AWAKENINGS

  Thai Pusam are two Tamil Words.   The first word Thai means month and the second one Poosammeans star and hence the words denote Pusamin the month of Thai.   Thai Pusamis the festival, which is mainly celebrated in Tamil Nadu.  Thaipusam festival is celebrated to honourLord Murugan, the Hindu god of war, for his victory over Surapadman with a vel, a heavenly spear bestowed by Parvati.   Yellow is Lord Murugan'sfavouritecolour and Panchamirthamis his favouriteone for Abhisheka and Neivedya.     Thaipusam is observed by Tamil speaking Indians in Sri Lanka, South East Asia notably in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, other countries with significant people of Tamil origin like Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa and Canada, Caribbean countries including Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, countries with significant Indian migrants including United States and Australia.   It is a holiday in Mauritius, many states in...