A Hindu devotee walks on hot coals during Chitra Pournami in Yangon on April 20.

HINDUS in Yangon celebrated the ancient religious holiday of Chitra Pournami on April 20 with a fire-walking ceremony and other festivities.

Chitra Pournami occurs on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Chitirai. During the festival, devotees make special offerings to Chithragupta, the record keeper of Lord Yama, the Hindu god of death.

The highlight is the fire-walking ceremony in honour of Goddess Sri Periyanachi Amman. Devotees pray, fast and observe other austerity rituals for weeks in advance in preparation for their walk across a long pit of hot coals.

In Yangon the celebrations were centred in Kanbe in Yankin township, at Sri Subrahmanya Temple, Sri Perumal Temple, Maha Vinayagar or Ganesh Temple, and Sri Periyanachi Amman Temple. Nearly 1000 devotees took part in the fire-walking ceremony in Yangon this year.

During the ceremony, the chief priest of the host temple is the first to walk barefoot across the hot coals. After that, devotees in yellow who wish to fulfil a vow make their walk across the pit.

Some devotees pierce their tongues with skewers, put a metal rod through their cheeks or wear a kavadi, a metal structure held in place with skewers that pierce the flesh. Others pull coconuts tied to ropes that are attached to their backs with metal hooks. Some women go into trances and some carry milk in pots on the heads.

These practices are intended to help the devotees connect with the universe, to achieve a balanced and spiritually evolved life.