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."

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.

Deepam Legends

The night of the lighting of the 2010 Deepam Flame on top of Arunachala, is tomorrow November 21st.

In this respect, there are two famous myths from the Puranas that describe the history behind the famous yearly Arunachala Deepam. The first legend is that of Brahma and Vishnu’s dispute over a column of light and the other is of a boon given by Shiva for Parvati’s penance in atonement for killing the demon Mahisasura, a devotee of Shiva.

It is customary to celebrate Deepam in all Shiva Shrines at the same time that Deepam is celebrated at Arunachala, however the legend for these Siva Shrines is different to that of Arunachala. One other legend goes thus:



The Ghee Lamp, Rat and King:

While Lord Shiva was seated in Mount Kailas with Devi Uma, a ghee lamp was in the process of extinction. A rat nearby approached it to drink the ghee and in that act the wick was pushed out a little, enabling the flame to brighten. This pious act though unintentional, resulted in the rat securing a human birth with huge wealth and the rank of a King.

With that prosperous boon the rat was born on earth as Mabali. Mabali, while reigning in all glory, one day wanted to worship Siva and went to a Siva shrine with all his royal paraphernalia. While in the Temple, a drop from a ghee lamp fell upon Mabali. The King got sores from that one drop and his malady continued for a long time.

It was then Lord Siva proclaimed, "King, thou art very arrogant. Hence you got this trouble through me. From this day on if you light Shiva shrines with ghee, you will be rid of your sores and live happily." Highly delighted on hearing these words the King from that day commenced lighting Shiva Temples and dark places with ghee (clarified butter) lamps. Lord Shiva looking at the king's piety, gave him liberation in the month of Kartigai on star Kartigai during poorva Paksha.

It is for the reason the Lord appeared before the King in the form of Light, that Deepam Darsan is celebrated in all Siva Shrines on this same day every year.


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Some say that a spiritual significance of celebrating Karthigai Deepam, is that the ghee used in the cauldron (or lamp), symbolises one’s innate tendencies, which, is responsible for the ego to thrive. The wick is the ego. The flame of the lamp symbolises spiritual knowledge which depletes the ghee and also burns the wick, the ego (body, mind complex). Through the draining of the innate tendencies and the burning of the wick, one attains the spiritual goal, the realisation of the ultimate truth.

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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Deepam Festival Lights

The beautiful Arunachaleswarar Temple resplendent with its 2010 Deepam Festival lights.


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Rainy Days during Deepam Festival

So far 2010 Arunachala Deepam has been beset by heavy rains. Below a couple of very nice 'rainy' photographs taken during this year's Festival at one of the Arunachaleswarar Temple tanks.

Deepam Festival Preparations

Tomorrow at dusk at 6.05 p.m. (November 21, 2010) the Deepam cauldron will be lit on top of Arunachala. Below is a pictorial vignette of some of the Temple preparations preceding the Deepam Festival.

Street Processions

Below a pictorial snapshot of the first few days of 2010 Arunachala Deepam. Most days there are processions in both the morning and evening. To see the Festival schedule click on this link here.

Just to get the party going, a beautifully adorned Ruku, the lovely lady Arunachaleswarar Temple elephant.








Priests and workers in all the Arunachaleswarar Temple shrines are busier than usual maintaining puja implements.








Even though Deepam Festival is going forward nicely, there are still roadworks underway on outlying streets, in preparation for the huge crowds expected for Bharani Deepam on Sunday, November 21.






Certain towns in India were created as a consequence of the presence of a Temple. In the case of Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai initially grew around it in support of the slow development of the massive 26 acre Temple compound. Originally streets surrounding Arunachaleswarar Temple were inhabited by priests, artisans, labourers and tradespeople, all working in the creation and maintenance of the Temple.

Nowadays, the surrounding streets are no longer defined by class, caste and ocupation, however the relevance of processions through town, still play an essential role in maintaining a living relationship with ordinary folk going about their business throughout the day and Temple life.

All the following photographs are of processions that have occurred in this 2010 Deepam Festival, and are all taken OUTSIDE Arunachaleswarar Temple. The photographs are of the Gods circumbulating and giving their darshan around the 26 acre perimeter of the Temple. The radhams (chariots and floats) of the Gods, stop constantly to accept offerings from pilgrims and townfolk.