Thaipusam in Singapore is one of the city’s most visually striking and spiritually intense festivals, celebrated by the Tamil Hindu community in honour of Lord Murugan. Each year, devotees embark on a 4km procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple, carrying milk pots or elaborate kavadis — intricate, weighty structures adorned with peacock feathers, flowers, and metal skewers that pierce the skin, cheeks, and tongue as acts of devotion and penance. The festival is a heady mix of chanting, drumming, incense smoke, and vivid colour, drawing not only the faithful but also photographers from around the world.

Over the years, my photographs of Thaipusam in Singapore have focused on capturing the intimate moments within the spectacle: the quiet prayers before the procession begins, the steady gaze of a devotee under the weight of his kavadi, the tender support from family and friends, and the hypnotic rhythm of music and movement. My lens has sought to balance the intensity of the physical acts with the underlying serenity and devotion that drive them. The result is a body of work that tells a story beyond the obvious — one of faith, endurance, and the profound human connection between the devotee, the divine, and the community.