SINGAPORE — The annual Theemithi fire-walking festival returned to Sri Mariamman Temple on October 12, drawing an estimated 4,000 male devotees who walked barefoot across a bed of glowing embers in a centuries-old act of faith and thanksgiving. Leading the ritual was chief priest Venugopal Thirunavukarasu, who has served at the temple since 2019. He began his walk shortly after 6.15pm, following a 4km procession from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple to South Bridge Road. The 5.5m-long fire pit, prepared earlier in the day using 20,000 pieces of slow-burning wild neem wood, provided a steady bed of embers for the participants.
Devotees cooled their feet in a milk-filled pit after crossing, marking the culmination of over two months of prayers and ceremonies that began in late July. The event was observed by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo from the temple courtyard. Among the walkers was the father-son duo M. Raveendran, 60, and R. Manoj Kumar, 31, who have participated together for more than a decade. “Walking alongside my father in this sacred ritual has been a blessed experience,” said Manoj, recalling that his nervousness vanished when he focused on prayer during his first fire walk.
Temple chairman Shekaran Krishnan, who assumed his role in June 2024, took part in the fire walk for the first time, calling it “peaceful and fulfilling.” He noted an expanded public viewing area and an estimated 15% rise in younger participants compared to last year. Around 30 volunteers managed the fire pit throughout the day, while the temple served free meals to about 10,000 devotees. Additional vows were performed in the days preceding the main event, including paalkudam (milk pot offerings), maavilakku (lighting flour lamps), angaprathachanam (rolling around the temple in prayer), and kumbiduthandam (prostrating every few steps). Observed in Singapore for more than 150 years, Theemithi commemorates the fire trial of goddess Draupathi Amman from the Hindu epic Mahabharata , a symbolic test of purity, devotion, and endurance that remains a profound cornerstone of the temple’s traditions.