Thaipusam 2027: Batu Caves, Penang and Singapore

The 2027 date and what the day means

Thaipusam is held on the full-moon day of Thai, a month of the Tamil calendar, which falls in January or February. The 2027 celebration is on Friday 22 January, the date in the Hindu Endowments Board's festival calendar for Singapore.

The festival honours Lord Murugan, who overcame evil with a vel, a spear, which is why the vel appears on shrines and in the processions. Devotees who have made a vow give thanks with an offering. Singapore's National Heritage Board describes the main forms: a pal kudam, a pot of milk carried on the head, or a kavadi, an arched frame of wood or steel decorated with images of the gods and peacock feathers and usually fixed to the bearer's body with piercings, rods and chains. Many prepare by fasting for about 48 days and living austerely, and on the day each bearer walks with supporters who help them on.

Malaysia's list makes Thaipusam a holiday in some states only, so public-holiday closures depend on the state; check the list for the state you are visiting. Our Malaysia festivals and events calendar has the full year.

Batu Caves: the temple and the crowds

Batu Caves is a limestone hill just north of Kuala Lumpur with three main caves holding Hindu temples and shrines. A giant golden statue of Lord Murugan stands at the foot of 272 colourfully painted steps that climb to the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in the Temple Cave, the largest of the hill's 20 or so caves. Tourism Selangor says the site draws thousands of worshippers and tourists, especially at Thaipusam, and on the day the stairs fill with devotees carrying milk pots and kavadi.

Take the train. KTM Komuter's Batu Caves-Pulau Sebang line runs from KL Sentral to the Batu Caves stop, a walk from the main entrance. The regular KTMB timetable published through the government's open-data portal and checked on 10 November 2026 lists 29-30 minutes from KL Sentral to Batu Caves, with 24 departures on weekdays (first 07:12, last 23:22) and 18 at weekends, mostly about an hour apart. Use KTMB's festival timetable for January 2027 when it is announced, and expect very full trains on the day. Tourism Selangor warns that parking is limited and recommends public transport or an early arrival on public holidays, and it also lists bus 11 from Bangkok Bank near Central Market.

Go as early as you can, ideally on the first train, so you see the procession before the heat and the densest crowds; the Kuala Lumpur guide covers a visit on an ordinary day. Monkeys live all over the site, so keep food packed away, and do not try to climb against the flow of devotees: if the stairs are full, watch from the forecourt by the statue.

Penang: the Waterfall Hilltop Temple

Penang's Thaipusam ends at the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, known as the Waterfall Hilltop Temple, on Jalan Kebun Bunga. Penang Global Tourism describes it as one of the oldest Hindu temples in Penang, dedicated to Murugan, and the last stop for devotees in the annual procession, who climb 513 steps up the hill to reach it. Penang Global Tourism's 2026 map lists ordinary opening hours from 06:00 to 12:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00, checked on 2 November 2026.

The Waterfall Hilltop Temple is the focus of Penang's celebration. Use the temple committees' festival programme for the procession route and timings. Our Penang guide covers George Town and getting around the island, and our where-to-stay guide for Penang the areas to sleep in.

Singapore: Serangoon Road to Tank Road

Singapore's procession is one of the largest in Southeast Asia, according to the National Heritage Board. On Thaipusam morning devotees carrying milk pots and kavadi walk barefoot from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road, in Little India, to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road, about four kilometres away. The Hindu Endowments Board lists Thaipusam on Friday 22 January 2027; it is not a public holiday, so the city works around the procession.

On the day before Thaipusam, a separate procession, Punar Pusam or Chetty Pusam, carries Murugan's image in a silver chariot from Tank Road through the city to Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple on Keong Saik Road and back in the evening. Since 2016, live music has been allowed at set points along the main route, and the organising temples and the Hindu Endowments Board work with the authorities on barricades and security. The organisers' site, thaipusam.sg, publishes the routes, schedules and advisories for each year; for 2027 it said they would be posted soon.

The Heritage Board notes that visitors enjoy the festival by watching the processions and rituals from the side. Our Singapore festivals and events calendar has the year's other dates.

How to watch respectfully

Thaipusam is an act of worship, not a parade put on for spectators. Watch from the side of the route, keep the path clear for devotees and their supporters, and never step between a kavadi bearer and the people helping them. Ask before photographing anyone at close range, and do not use a flash in a devotee's face.

We advise covering your shoulders and knees, as for any temple visit, and wearing shoes you can slip off easily. Carry water and sun protection for a morning in the open, keep your belongings close in the crowd, and leave large bags at your hotel.

Where to stay and what to book

Choose one setting and spend two nights there, arriving on Thursday 21 January so you can make an early start. For Batu Caves, stay near KL Sentral: Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur's Little India, is beside the station, and our Kuala Lumpur where-to-stay guide compares the areas. For Penang, George Town is the base, and in Singapore anywhere on the MRT works, with Little India closest to the start of the route.

Plan to watch from the side of the street. Devotee participation and prayer arrangements are published separately by the organisers. Book the room near your chosen route as soon as your dates are fixed, and check the KTMB timetable and the organisers' notices in the week before. Our Malaysia transport guide covers the KLIA Ekspres and the Komuter lines.