Thaipusam is a key annual Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil community. This year, the festival

Thaipusam falls in the Hindu solar month of ‘Makara’, also known as 'Thai' in Tamil. Tamil communities observe the festival on the full moon of the month ‘Thai’ and the festival usually coincides with Pushya star, known as Poosam in Tamil. The annual festival of Thaipusam is also celebrated in Kerala and the Pushya star is referred to as Pooyam in Malayalam. Hence, Thaipusam is known as Thaipooyam in the state of Kerala. Thaipusam is a day of prayers and penance, while the Pushya star is at its highest point on this day. This year, the Poosam Nakshathram of Thaipusam will begin at am on 18 January and will culminate at am the next day, 19 festival of Thaipusam is dedicated to Lord Murugan who is believed to possess the invincible spear or a Vel. On this day, Goddess Parvati gave Lord Murugan the Vel and he used it to destroy the army of demons. Thaipusam commemorates this occasion.