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The oldest festival of South India which is also the most elaborate and most
important�Karthigai Deepam. This festival falls in the Tamil month of Kartigai
when the star Krithika is on the ascendant and usually occurs on a full moon
day.
Karthikai Deepam also known as Bharani Deepam is the
most popular festival of Thiruvannamalai. Like other popular temple festivals of
Tamilnadu, the Meenakshi Kalyanam in Madurai and the Vaikuntha Ekadasi in
Srirangam it draws huge crowds of pilgrims. The festival falls in the month of
Karthikai (November-December) about a month away from the Deepavali. This
festival falls in the Tamil month of Karthigai when the star Krithika is on the
ascendant and usually occurs on a full moon day. In Karnarpadu, the poet
describes how in the Tamil month of Karthikai the lamps lit by the people
blossomed on earth, bringing rain in its wake. In another Tamil work, the
Kalavazhi Narpadu dating back to the third Sangam period (after 1000 B.C) the
poet says, "In the battle the blood oozing out from the dead soldier's bodies is
like the red colored flame of the lamps lit during Karthikai deepam festival. In
another Sangam work, Pazhamozhi, in stanzas ending in proverbs, one stanza ends
with this phrase, "like the beacon on the hill". This is a clear reference to
the beacon lit on the holy hill of Arunachala. The deepam festival is not
confined to the temple, but involves the whole town. Once a small village,
Tiruvannamalai had now grown into a small city and yet the charm and beauty of
the deepam festival will remain the same, as it was hundreds of years ago.
There is a work on Karthikai Deepam consisting of a hundred stanzas, praising
the festival. When Muruganar asked Bhagavan Ramana about the significance of the
Karthikai Deepam festival, Bhagavan composed a stanza of four lines in which he
says, �The true significance of the Karthikai Deepam festival is that it turns
the intel-lect inwards and having fixed it in the Heart merges it with the
indweller of the Heart�.
The following are the Slokas recited at the time of Deepa Pooja, for future
prosperity.
1. Deepaha Paapaharo Nrinaam, Deepa
Aapannivarakaha,
��� Deepo Vidatthe Sukrutam, Deepaha
Sampath Pradaayakaha,
��� Devanaam Thushtino Deepaha, Pitruunam
Preethi Daayakaha,
��� Thasmaath Deepo Gruhe Poojitaha,
Gruhasthai Shubhameepsubhihi.
2. Deepaan Aaropayed Vishnoho
Mandiredhyanthare Bahihi,
��� Sarvapaapa Vishuddhatma Vishnuloko
Mahiyathe.
3. Deepam Jyothi Parabramha, Deepam Sarva
Thamopaham,
��� Deepena Saadhyathe Sarvam, Sandhya
Deepam Namosthuthe.
Significance: It is believed that
Gandhari, mother of Kauravas, performed pooja to the royal and solid gold
elephants, to exhibit her power and riches, ignoring to involve Kunti, mother of
Pandavas, for the ceremony. Arjuna observing his depressed mother, brought
Iravatha (Devendra�s royal white elephant) to earth, through a ladder made with
his arrows. Kunti performed pooja happily. As a mark of this we perform pooja to
a clay elephant.
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