[music]
In honor of the devotees and their faith during Thaipusam
Some scenes may be unsettling
Hello, I'm Renata.
I'm traveling around Southeast Asia in the next few months with my husband.
We're in Singapore.
And in the previous video, I just shared a lot of information
that will help you if you're planning a trip here.
So, I'm leaving the link above and in the description.
Now we're going to Little India.
In Singapore, there are mainly four ethnicities:
Malaysians, Eurasians,
Chinese, and Indians.
And Little India today is one of the most vibrant districts.
Renata: No change?
-Driver: No change. -Renata: Oh, no change.
When you're using the bus,
you need to make sure you have the exact fare
if you're paying in cash because they don't give change.
We happen to be in Singapore in a very important day for Indians,
especially Tamils.
It's when they have a religious festival called Thaipusam
which celebrates the Hindu God of War.
It's a festival of sacrifices and giving back.
To get close to them while they prepare for the ceremony,
you should also be bare feet.
People who are doing this sacrifice today,
spent their entire last month doing other sacrifices
to purify their bodies.
Guide: For the entire month before the parade
they have to prepare themselves:
Pray everyday, fast, abstain from vices
So no alcohol, no gambling, no sex for the entire month
We're now here in the place where they do all the preparations
and I'll walk around to show you.
I just want you to be a little cautious
because the images may be a little strong for some people,
but there's no blood.
Thaipusam is a festival celebrated by Hindus of Tamil and Malayali descent
What happens here is that people will show their devotion
by carrying a piece called "kavadi".
Actually, it's more than carrying, because parts of it go through their bodies.
They have spikes piercing the flesh.
-In the pack there's bread -Oh, thank you.
-Thank you very much. -You're welcome.
Very nice of you.
That was so nice.
This is also a festival of giving.
-This is soya milk. -Ah, okay.
-Okay? And this is for you, too. -Thank you.
Oh, that's nice. One is enough.
That's so nice of you. Thank you.
Thank you so much. That is so kind of you.
Thank you very much. Yeah.
Wow.
Look at this.
Soy milk, very good.
The piercing is an act of devotion to Lord Murugan either to express their gratitude for wishes fulfilled
Or in hopes of getting their wishes fulfilled
It is really impressive.
After all the preparation, they're now gonna walk from one temple,
that's one here, until another,
about four kilometers away along this avenue here
which is a very important avenue in Little India.
This is why they have these fences here.
It started raining, but that's not even a problem here.
It happens almost every day in Singapore anyways.
Is he from your family?
Man: He's my friend's friend.
When you carry this kind of thing, you really
have to have a lot of support.
-Gordon: Yes. -Man: Alone, he can't do it.
Renata: Yeah.
Man: And, you know, the preparation, will take at least three months.
-Gordon: Oh, yeah? -Renata: Uh-huh.
Man: Sharpening and polishing, and all that.
Renata: Wow.
How many times in a lifetime does a person do this?
It depends on them.
They will either do on odd numbers - 1, 3, 5 - it depends
Some do it for life.
Wow, really?
This time is the first time that Singapore allow us to play the music
-Gordon: Oh, yeah? -Renata: Oh.
Man: It is so difficult for them to carry without the music
because it's very tiring.
Gordon/Renata: Yeah.
[music]
[urumi melam playing]
I was talking to people here who regularly participate at the festival.
And they were saying how important it is to have the support,
from other people, your family, and your friends,
because it is very hard to do this.
That's why the music is also so important.
To keep going.
[crowd singing Murugan Song]
They'll keep walking here along the main road,
Serangoon Road, and...
Hi.
We'll take a detour now to see what else there is here in Little India.
And addition to the noise.
There's construction back here,
music over there,
It is a tough day
to create videos today.
-Ready to go.
Thank you.
[music]
It's expensive.
How much?
-S$39. -S$39. Yeah, it's expensive.
It is. Having one here with my batteries and...
Yeah, it is great, but it's expensive.
Mustafa Centre is a huge department store,
and people come here because it's got everything
from groceries to electronics.
And it's open 24 hours.
Prices are very similar to U.S. prices.
Relatively cheap compared to a lot of places in the world,
but expensive compared to Southeast Asia.
Look at the amount of shops here on the main street as well.
And good prices.
I've never seen so much gold.
Thank you.
[music]
I have no idea what I ordered.
This is puri.
We went basically by the picture, it looks good.
So, let's try.
Mmm.
Ooh, very spicy.
No, VERY spicy.
Thank you, I just ate. Thank you.
I wish I knew there would be all this free food here to everyone.
[urumi melam playing]
That's one of the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore.
I was hoping to go over there and see it inside,
but it's impossible to cross.
Everything is fenced out here.
Let's go.
Here we can finally cross the street.
[music]
I wanted to come to this side to see another landmark in Little India.
And as funny as it might sound, it's not Indian, it's Chinese.
This house right here, the last remaining villa in this area.
There were several decades ago.
The house of Tan Teng Niah was built in the 19th century, during the colonization of Singapore
Probably, also the most colorful house in the entire Singapore.
What a fun day.
I feel like we really experienced Little India
almost like being in India.
I guess the highlight of the festival is in the evening.
Everybody seems to be out now.
[music]
Tourist tax refund here.
Oh, cool.
Coke here is made with stevia.
And it says here, "35% less sugar."
And this is regular Coke, it's not Diet Coke, or anything else.
Why is it not like this everywhere else in the world?
[music]
Singapore: Watch the entire series