Deepam festival 2012, Fifth Night

The below photographs are of the fifth night of the Deepam Festival, 2012 dedicated to the Risabha (bull) Vahanam and accompanying Panchamoorthigal Purappadu. 

Enjoy these wonderful photographs taken by an official press photographer inside the Temple during the preparation and puja of the Gods, and later of the huge crowds overflowing the concourse outside the Raja Gopuram of Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

Right click on all photographs to view enlargements. 

After Deepam I will be posting an in-depth narrative on my website Arunachala Samudra, with photographs of the 2012 Karthigai Deepam, which will give more insight into the more esoteric meanings of the Gods on their varieties of Vahanam. To view details of the 2011 Karthigai Deepam on Arunachala Samudra, go to this link here. 

Rishaba Vahanam, 2011 Karthigai Deepam

Right click on all photographs to view enlargement

The silver Rishaba Vahanam is regarded as one of the more important processions over the Karthigai Deepam Festival. It generally occurs on the fifth night of the Festival, and as you can see from the huge crowds thronging the streets outside the Arunachaleswarar Temple, is very popular and is always well attended.

The Silver Bull

Lord Annamalaiyar

Huge crowds outside Temple