Many Hindu festivals are connected with the mythology of gods and their cosmic significance. Before making an offering or embarking on a pilgrimage, devotees enlist the aid of temple priests to consult the Vedic religious almanac that charts auspicious days for such observances. Deities are carried in 'ther' (chariots) and palanquins. This spectacle is witnessed by throngs of people. Numerous images of the deities in wood or bronze called 'utsavar' are carried around the temple during festivals, one of them being the gigantic head of Aravan, an epic hero from the Mahabharata who is worshipped during Theemithi (fire-walking festival) in Singapore.
