Firewalking

My feet are still yellow from last night. Just a tint.

I met a couple friends at the Sri Mariamman Temple for the Hindu Thimithi festival to watch the firewalkers. Around 1AM.

To show their faith and devotion the Hindu men walk across a bed of hot coals. They believe that if they are pure the fire will not burn them.


There was a long line outside the temple of thousands of men waiting their turn to walk.


They would pray before they entered the temple door. This man is carrying his offering of kaffir lime leaves.

In this picture the man is walking across the coals from left to right. Some men walked very slowly. Some men ran. There were men near the coal bed to help anyone who looked like they might stumble.

After walking across the hot coals they walk through a big pool of milk and then put tumeric on their feet. Bright yellow tumeric powder. The temple grounds were covered with it. So were my feet.

Can you see how the coals are red hot?


They would leave their offerings on the statues of their deity.

Everyone watching and supporting their friends. There were men, women and children sleeping and waiting everywhere. In the back there were men brewing huge pots of coffee and rice and curry to give to the devotees.

We met a woman who was there to support her brother. It was his first year. When she asked him how his feet were, he shrugged with that Indian nod that looks to me like a shake and a nod put together. She said he started waiting in line at 11pm and finally walked across the coals at 2am. For one week he’s been fasting and preparing for this. If you have enough faith you will not feel the pain she said. She also said that in Tamil - Thimithi means to touch fire, not to fire walk. It doesn’t matter if you walk or run. To touch the fire is enough.

I left a little earlier than I wanted. It was 3am and I knew I needed some sleep. I took a taxi home, scrubbed the yellow off my feet in the bathtub and then crawled into bed. But I couldn't stop thinking about that long line of men. Waiting and praying. To whom and for what I might not understand but I felt the reverence of that place. I felt inspired by the devotion of those people. And that is easy to understand.