Firewalking: Is this tradition confined to the Hindus only? 

If you have been born and raised in India, you are well aware of would know about Sita’s ‘Agni Pariksha’ or the ordeal of fire that she performed in the Hindu epic The Ramayana. Why? Because she was abducted by the Lankan king Ravana and remained in his captivity for a long time which made her husband Rama question her chastity. Now, in order to prove her chastity, Sita agrees to undergo the Agni Pariksha or what we can simply call firewalking.  

Okay, so was the concept of firewalking them born in the pages of The Ramayana? Or is there a different story to it? Come, let’s find out.  

Originated in Fiji 
You will be surprised to know that the act of firewalking is practised in reality all over the world, not just in fictions and movies. In fact, apart from the Hindu epic, its mention can be found in documents dating back to the Iron Age in India, that is, 1200 BC. But did it originate in India? Well, no. Firewalking originated in a small Pacific island nation called Fiji.  

Legend has it that firewalking was born in Fiji more than 5000 years ago in a village called Nakarovu. There, a young man named Tunaiviqalita was asked to find eel (yes, the fish!) to help cure his elder brother. For the Fijians, eel held special curative powers. Unfortunately, even after a thorough search, he failed to find even a single eel. Amidst his quest, Tunaiviqalita came across a small man who said that he would help him find eel if all he could do was show him how to walk on fire. Out of unconditional love for his brother, he walked barefoot over a bed of hot embers. In exchange, he was not only given eels, but was granted the ability to control fire.  

Till date, Fijians, as well as historians believe that this is how firewalking came into existence. Today, people of Fiji practised more as a traditional ceremony to offer sacrificial tribute to their ancestors. 

Firewalking traditions across the world 
In the modern world, firewalking is practised as a rite of passage, a test of strength and courage or even as a test of faith in religion. It is popular in Asian countries like Sri Lanka and Japan where people consider it as an adventure sport representing social cohesion and team building. Likewise, San Pedro Manrique, a village in central Spain, uses firewalking as a weekend activity to feel a sense of togetherness and sync their heart rates/rhythms. Orthodox Christians based in Greece and Bulgaria, on the other hand, practise it during religious events such as Good Friday and Easter to pay homage to Jesus Christ. Firewalking is also a tribal pastime in many Polynesian nations.  

Interestingly, modern physicists have ascertained that if practised properly, the foot is not supposed to touch the burning surface long enough to char. In fact, they have said that embers that are mostly used in firewalking are bad conductors of heat. But that doesn’t make it any less scary, does it?