Ardhanarishvara at Deepam

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There are many subtleties and esoteric meanings connected with the mythology and legends of Arunachala. One of the most famous being that of Ardhanarishvara - a form of the divine which is particularly celebrated at Arunachala and not more so than during the festival of Deepam and on the day of Bharani Deepam.

At the mystic hour of dusk (pradosham), when thousands have gathered in the courtyards and roofs of the Temple, waiting since early morning, the pancha murtis, are carried out into the courtyard in a fast running motion, sitting in their golden palanquins covered with festoons. The deities are placed in a Mandapam (ceremonial pavilion) opposite the entrance to the Arunachaleshwara's temple and facing the holy mountain.
















At that time also the deity Ardhanarishvara is brought out and placed on the stairs of the temple close to the big Deepam. This is the only day of the year that this particular Deity is ever moved. It is most auspicious.







In the Deepam Festival is also reflected the union of Shiva and Parvati in the deity Ardhanarishvara. Once the goddess in play covered the eyes of her Lord Shiva with her hands, and thus the whole world was plunged into darkness. However, Shiva opened his third eye on the request of the gods, and the light was restored.

Uma was ashamed of her childish behaviour, and she retired from Mount Kailasa to Kanchipuram to do penance and purge herself of her sin. Shiva then directed her to go to Tiruvannamalai to worship him there. Mother Uma became an anchorite and did hard penance, going around Arunachala hill with deep concentration on the holy name of the Lord.

Shiva was pleased with her, and told her that she was now relieved of her sin which was causing the untimely pralaya (destruction of the world). He blessed her and said, 'Come and unite with me,' and disappeared in the hill.

Then on Kartikeya day the Lord appeared as a blazing light, a jyoti on the top of the hill, and asked Mother Uma to circumambulate the hill. So she did, and when she rounded the western side of the hill, Shiva appeared on his white bull and blessed her. When she rounded the hill on the north-western side he absorbed her into the left half of his body. Thus came into being the form of Ardhanarishvara, the deity that is represented as half male and half female.












To learn more about the 'Legend of Ardhanarishvara' at Arunachala go to this link here:

http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2007/12/ardhanarishvara-at-arunachala.html

Bharani Deepam 2010

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At about 4:30 am on the day of Bharani Deepam, which this year fell on December 21st this is how the day started:


The chief priest has just finished a simple ritual called Bharani Deepam and now ceremoniously waves a huge camphor flame in the direction of nearby Arunachala mountain. Although he is chanting Sanskrit slokas, he cannot be heard amidst the deafening furor of devotion that surrounds him. Finally, he touches the flame he is holding to the wicks of five huge, earthen, ghee-filled pots, representing the sacred elements earth, air, fire, water and ether. As these five flames loom up with red-yellow light, the famous, one-day, South Indian festival of Krittika Deepam officially begins.

A flame taken from the five earthen pots that were lit just after the early morning temple ceremony of Bharani Deepam is kept burning in the Temple throughout the day as a symbol of the merging of manifestation back into God, the one source of all. This single flame is referred to as the Bharani Deepam.

"There is immense significance in this first Krittika Deepam ceremony called Bharani Deepam. At this time, the universal Lord manifests as the five elements, which will later fully merge to become one when the Krittika Deepam flame is lit in the evening. From one to many and many to one. This is the whole essence of Saivism and the meaning of Krittika Deepam."

Cauldron on Arunachala

On the day of this year's Bharani Deepam, i.e. November 21, 2010, men from a fishing family left the Arunachaleswarar Temple in the morning amidst ringing bells and Temple music. It will be fishermen from these hereditary fishing families, that each year light the Deepam flames both outside the Arunachaleswarar Siva Sannidhi and on top of Arunachala.







Local fishermen are traditionally given the privilege of carrying the Bharani Deepam up the mountain and lighting the Krittika Deepam in the evening, because, according to a popular myth, Parvati (the wife of Lord Siva) was born in a fishing village.





Since early morning town's people and pilgrims from far afield, have been climbing Arunachala in order to secure a good viewing point for the evenings lighting of the 2010 Deepam cauldron.











Thousands have donated ghee to Arunachaleswarar Temple for the 2010 Deepam cauldron. Many organisations and ashrams have made donations of lakhs of rupees for the purchase of ghee, and other smaller but equally welcomed contributions of small packets and bottles of ghee have been made by individual devotees. Some of those devotees will climb up the Hill over the approximate ten days in which the Deepam will be kept alight, so that they may personally deliver their ghee offerings.










It is early morning on November 21, the day of Bharani Deepam and the pot stands empty waiting to be filled with ghee coated linen and cloth.

















All across India, millions of bonfires are lit on hills and in temples on Krittika Deepam. But nowhere is this festival celebrated like it is at Tiruvannamalai. Here it is unique.

Krittika Deepam occurs annually in the lunar month of Kartika, which occurs in November/December, on the last day of the 10-day festival called Brahmotsavam. It is on this auspicious day that, at precisely 6:00 in the evening, a sacred fire is lit on top of the 2,668 foot Arunachala mountain to symbolize the merging of all manifest existence back into the one source of all things. It is said that those who witness this sacred ceremony personally receive the blessings of Siva and Parvati.








Finally, the appointed moment arrives. Against the backdrop of a sunset sky, crowned with the rising star of Kartika, thundering firecrackers, ringing Temple bells and a frenzy of rhythmic chanting merge to create a cacophony of chaotic splendor. Camphor is lit in a cauldron by Arunachaleswarar Temple flag pole, signaling the fishermen on top of the mountain to light the Deepam cauldron.

Maha Radham Arunachala Deepam 2010

One of the most well attended functions during the Arunachala Deepam Festival is always the day of the Maha Radham. On this day, five enormous chariots carrying representations of the Gods, circumbulate the perimeter of the 26 acre Arunachaleswarar Temple compound. The largest of these chariots is the Maha Radham, carrying the Lord Arunachaleswarar.

Over the years another major part of the day of 'Maha Radham' is ‘karumbu thottil’ -- which involves the fulfilment of a vow by parents, who previously promised Lord Arunachaleswarar that if granted a child, would return and carry the child in a 'sugar cane cradle' around the Temple.

A short narrative in a National newspaper on this subject begins thus:

"Hundreds of parents circumbulated Sri Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai town carrying their child in ‘karumbu thottil’, a cradle made of a new silk sari tied to sugarcane, to fulfil their prayers to Lord Arunachaleswarar.

A common sight on the seventh and tenth days of the Karthigai Deepam festival, the ritual is the culmination of a vow made to the deity. The devotees and temple priests strongly believe that couples will be blessed with a child if they promise to Lord Annamalaiyar that they will carry the infant around the temple in a sugarcane cradle. Not less than 10,000 couples kept their vow this year." To continue reading go to this link here.






This year at the beginning of the day long circumbulation, there was an incident in which the back wheels of the huge chariot over ran a number of devotees. We can report that no lives were lost and the devotees involved in the incident are now recovering.

In some of the below photographs, its possible to gauge the size and weight of the huge chariots, which are pulled with chains manually by devotees (gents on the right, ladies on the left) around the vast Temple perimeter.












By the time the Chariots have completed their full circumbulation of Arunachaleswarar Temple, it is late in the evening, and the chariots are once again positioned in their permanent homes on the side of 'Car Street' in the front of Arunachaleswarar Temple.

2010 Deepam Flame

Below photographs of the lighting of the 2010 Arunachala Deepam. The flame will be visible on top of Arunachala for approximately 10 nights.


Right click to view enlarged versions of the below photographs.


I have MANY Deepam photographs, and I hope to post a good selection of them within the next couple of days. So keep checking back.

2010 Deepam Lighting

Yesterday evening (Sunday, November 21, 2010) around dusk, approximately 6.05 p.m., the Deepam was lit on top of Arunachala.

Newspaper reports estimate that the number of devotees visiting Arunachala for the lighting of the 2010 Deepam to be around 17 Lakhs (1,700,000). With most of those devotees either viewing from Arunachaleswarar Temple, performing girivalam, climbing the Hill or attending functions at one of the many Ashrams throughout Tiruvannamalai.

This year I decided to take a nice silent Deepam and planned my evening accordingly. So around 5.00 p.m. my six doggies and I walked onto the Samudram Erie, giving a wide berth to the goats and cows grazing in the area, and headed for the spot that would give an excellent darshan of this glorious occasion.

We arrived at our 'spot' with time to spare and enjoyed the day becoming dusk and nearing the joyous moment of the Deepam lighting.








In anticipation of the moment of lighting, we could see and hear fireworks being set off throughout. Even though I was far from the crowds, I could sense a great feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air.






And the time has come, and there on top of our beautiful Arunachala, the light of the 2010 Deepam.






Shouts and cheers punctuated the dusk, and the darkening skies were momentarily lit by the light of numerous fireworks.

In the next photograph as well as fireworks, one can see in the background, the lights of the Arunachaleswarar Temple Gopuram.





And now its getting quite dark, and the Deepam light is bright in the clear skies.





And suddenly the full moon peeps out from a cloud cover, and the picture of the 2010 Arunachala Deepam, is complete.






Blessings of Arunachala Light and Grace to all. Wherever you are , may you receive its light of joyous inspiration.

Arunachaleswarar Temple Flag Hoisting 2010

At the start of any Temple festival, a flag is hoisted outside the main Sannidhi to invite all to participate. As always the flag hoisting at the beginning of this year's Deepam Festival was a grand event. Below a pictorial representation of the occasion.


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