On the Streets -- 2014 Arunachala Karthigai Deepam Festival

The below photographs are a pictorial representations of some of the sights at Tiruvannamalai during the 2014 Karthigai Deepam Festival. 

Arriving at the main bus stand

Girivalam crowd taking both sides of the roadway

Crowds on Car Street

Crowd during a God procession

Girivalam crowds early in morning

Massive lamps in evidence throughout the Festival

Carrying large child in Karumpu Thuthi (sugar cane sling)

Ladies burning camphor in front of Temple

Barbers busy outside and inside Temple shaving heads

Hair shaving becoming traditional during Arunachala Karthigai Deepam

Flower sellers outside Raja Gopuram (East Gate) of Big Temple

Big Temple trying to keep up with garland demands for alangarams

Shops and stalls in Tirvannamalai full of lamps and lights

Priests during Silver Bull night at Temple

Priests and Brahmins throughout Tiruvannamalai

Sadhu inside Arunachaleswarar Temple

Sadhini with wonderful kumkum pottu at Big Temple

2014 Major Karthigai Deepam Functions

Below is the programme of the upcoming 2014 Karthigai Deepam at Arunachala listing just major functions over the Festival period. To view the complete programme of the upcoming 2014 Karthigai Festival as celebrated at Tiruvannamalai please go to my earlier posting at this link here.

All the photographs below are of a previous Deepam and taken from my website Arunachala Samudra, to give readers an idea of the size and energy of the crowds attending these major functions. 

To view more photographs and to read in-depth about the Arunachala Deepam Calendar go to to these link here and here.

Major functions over the upcoming 2014 Karthigai Arunachala Deepam

The below photographs are of an earlier Deepam Festival at Arunachala

Holy Flag Hoisting

Wish Fulfilling Tree (Virutcham)

Wish Fulfilling Cow (Kamadhenu)

Wish Fulfilling Tree and Kamadhenu outside Temple

Silver Rishaba

Huge Crowds for darshan of the Gods on Silver Rishaba

Maharadham being pulled around perimeter of Big Temple

Mahadeepam inside Arunachaleswarar Temple Compound

It is advised to all who intend being part of these wonderful, huge celebratory crowds that there will be people present who are not devotees. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE VALUABLES OR MONEY WITH YOU.