Sri Mariamman Temple, Singapore

Built in 1827, the Sri Mariamman Temple was initially a structure made from wood and attap. In 1843, it was rebuilt with brick and plaster. Visitors enter through a doorway framed by banana fronds, under a gopuram with 72 elaborately crafted Hindu deities. Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, this temple is dedicated to Mariamman, the goddess revered for her ability to cure epidemic illnesses. The annual fire-walking ceremony, the Thimithi Festival, is celebrated here in the month of Aipasi (around October and November). This is when devotees perform penance by walking on a bed of burning coal and emerging unhurt.