2014 Deepam Preparations Underway

Preparations are underway through Tiruvannamalai in connection with the upcoming 2014 Karthigai Arunachala Deepam. 

Ladies cleaning Temple lamps

Goldplating the Nagavagnam

Cleaning the Pali Peedam and fire holder

Pali Peedam in front of the Flagpost

Special Bus Services Announcement

It has been yearly practice to run special buses to Tiruvannamalai for the occasion of Karthigai Deepam. 

This year also, special buses will be run from Villupuram, Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Trichy, and other places to Tiruvannamalai. 

A total of 1100 special buses will be in service. 

Out of this, 500 are to be operated from Chennai. 

The buses will run from 4th December till 6th December. 

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.

Arunachala Deepam Origins and History

To read more about the traditions and mythology of Deepam as is celebrated at Arunachala, please visit the following earlier postings on Arunachala Grace.


http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/arunachala-deepam-festival.html

http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/bharani-deepam-2008.html



Festival of Light

Part 1
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/11/karthigai-deepam-south-india.html


Part 2
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/deepam-festival-part-two.html


Part 3
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/deepam-festival-part-three.html


Part 4
http://arunachalagrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/festival-of-light.html

Deepam Goddess

Deepam as celebrated at Arunachala, is traditionally connected with the Hill and Arunachaleswarar Temple, and the only other Arunachala Temple that ‘officially’ participates in the Deepam Festival Functions is the Durga Amman Koil..

Even though the flag hoisting at Arunachaleswarar Temple, which denotes the beginning of the Festival, took place this year on December 12th, the Festival, as always, was preceded by three days of functions dedicated to the Goddess Durga. Right click here, to see the full schedule of this year’s Festival.






The reason for this is believed to be because of the Goddess and the demon Mahisha:

read ‘The Fight with Mahishasura’:







In the Mahishasura legend, before fighting with the demon, the Goddess appointed four noble Bhairavis (celestial damsels) to keep watch on all four sides of Arunagiri. Ordering, that:

"Admit only those who have come to worship Arunachala and are tired, hungry and thirsty. Others should not enter. She then appointed strong men to guard the boundaries of Arunachala and continued Her penace at Her ashram."
[The Glory of Arunachala]

In accordance with the mythology of Arunachala, Durga is recognised as a Guardian of Arunachala and thus a precursor of the Deepam Festival is always a celebration of this aspect of the Goddess.