Holi 2023: Gujarat's 35ft tall Holika Dahan, where people walk barefoot on embers!

Gandhinagar (Gujarat): During the celebrations of Holika Dahan, a Holi pyre is lit in the neighbourhood where people pray to ward off evil. This burning pyre signifies the victory of good over evil. In Gujarat's Palaj village, around the premise of Mahakali Mataji temple, a 700-year-old tradition was carried out last night, as the villagers lit a 35 feet tall Holi pyre. The preparations for this event begin 15 days before, right after the celebrations of Maha Shivratri end. After the pyre is burnt and all the prayers and rituals have been performed, the villagers and the people visiting the temple walk on the embers of this pyre barefoot and claim that they do not feel the sensation of burning or any pain. According to the villagers, their belief in the deity, Mahakali Mataji, and her blessings are the reason they don't get harmed by the embers. The villagers have been carrying out this tradition for the past 700 years and visitors gather every year to witness the celebrations and participate in them.