Thiruvannamalai Celebrating Karthigai Deepam: The Festival of Divine Illumination

Karthigai Deepam is a significant festival celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu. This festival is all about the celebration of light and enlightenment, and it is popularly known as the Festival of Divine Illumination. This festival is celebrated every year in the month of Karthigai according to the Tamil calendar, which usually falls in either November or December.

The Karthigai Deepam celebration is marked with the lighting of oil lamps that are placed outside every house in the evening. This creates a beautiful and mesmerising atmosphere across the Tamil Nadu region. People make beautiful rangolis with different colours in front of their house to welcome the festival with decorated entrance. People also decorate their houses with garlands and flowers, which add to the beauty of the festival.

One of the highlights of this festival is the lighting of a huge bonfire known as the Bharani Deepam inside the temple early morning by 04 am, and at the top of the Arulmigu annamalaiyar hill. In the evening, the Maha Deepam is lit, and it can be seen from miles away, brightening up the sky. This symbolic act signifies the triumph of good over evil.

During this Thiruvannamalai festival, people also visit their loved ones and exchange sweets and gifts. Some families also take part in the traditional pooja, an act of worshipping deities and offering special prayers. The Karthigai Deepam celebration also signifies the start of the winter season and the end of the monsoon season.

This festival is not only celebrated in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu but also in other parts of India. People across the country participate in this celebration in their unique way. In Kerala, this festival is known as Karkidakam or Ramayana Masam, where people read and recite Ramayana, one of the most significant epic of Indian mythology.

Thiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam is a beautiful festival that celebrates light and enlightenment. This festival brings people together and spreads positivity and happiness all around. It not only connects people from different cultures and traditions but also reminds us of the importance of traditions and rituals in our lives. Celebrating Thiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam reminds us of the significance of good over evil, thus instilling values of positivity, kindness, and hope in our lives.

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