Sri Mariamman Temple

In front of you is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, in the middle of Chinatown. It's the best proof that the city's ethnic quarters were never as separate as the map intended.

1The clerk from Penang

It was founded in 1827 by Naraina Pillai, a government clerk who had come from Penang with Stamford Raffles. It began as a simple temple of timber and palm thatch, housing a small image of the goddess Mariamman, who is invoked for protection against epidemics and disease. The oldest parts of the brick building date from 1843. The great gateway tower, the gopuram, went up in 1925.

2Walking on fire

The most dramatic moment of the year comes about a week before Deepavali, the festival of lights. During the Theemithi festival, hundreds of devotees walk barefoot across a bed of glowing coals in the temple courtyard.

According to the tradition of the Mahabharata, Queen Draupadi walked through fire to prove her purity and emerged unharmed.

Devotees repeat her ordeal as an act of faith or to fulfil a vow. Preparing for it takes weeks of fasting and prayer. That's why Draupadi's shrine is, after Mariamman's, the most important in the temple.

3What to look for

• The sacred cows sitting on top of the compound wall.
• The figures on the tower: look for Krishna on the left and Murugan on the right of the entrance.
• The wooden doors, hung with bells that worshippers ring as they enter.