i walk past the murugan on the hill temple every day. one day, i saw a notice announcing the chariot procession. it had a schedule, starting at 6.00 p.m. from the heavy vehicle car-park at upper bukit timah road. the procession would take the lighted chariot to bukit panjang, choa chu kang and finally ending at bukit batok.
when i reached the temple at 5.15 p.m. that evening, the chariot was sitting in front of the temple and the crowd which had been there that morning was missing. a few stalls that were around in the morning had also been dismantled. even the seat where the barber was shaving male devotees bald was vacant. i realised then that i must have missed something.
i asked the people who were still around and they told me that the procession was held on 7 april. the banner outside the temple had it as 8 april.
that morning, i had seen quite a number of male devotees shaved bald, with ashes on their bald head and wearing saffron dhoti. there were also a number of women devotees clad in saffron clothes. there were a few stalls set up outside the temple. thinking that the main event would be held that evening, i did not linger to take photographs although i did take one of the bathing point.
the chariot procession held by the sri murugan on the hill temple was in fact a mini thaipusam because there were some devotees who carried the kavadis. i saw at least one kavadi at the heavy vehicle car-park just next to the temple.
when i was living at towner road, i have seen the lighted chariot coming around to the estate one evening. it was a very attractive sight. the chariot would stop at certain points and the devotees would make offerings to the gods.
there is a very good account of a chariot procession in this post by another blogger.
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