About 2,000 male devotees participated in the annual indian firewalking of 2009.
The preparation for the firewalking pit begins a before the firewalking with several rituals being carried out. At dawn of the firewalking day, special pooja is held in the Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam and the Moola Thee or the First Fire is brought while the sun rises to the firewalking pit and kept there. As soon as this ritual is over, men rush to the logs of Tamarind wood, and bring them on their shoulders, and arrange them in the fire pit.
30 Tractor loads of Tamarind wood was brought for this years’ firewalking according to the President of the Rukmani Sathyapama Sametha Sri Paarthasaarathy Thiraupathathevi Devasthanam Shakthivel Malarchelvan. Many bottles of pure Ghee is poured into the pit and between the logs to spread the fire equally. Pure Ghee is poured till the fire is set to orange colour. The men keep watching the firewalking pit and adjust the firewood accordingly. With the sunset the men begin to take the unburnt logs away. Water is continuously poured on the men who are very close to the fire. Men began to make the bed of fire ready for firewalking. The bed of fire was ready at 8.30pm after many hours of hard work.
http://udappu09.blogspot.com/2009/08/sounds-of-udappu-aug-4-5-2009.html
