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The Thimithi (fire-walking) festival in Tamil Nadu is celebrated in honour of:
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Answer: Option A — Draupadi
Detailed Solution
Thimithi is a fire-walking festival celebrated in honour of Draupadi, the heroine of the Mahabharata, who is worshipped as a goddess (Draupadi Amman) in many villages of Tamil Nadu. It is held at Draupadi Amman temples, usually in the Tamil months of Aippasi (October-November) or in spring, and it is also celebrated by Tamil communities in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and South Africa.
In Tamil folk tradition, Draupadi is worshipped as a form of the goddess Shakti (Kali), and she is regarded as a symbol of chastity, purity, strength and justice. According to a story linked with the festival, after the war of Kurukshetra, Draupadi walked across a bed of burning coals to prove her purity, and she came out unhurt. Devotees believe that by walking on fire with faith in the goddess, they will be protected and their wishes will be fulfilled.
The festival is the end of a long series of rituals, which may last for several weeks, and include the recitation and performance of the Mahabharata, especially through the folk theatre form of Terukkuttu. Devotees prepare for the fire-walk by fasting, praying and following a strict discipline. On the day of the festival, a long pit filled with burning coals is prepared in front of the temple. The priest, carrying a pot (karagam) on his head, walks across the pit first, followed by the devotees, who walk barefoot across the burning coals, chanting the name of the goddess. In Singapore, the Thimithi festival is celebrated with great devotion at the Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in the country.
Other goddesses of Tamil Nadu include Kannagi, the heroine of the Silappatikaram, worshipped as the goddess of chastity; Meenakshi, the presiding deity of Madurai; and Andal, the only woman among the 12 Alvars.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kannagi is the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappatikaram.
- ✗Meenakshi is the goddess of the Madurai temple, honoured in the Chithirai festival.
- ✗Andal is the woman saint among the Alvars, famous for the Thiruppavai.
Quick tip
Remember: Thimithi = the fire-walk in honour of Draupadi (Draupadi Amman), Tamil Nadu and the Sri Mariamman Temple in Singapore.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.