A Bull
pp. 60-61 · Read in the full issue
Walks . . .
For the first time in Fiji, a bull was included in the Hindu firewalking ritual at the Mahadevi Temple, Suva, this year. Without fear or apparent pain, the animal ambled over the glowing coals and was rewarded with a bowl of prasad, or holy food, consisting of unpeeled bananas.
The bull had undergone the traditional purifying ritual of being immersed in seawater prior to the firewalking.
He was part of a procession of 15 firewalkers, including women and an eight-year-old girl.
The priest, Chattarpal, who has been firewalking since the age of 14, said the power of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god, had been bestowed upon the bull, which is now destined to graze peacefully near the temple until the next firewalking ceremony. Above, eight-year-old Roshni Devi's face registered great strain as the priest Chattarpal leads her to the fire pit. When this photograph was taken, she had already walked through it once. On her left, a boy beats the goat-hide drum ceaselessly.
On opposite page, decorated with sindur—a red powder and a garland of marigolds and a silk cloth, the purified bull ambles onto the hot coals.
Right, a woman and a young girl hurry across the coals.
Any sign of anguish appearing on their faces is said to be the effect of the holy spirit coming upon them, rather than that of pain. The temple follower balances a red clay pot filled with leaves and lemons on his head. All pictures by Bal Ram.