Hindu chariot procession cancelled due to coronavirus

A chariot procession in Singapore held mostly by Indian-origin Hindus here will be cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Sunday.

The Panguni Uthiram chariot and foot procession, which is part of the annual Panguni Uthiram festival, was slated for April 6. It is celebrated by Hindus and held in honour of the Hindu god Murugan, The Straits Times reported on Sunday, citing officials.

Devotees usually bear kavadis and carry chariots and milk pots as they walk about 1.2-km to seek blessings and fulfil their vows.

The temple management committee at the Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple in Yishun decided to scrap the procession this year, citing coronavirus clusters which appeared at large gatherings in crowded settings, including places of worship.

Temple management committee chairman Narainasamy in a statement on Sunday said, "In addition, maintaining social distancing amongst devotees and keeping contact tracing records will be very challenging. In arriving at this decision, we took the view that the health and safety of our devotees is paramount."