2011 Mahadeepam Photographs

Below are a number of photographs from the 2011 Mahadeepam taken on Arunachala in the afternoon and evening of December 8th, previous to the lighting of the Deepam in the evening, and of the event itself.

The first photograph is taken of devotees clambering up the hill in order to secure a good vantage point for the Deepam lighting. From the town, the lines of devotees climbing up the side of the Hill (usually via the roadway past Virupaksha Cave) look like thousands of tiny little ants.






The next photograph is of Arunachaleswarar Temple and the town of Tiruvannamalai taken from the top of Arunachala.





The next sequence of photographs are of the preparation of the Deepam Cauldron with its ghee-coated cloth wick.











All preparations have been completed and all that remains is to wait for the fall of dusk and the time for the lighting of the Deepam on top of Arunachala.





And finally the time has come for the lighting of the 2011 Mahadeepam on top of Arunachala.










And those on the Hill can look town at the great Arunachaleswarar Temple and its beautiful, brilliant lights celebrating the 2011 Deepam Festival.






The Arunachala Deepam Cauldron remains lit for a specified period of time of between 7 to 13 days. This year, 2011, it was announced in the newspapers that it would be alight for 11 nights.







And so it happened. And on the 12th day, the cauldron was brought back down the Hill for cleaning and storage at the Arunachaleswarar Temple, until the 2012 Karthigai Deepam, where it will be lit on the top of Arunachala on November 27, 2012.

Tenth Night and Ayyankulam Tank

Right click on photographs to view enlargements


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

Bharani Deepam 2011 video

The below is an excellent, recommended video taken of Bharani Deepam two days ago on December 8, 2011. Bharani Deepam occurs early in the morning, before daybreak, and is an essential part of the day's proceedings. Go to this link here for my earlier posting on the 2011 Bharani Deepam

Maharadham - Big Chariot

To watch a short video of this year's Maharadham procession, check out the below video. Gents pull the chariot from the right, and ladies from the left.







So how does it all work? First off we have the sweet Rukku, the Temple elephant surveying the area. She precedes many of the chariot processions and activities throughout the Deepam Festival.






From early morning, devotees have lined up, in order to enter the top of the Big Chariot, so that they may take darshan of the gods Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai. To reach the Gods, devotees have to climb to the top of a connecting building and cross a tunnel that leads directly into the top of the Big Chariot.





In the below photograph, you can see the yellow building connecting to the Big Chariot and the tunnel corridor leading from one to the other.




Devotees are milling about on Car Street around the chariots. But it will be hours before the Big Chariot is ready to move.






The photographs give one an idea of the vast size of the chariot.The devotees at the top of the chariot with their backs to us, are facing the murtis and taking their darshan.





The massive chains that will be used to pull the vast vehicle are lying on the pavement ahead of the Chariot.





Gents will be pulling the chariot from the right side, and ladies from the left side.




The chariot needs help, specifically when going around corners. So to control the direction of the vehicle, wooden chocs are placed under the massive wheels, and a number of lads and young men, jump up and down on wooden levers.




The levers themselves are heavy, solid planks of wood, so to move them under the wheels, a system of ropes and pulleys has been devised.





Progress around the outside of the 26 acre perimeter of the Arunachaleswarar Temple, is very slow, and it will be late in the night when the Big Chariot has completed its circumambulation of the Big Temple.

2011 Karthigai Mahadeepam

Right click on photos to see enlargement

First sight of the Deepam of the 2011 Karthigai Deepam Festival from the Samudram Erie. The sounds of cheers and fireworks ring through the air.




As dusk quickly falls, the light on Arunachala becomes easier to see.




And now, even in the light of the moon that tomorrow will be full, the Deepam on top of Arunachala blazes like a beacon for miles around.




HAPPY AND BLESSED DEEPAM TO ONE AND ALL


Will soon post photographs of the actual cauldron Deepam lighting at the top of Arunachala, do check back.

2011 Mahadeepam Live telecasts

The below TV channels will probably be only available in Tamil Nadu.

Maha Deepam DD Live:
Live telecast by Doordarshan Podhigai (DD1) from 4.15 pm on December 8, 2011 (Thursday).
Vasanth TV will live telecast Maha Deepam from around 4 pm.



On line Live Streaming
One can see live streaming of Karthigai Mahadeepam on:

http://www.vasanth.tv/livetv.php from Temple
http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/ from Ramana Ashram

and most probably also on websites listed below:

http://www.dinamalar.com/thiruvannamalai_live_video.asp Temple
http://www.svbcttd.com/ Temple
http://srisankaratv.com/ Temple

Blessing the Deepam Cauldron

Right click on view enlargements of photographs

Very early this morning Puja was performed at the Arunachaleswarar Temple on the Deepam cauldron with sweet Ruku, the Temple elephant and one of the cows from the Temple goshala in interested attendance.

Many years previously, the Deepam pot used to remain on top of Arunachala throughout the year, and was only replaced after several years of use and weathering from exposure on the Hill, had irreparably damaged it. Nowadays, the pot is carried up Arunachala a few days before Mahadeepam. And after the Festival is over, brought back down the Hill and stored at the Arunachaleswarar Temple.





The pot started its slow ascent up the side of the Hill before dawn. And by daybreak the carriers have already reached nearly half way up the Hill.




Those who have climbed the Hill, from the Temple and Virupaksha side know only too well of the rough, uneven path. Progress is slow, but progress is certain.




Before long the Temple Cauldron will have reached its destination as beacon light on top of Holy Arunachala.

Lights at Deepam Arunachaleswarar Temple

Throughout the Deepam 10 day Festival, the Arunachaleswarar Temple is lit up inside and out. When it becomes available I will post the Temple with all its light photographed from the top of Arunachala. But for now, we can enjoy the excellent displays the Temple are putting on both inside and outside the Compound.

So, eager were the town to have a successful Deepam Festival, that we had about two weeks of radical power outages to allow for extensive electrical maintenance to be performed in connection with the Festival. And now it all seems worth it:


Right click on all photographs to view enlargements:

2011 Karthigai Deepam Invitation

I previously posted a leaflet issued by the Arunachaleswarar Temple, giving details in Tamil (with my own English translation) about the 2011 Kathigai Deepam Programme.

Subsequently the Temple has issued another leaflet with more information about the programme, and importantly details for devotees wishing to purchase ghee to be offered in the Deepam Cauldron, and thereafter to receive prasad from the Cauldron (which will be posted from the Temple in mid-January). The prasad is a black sticky residue packed individually in small plastic sleeves.

I have often participated in the Ghee Pot scheme, however I have never done so by post, so cannot give any specific information as to how efficiently the Temple runs the prasad postal scheme. But the ghee will be purchased and offered into the Cauldron.

Am posting this information because I know many readers will wish to make a ghee offering to the Deepam Cauldron, and thereupon receive prasad taken directly from the inside of the Deepam Pot, after the Festival is concluded.

At the very bottom of the below leaflet (right click to view enlargement), there is information in Tamil regarding the purchase of Deepam Ghee Pots, the English translation follows below:



2011 Deepam Invitation


“Devotees are welcomed to pay and send their offerings towards "Ghee Pots". Devotees can arrange Rs.200/- for a half kg (500gms), Rs.100/- for 250 gms and Rs.50/- for a small offering, in person or through DD (Demand Draft) or MO (Money Order) or Bank Cheque in favour of; "Executive Officer, Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai" Landline: (0)4175-252438.

The devotee should include their proper contact address. Devotees who send a Ghee Pot offering will receive the Deepam Cauldron prasad through the post after the Aarudhra Festival which is celebrated during the Tamil month Maarghai (i.e. will be mailed around mid-January).

Devotees who are interested in offering for "Kattalai Archana Scheme" are also requested to send their offering to the same address above in the sum of Rs.200/- for one year and Rs.5000/- for life long. According to the scheme a special Archana (offering) will be carried out in the name of the devotee or in the name of a person who they like on the dates as per the devotees’ preference e.g. birthday or marriage anniversary etc. The prasad will be sent to them by post.

Devotees who are interested in offering "Nithya Annadhanam" serving food to devotees are also welcome. As per request the devotee should pay Rs.20,000/- which will be held as a permanent deposit, and the interest will be collected for the amount and food will be served on the date of the devotees’ preference. Interested devotees can send their offerings to the above-mentioned address, through the post, or come in person.”



Top of Arunachala near Cauldron
surrounded by Ghee offerings



Wick coated with ghee



Cauldron packed with
ghee coated wick



Cauldron preparations complete



Deepam Cauldron 2010

Karthigai Deepam, South Africa

The South African branch of the World Saiva Council will celebrate Karthigai Deepam on Saturday, December 3, 2011, at 5pm at Chatsworth Stadium, South Africa.

”Celebrated by South Indians for many centuries as the ancient festival of lights, the World Saiva Council has celebrated it on a very large scale annually for many years. In the month of Karthigai on the Tamil calendar, thousands of devotees around the world will climb the Mountain of Arnachellam (Annamalai mountains) in South India to pay homage to Lord Siva during the Karthigai Deepam celebration.

In South Africa, the World Saiva Council will erect a miniature replica of the mountain at the stadium during the celebrations so that all the swami's and guru's will create an aura of deep spirituality in their chanting of the 'maha mantra' and the lighting of the many clay lamps spread around the shrine and the ground during the religious 90 minutes of the programme.”

For more information go to this link here.