Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday announced that the State government would grant a public holiday for Thaipoosam every year.

“In view of Thaipoosam on January 28 this year, I have ordered the announcing of a public holiday. I have also ordered that Thaipoosam be included in the list of public holidays every year,” Mr. Palaniswami said in a statement.

The Chief Minister said that during his visits to various districts, he had received representations on the issue from the public, who cited the holiday being granted in Sri Lanka and Mauritius to mark the occasion.

“Thaipoosam is one of the major festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu in reverence to Lord Muruga. It is celebrated not just in Tamil Nadu but also in Kerala, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Indonesia,” he noted.

Thaipoosam is celebrated by a cross-section of Hindu Tamils on the full moon day during the Tamil month of ‘Thai’. The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil. As per religious belief, on this day, the ‘vel’ (holy lance) was given to Lord Muruga by his mother, Goddess Parvati, to annihilate Tarakasura and his three brothers.

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