Thimithi is the name of the annual Hindu fire walking
ceremony which is a form of penance or thanksgiving in honour of the
goddess Draupathi, heroine
of the epic poem, the Mahabharata. Legend has it that she had to prove her
innocence and fidelity by walking barefoot over hot coals.
Thimithi is held
in the month of Aipasi, which is between the solar months of October and
November. Celebrations begin at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Little India
around 2am and a priest leads a grand procession through the streets to the Sri
Mariamman Temple (of the rain goddess) where the Thimithi takes
place. The fire-walking usually begins around 4am and a priest is the
first to brave the long pit of embers, followed by other
devotees.
The ritual
attracts several thousand participants and even more spectators, many of
whom wait long hours to witness relatives or friends perform.
After walking
over the hot coals, the devotees wade through a pit filled with goat's
milk, then rub their feet with yellow powdered turmeric. The result
is that the ground around the area of the temple is stained with yellow. |