FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD: Resident priest, Mr Dhashnamoorthy, shows the array of dishes the temple prepared.

IT AIN’T HEAVY, IT FEEDS MY BROTHERS: Huge pots of rice and other dishes – some weighing as heavy as 120 kg – are brought out of the temple. This particular pot weighs 70 kg and feeds a thousand.

SEEKING SOLACE: The line of workers wanting to seek solace in the temple spans across the entire perimeter of the premise

DRESSING UP THE POTS: The pots are draped in saris, since it is claimed they do not topple as easily as regular pot covers.

NO BARRIER: Volunteers giving out the free food come from different races and beliefs.

LINING UP FOR FOOD: Queues form outside the temple as the devotees wait to get their portion of free sambar rice served by the temple.

UNDER SUPERVISION: Auxiliary police officers are stationed outside to control the traffic flow into the temple

MISSING HIS FAMILY: Mr Ramanujam, 43, from Kerala, India, expresses his dismay at not having his loved ones with him to celebrate Deepavali. He shares that it is obligatory for him to visit the Sri Veerakaliamman temple every Deepavali.

Coming from Chennai, India, this worker enjoys a bowl of rice as he says he finds Singapore to be a good place to work in, despite the hard work.