The Deepam festival involves a lot more than just the lighting of the flame on top of Arunachala. The first night of the lighting of the flame actually takes place on the 10th day of Deepam and stays alight for between 8-10 days. However the Festival itself lasts for 13 days. Of these the first 3 days occur in Durga Temple and the remaining ten days in Annamalai Temple and each day denotes different functions and ceremonies at either the Durga Temple, the Annamalai Temple or in the streets surrounding them.
Festival Days:
1.Durgambal festival: During the night of this festival Durga Amman idol is taken in procession in Vimana.
2.Pidari festival: In which the Goddess Pidari is brought in procession on a statue of a Lion.
3.Anukjai Vignesvara Puja: The elephant God Vinayka is taken out in the streets on a silver mount.
4.First festival, Annamalai Temple: Procession of five Deities in the morning and five Deities in the evening.
5.Second Day, Annamalai Temple: Morning procession of Chandrasekar (Lord Siva) and Vinayaka. Evening five Deities.
6.Third Day: Morning Vinayaka, Chandrasekar, Vimana, Buta Vehicles. Evening the five Deities, Lion Vehicle, Silver Swan Vehicle.
7.Fourth Day: Morning Vinayaka, Chandrasekar, Vinayaka Snake Vehicle. Evening, five Deities. Silver Kalpataru (wish fulfilling tree), Silver Kamadhenu (wish fulfilling cow) procession.
8.Fifth Day: Morning Vinayaka, Chandrasekar, Mooshikam, Mirrored Bull Vehicle. Evening five Deities. Silver Mooshikam, Silver peacock. Big Silver Bull Vehicles procession.
9.Sixth Day: Morning Vinayaka, Chandrasekar, Mooshikam, Silver Elephant, 63 Nayanamars Vimanam. Evening five Deities, Silver Car, Indra Vimanam and other silver vehicles procession.
10.Seventh Day: Morning the five Deities juggernaut. Dragging the rope of the car in Vrichika Lagna. Evening the five Deities returning from juggernaut.
11.Eighth Day: Morning Vinayaka, Chandrasekar Silver Vimanam. Evening at 4 p.m. Bhiksandar festival on golden Meru (Sri Chakra). At night the five Deities. Horse vehicle procession.
12.Ninth Day: Morning Vinayaka, Chandrasekar Mirror Vimanam. Evening the five Deities. Kailasa Vehicle, Kamadhenu Vehicle procession.
13.Tenth Day: Morning Barani Deepam. At noon sacred bath in Brahma Tirtham. At 6 p.m. the five Deities proceed in golden Vimanam. Great Deepam Darsan lit on top of Arunachala; the flame will be alight for between 8-10 days. That night at the Temple, the five Deities proceed on golden Bull Vehicles.
14.Eleventh Day: Night at 7 p.m. float for Chandrasekar. Annamalaiyar going round the Hill.
15.Twelfth Day: At 7 p.m. at night for Parasakti Amman.
16.Thirteenth Day: At 7 p.m. night float for Subramanian (Lord Murgan).
17.Fourteenth Day: Chandikesvarar festival procession on Silver Bull Vehicle.
2 comments:
Wow, I am always amazed at your thorough amount of information and behind-the-scenes knowledge!
The information is available its just a matter of digging around and finding it. And I've always been an effective digger! Its fun for me too - getting to learn sooo much about sublime Arunachala.
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