on the same day in North America and Europe?

By our calculation, yes. Pusam runs from 11:54 PM on Thursday 21 January to 9:01 PM on Friday 22 January in New York and Toronto, and from 4:54 AM on Friday to 2:01 AM on Saturday in London, so Friday 22 January is the day. Many diaspora temples hold the main kavadi or abhishekam on the nearest weekend; follow your temple.

Do I have to carry a kavadi or have a piercing?

No. Many devotees offer a pot of milk (paal kudam), fruit, a prayer or a fast instead. Piercing is a personal vow that some devotees take under the guidance of temple elders; it is never required. Anyone with a medical condition should speak to a doctor before fasting, climbing or taking any physical vow.

Editor's note

Editor's note (21 October 2026): We have rewritten this page in place for Thaipusam 2027. The date, the start of Pusam nakshatra, the end of Purnima and sunrise come from Drik Panchang's day panchang for Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Chennai, Port Louis, Suva and Durban. The end of Pusam, the start of Purnima and the other cities are from our ephemeris calculator, which agrees with Drik to within a minute or two. We have not found official 2027 procession routes, so they are marked to be confirmed; public-holiday status is described in general terms and must be checked against each government's 2027 list. The Sanskrit verse is reproduced from sanskritdocuments.org. Stories are our own summaries of traditional tellings, and customs vary by family and temple.

Related guides

• Skanda Sashti 2026 in Singapore and Malaysia
• Skanda Sashti 2026 and Soora Samharam
• Subrahmanya Shashti 2026
• Thiruthani Murugan Temple
• Swamimalai Murugan Temple
• Pazhamudhircholai Murugan Temple
• Hindus in Malaysia: Batu Caves and the Tamil community