Tenth Night and Ayyankulam Tank

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The light still blazes through the night on the top of Arunachala, but the festivities of the Deepam Festival are over. Below are a few photographs of the latter days of the Festival. The first two photographs are of the evening of the 10th day.




Murtis of the 5 Gods giving
darshan to devotees outside the Temple



Golden Rishaba (bull) procession
rounding Temple perimeter walls


The lighting of the Mahadeepam takes place on the 10th day of the Festival after which in the evenings of the following three nights, the Gods are taken for a sailing trip on the waters of the very large Ayyankulam Tank.

The Ayyankulam is the tank of the famous Arunagirinathar Temple, which is the third most renowned Shiva Temple at Tiruvannamalai after Arunachaleswarar Temple and Adiannamalai Temple. The Arunagirinathar Temple is in fact one of my favourite Tiruvannamalai Temples and I encourage more pilgrims to visit it while at Tiruvannamalai.



Crowds at the Ayyankulam Tank
to watch the Gods on their float


To view photographs of Temples and Shrines on the perimeter of the Ayyankulam Tank, go to this link here. And to see the view from Ayyankulam Tank, go to this link here.



The Gods float setting
out on the Ayyankulam Tank


Most of the crowds have left Tiruvannamalai, and the town is slowly returning to normal. And yet we can look up and still see the blazing beacon on top of Arunachala, and look in and see the Blessing hand of Annamalaiyar.




The Blessing hand of Annamalaiyar
at 2011 Deepam