The Day Before

Tomorrow is the big day -- Deepam 2008, when the fire is lit on top of Arunachala. Hotels and rooms throughout Tiruvannamalai are full, roads repaired, provisions delivered, stalls set up and everyone is waiting for the sea of devotees to descend on the area.

The flower market is being constantly replenished with a continuous stream of garlands.

The annual cattle fair to the Arts College on Chengham Road is well underway.

Roadside stalls are full of eatables and snacks.

Even stalls promoting and selling milking machines have descended on this traditional, agricultural area.

The emergency services are well represented throughout Tiruvannamalai.

Lots of roadside restaurants selling snacks and tiffin.

One of my favourite stalls are the ones selling decorations and ornaments for cows and buffalos.

This enterprising artisan is carving and selling wooden icons of the Gods.

And one smart lady selling camphor and ghee lamps is taking rest before those crowds come pouring in.

Flag Hoisting Ceremony

The below photographs show preparations and festivities for 2008 Deepam.

After completion of the various preceding three days of functions:

Day One -- Sri Durgambal Utsavam
Day Two -- Sri Pidari Utsavam
Day Three -- Vignesvara Puja are complete

We begin Day One of Deepam 2008 with the flag hoisting ceremoney at Arunachaleswar Temple.

The Kotittaampam from koti “flag” and tanipam “pillar”, indicates the God or Goddess residing at that Temple. It is believed that as well as signalling the start of Temple functions, the flag hoisting ceremony represents:

“. . . indicates that the descended Kundalani Sakthy at Moolatharam of our spinal cord should rise to the head. The flag lowering ceremony indicates how this supreme consciousness descends down from the head to the body (Creation) and reaches the end of the spinal cord (Moolathatam).”