Singapore – Organizers of the Thaipusam 2026 festival here have resumed registration for devotees who were unable to secure a slot by the time online registration ended on January 27.

On January 29, Minister for Culture, Community, Youth and Human Resources Dinesh Vasu Dash announced that devotees who wish to carry pal kudam, or milk pot offerings, during the annual holy festival on February 1 can register at pre-arranged time slots at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple until noon on January 31.

Those who are unable to attend the procession but wish to offer pal kudam can also register their tickets at the temple till the same closing time.

“We are aware that many devotees, including families and senior citizens, have been participating over the years,” Dinesh said on Facebook. “Therefore, it is important to enable as many devotees as possible to observe Thaipusam and fulfill their vows, and not to turn any devotee away.”

The resumption of registration comes after Sri Tendayuthapani Temple, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, and the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) announced in a joint statement on January 27 that the number of devotees registered for the festival had reached the maximum capacity that the temple could safely and responsibly manage.

Every year, the festival involves a huge procession between the Sri Tendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road and the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on Serangoon Road. Besides the Pal Kudam, devotees also carry kavadis (decorated wood and metal arches) along the 3.2 km route.

Organizers said in a Jan. 27 statement that the temple could not accommodate any more participants to ensure public safety, reasonable wait times, and an orderly experience for all devotees.

The unexpected registration deadline of January 27th came under fire. Some devotees took to social media to express their disappointment at not being able to participate in the religious festival to fulfill their vows to the Hindu god Murugan.

When The Straits Times visited the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on January 30, about 30 people were queuing for new slots when the ticket counter opened at 8am. For the next four hours, the line remained at about 50 people.

Chitra R., a consultant, was among those who secured tickets after a 45-minute wait. She has been participating in processions carrying a pearl kudam for more than 10 years, and says this is the first time she can remember registration closing a few days before Thaipusam.

“Singaporeans usually wait until the last minute[to register]so this situation is very unfortunate for people who want to fast and fulfill their vows,” she said.

The number of participants in Thaipusam is increasing every year. In 2025, around 16,000 devotees participated in the procession. The festival is on Sunday, so in 2026authorities expect attendance to be higher than usual, organizers said in an earlier statement on Jan. 19.

Chitra complained of long wait times in 2025, saying her family had to wait for more than 90 minutes to be allowed to enter the Sri Thandayuthapani temple after completing the procession and perform religious rituals.

Queues were also arranged, and even those who did not have paal kudam or kavadi stood in designated queues. in 2025she added.

“If the organizer wants to limit the number of people (in 2026) Let’s be fair. “I’m not saying non-Singaporeans can’t (participate), but there should be a quota for each group,” she said.

While the temple and HEB had previously urged devotees without tickets to fulfill their vows at other temples observing Thaipusam, Chitra said it was not the same thing.

“Walking around Pattayathirai will not give you that much satisfaction,” she said of her spiritual journey on foot.

Staff nurse Kayalvij Krishnan, 32, was waiting in line after her night shift to get tickets for her three family members.

Kayalvij, who has attended Thaipusam four times since first moving to Singapore in 2020, said she was surprised by the early termination of registration.

Like others in line, she received a handwritten slip and a number tag for the 4pm to 5pm time slot.

“I’m very confused about how to deal with a six-month-old baby… It would be better if they would allow me flexible (entry) times,” she said.

Shri Srinivasa Perumal Temple president V. Selvam told ST that all devotees who queued up directly will get tickets to Thaipusam. He said additional arrangements were being made to accommodate the added numbers, but did not elaborate on the details.

“Given that we are entering a critical operational phase for Thaipusam, our immediate priority is on-ground preparations and safe facilitation of devotees,” HEB chief executive Sarojini Padmanathan said in a statement.

ST asked HEB what Thaipusam’s original capacity was in 2026, how many new slots have been added, and what additional safety measures are planned.