Thaipusam
Murugan receives the vel; kavadi carried in Tamil Nadu and Malaysia.
Tamil Nadu
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 1 February 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, 23 January 2027 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, 9 February 2028 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, 30 January 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, 20 January 2030 |
| 2031 | Thursday, 6 February 2031 |
Dates are for Mumbai. A tithi that changes close to sunrise or sunset can fall a day earlier or later in another city, so for your own town open the festival in the app.
When it falls
When the Moon reaches Pushya and the Sun is in Capricorn. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
The story
On this day Parvati is said to have given her son Murugan the vel, the spear with which he defeated the demon Surapadman. The festival falls on the Pusam star in the month of Thai.
How it is kept
Devotees carry kavadi, decorated frames, on their shoulders to Murugan temples such as Palani. In Malaysia and Singapore, some pierce their skin with skewers as a vow.
Common questions
When is Thaipusam in 2027?
In 2027, Thaipusam falls on Saturday, 23 January 2027 in Mumbai. Dates for other years are in the table above.
How is the date of Thaipusam decided?
When the Moon reaches Pushya and the Sun is in Capricorn. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
How is Thaipusam kept?
Devotees carry kavadi, decorated frames, on their shoulders to Murugan temples such as Palani. In Malaysia and Singapore, some pierce their skin with skewers as a vow.
Other festivals nearby
Open the Muhurtha app to see Thaipusam for your own town, with the exact time its tithi begins and ends. How every festival is dated.
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