Around 20 persons, including five children, suffered burns during the firewalk at the Kundam festival at Thanthondri Amman Temple in Modachur near Gobi on Thursday.
The annual festival began with the ‘Poochattuthal’ a fortnight ago, with special poojas everyday.
As several devotees had observed a vradam to take part in the kundam (walk on fire), the temple authorities made arrangements for the kundam for a distance of 40 feet in front of the temple last night.
Over 10 tonnes of firewood were used for the ritual, which was started by the head priest Natarajan around 7.15 am when the main deity was brought to the venue in a palanquin.
Several devotees followed him carrying fire pots. When a devotee, Mariappan (38) of Thachampalayam in Gobi, was walking on fire carrying his five-year-old son, he tripped and fell and those following him too had a fall.Nearly 20 persons, including five children, suffered minor burns in the incident.
Of the injured, 15 were admitted to the Gobi Government Hospital, while five were treated as outpatients.
Around 5,000 devotees from Modachur, Gobi, Nagadevanpalayam, Vettaikaranpalayam, Olapalayam and Kamaraj Nagar attended the festival. The car and veedhi ula will be held at the temple from September 28.