The fire pit is ready and participants queue up on one side of it. Swamiji stands at the other end and beckons them to start walk through it.
Students walk through the fire pit, one after the other - a scintillating experience for each one. For over 90 percent of the participants, it was the first experience of fire walking. Fire walking was the final stage of the participants surrendering themselves and causing the transformation to happen from within. At the end of walk, each one prostrated at the feet of Swamiji and received blessings.
Following the fire walk was a performance of a fire dance by traditional fire dancers from South India. Seen below, one can see makeup being applied to a fire dancer.
Swamiji is seen seated with the group after the fire walk, ready to witness the fire dance.
The Fire dancer wears a heavy bamboo fire plummage. The weight of the plummage and the length of the performance requires the dancer to enter a trance for the performance.
Fire dance in progress: The dancer wears large bulbous eyes over his own eyes so he cannot see during the performance.
As part of the training program, the participants were honored to visit the Temple of Arunachala in Thiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu, Swamiji's home town - a great spiritual nerve center in the world. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is present here as a beacon of light. Here the participants are seen having a hearty meal in an ashram in Thiruvannamalai after visiting the temple.
