Fire walking in Fiji at the Field 40 Gangaiyamman Kovil Temple, Lautoka. June 2022.

Theemithi (Thimithi), or "firewalking", is a South Indian practice whereby devotees walk across a fire pit in exchange for a wish or blessing granted by the goddess Draupadi. It is a part of a wider re-enactment of the Hindu story of the Mahabharata. Firewalking dates over 2000 years in South India.

Picture yourself in the early hours of the morning before sunrise. A whiff of smoke envelops the dry, cool June air in Fiji. You look down and you see the flicker of burning embers, some as hot as 535 degrees Celsius, spread on the path you are about to tread. A tempo of beating drums rings in your ears. You are mentally readied. You have observed all the religious rituals. Now you must walk through fire...I don't know if I could do it but these devotees at Gangaiyamman Kovil Temple are prepared.

Despite the firewalking, this occasion, the culmination of a week of events, is a beautiful spectacle of sights and sounds and delicious food provided for free for everyone, visitors and devotees alike, courtesy of voluntary contributions.