Karthigai Deepam 2024 celebration begins with great devotion at Arunachaleswarar temple

Thirukarthigai Deepam festival celebrated at Arunachaleswarar Temple in Thiruvannamalai

The auspicious Maha Karthigai Deepam 2024 festival, deeply significant for the Arunachaleswarar Temple, is being celebrated with great devotion and grandeur today, i.e. Friday, December 13, 2024.

Maha Karthigai Deepam 2024 Festival Highlights

The Maha Karthigai Deepam 2024 celebrations began on November 4th with the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony, marking the start of the Karthigai Deepam festival at the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Since then, daily processions of temple chariots have been held, with devotees enthusiastically pulling the chariots through the temple streets.

Bharani Deepam Ceremony

This morning, the Bharani Deepam was ceremoniously lit at 4:00 AM in the sanctum sanctorum of the Arunachaleswarar Temple. It is believed that witnessing the Bharani Deepam brings immense spiritual merit. To accommodate the large number of devotees, the temple granted access to 7,500 individuals with special entry tickets. Devotees began entering the temple as early as 2:30 AM to catch a glimpse of this sacred event.

Maha Deepam Lighting

The grand Maha Deepam, a highlight of the festival, is scheduled to be lit this evening atop the 2,668-foot high Annamalai Hill behind the temple. Preparations for this ritual have been meticulously carried out. Yesterday, amidst heavy rains, the large copper cauldron designated for the Maha Deepam was consecrated with special poojas before being transported to the hilltop.

The cauldron, adorned with an Ardhanareeswara engraving and decorated with colorful floral garlands, will hold the Maha Deepam. It is filled with 4,500 kilograms of ghee donated by devotees, and a 1,500-meter-long cotton wick has been prepared for the lighting. Around 20 temple staff carried the cauldron to the hilltop, chanting "Arohara" in devotion.

Due to safety and logistical considerations, only 11,500 devotees are permitted to witness the Maha Deepam ceremony. Of these, access to the hilltop is restricted to 2,000 individuals who pass a mandatory health screening.

The Thirukarthigai Deepam festival continues to attract thousands of devotees, highlighting the spiritual and cultural importance of this event in Tamil Nadu's religious calendar.