Deepam 2022: Day 10 — Tuesday 6 December

 

Bharani Deepam early morning December 6, 2022

Mahadeepam, Dusk December 6, 2022: Temple

 

 

 

 

 

Mahadeepam, Dusk December 6, 2022: Arunachala Summit

Temple Lights from Arunachala Summit

2016 New Arunachala Mahadeepam Cauldron

Every several years the Mahadeepam cauldron (used during the Karthigai Festival and which burns at the top of Arunachala  throughout the Festival) has to be replaced because of damage. Years previously the cauldron used to remain at the top of the Hill throughout the year. Nowadays it is carried up on poles prior to Mahadeepam and then brought down again at the end of the Festival.

Previous Mahadeepam cauldron on Arunachala

This year a new Mahadeepam cauldron (kopparai) is being created at metal works here in Tiruvannamalai. The new cauldron will measure 5 feet and have pure copper rings around the outside top of the cauldron measuring 3 feet diameter width, and on the outside bottom (of the cauldron) of 2.25 feet diameter width. The new cauldron (kopparai) is to cost Rs.1.5 laks to create.

Creating the new cauldron

Creating new 2016 Arunachala Mahadeepam cauldron

2015 Deepam Festival. Day 10--Afternoon: Countdown to 6 p.m. Mahadeepam

From early morning on the day of Mahadeepam (25th November, 2015), there was a rush of activity both on the streets surrounding the Temple and also in the Temple Compound. 

The below photographs are a pictorial record of the countdown to that time between day and the dusk; heralding the lighting of the Mahadeepam both in Arunachaleswarar Temple and on top of Arunachala. 

Thirumanjana Street

Thiruvoodal Street, bisecting Thirumanjana Street

Most of the devotees are at the start of their Hillround Girivalam

Crowds inside the Temple Compound

Preparing the Temple Deepam Cauldron

Devotees waiting outside the Sambanda Vinayagar Shrine

Cameramen and Reporters upstairs

Waiting for 6 p.m. and Mahadeepam

Panchamoorthies at the 16 Pillar Kaatchi Mandapm

The above video is of devotees inside the Arunachaleswarar Temple Compound, waiting patiently for dusk and the lighting of the Mahadeepam both in the Temple and a few moments later on the top of Arunachala. 

Photographs -- Arunachala Karthigai Mahadeepam: December 5, 2014

Carrying 2014 Karthigai Deepam pot up Arunachala

Every year during Deepam five earthen-pot lighted lamps, representing the five elements, provide the flame for the single Bharani Deepam which fisherman carry to the top of the mountain for use as the source-light for the Krittikai Deepam. It is also they who are entrusted with carrying the Deepam Cauldron up to the top of the Hill prior to the day of Mahadeepam. 

The Deepam cauldron is hauled up the slopes of Arunachala supported by poles inserted into the cauldron’s rings. The unique privilege for taking the flame (source-light) and cauldron up the Hill and also for the actual lighting of the Deepam Flame is always given (for long as the Hill’s recorded history) to men of the fishing caste. 

The reason for the extraordinary grace shown to the fishing clan reputedly is explained by a famous legend of the time the Goddess Parvati was adopted by the king of the fishermen. A version of the story appears below. 

Becoming a Fisherman 

"Once, the Lord was explaining to the Goddess the secret import of the Vedas. However, the Goddess who was listening to the Lord, seemed to be beset with some anxiety and was otherwise engrossed. It was, therefore, apparent that She was listening in name only. The Lord noticed this and said that as She was not paying full attention to the important things discoursed by him she should be born in the fisherman’s community. The Goddess lamented this and the Lord assured Her that She would be born to the king of fishermen and that He (The Lord) would in due course come to wed her. 

Ganapathi and Subrahmanya, the sons of the Lord were greatly perturbed by this and in their frenzy, considered the books of the Vedas to be the cause of the trouble and threw the offending books into the sea. The Lord took Nandikeswara to task for having allowed Vinayaka and Subrahmanya to go to Him without knowing His convenience and cursed him to become a shark in the sea. Any curse on Ganapathi would recoil on Him (the Lord) and hence the Lord did not impose any curse on him, however, Subrahmanya was cursed to become the dumb son of a merchant. 

There was a place called Pakam on the eastern seashore of the Pandya Kingdom which was inhabited by fishermen and their king of the great fisherman clan of Paravar, was a great devotee of Lord Siva. The king had no children and one day, when he went to the sea for fishing, found a crying female child lying under a Pinnai tree (or Punnai, Calophyllam Inophyllam) on the seashore. He picked the child up with great joy and handed it to his wife saying that it was a gift of the Lord. His wife brought up the child very affectionately and adorned it with various jewels. The child grew to be a girl who constantly meditated on Lord Siva. 

As ordained by the Lord, Nandikeswara became a shark and caused havoc to the fishermen’s boats sailing in the sea. The king of the fishermen took considerable pains to catch the shark – but all was in vain. The king therefore announced that he would give his daughter in marriage to any person who would catch the shark. 

The Lord appeared in the guise of a young fisherman before the king of fishermen, who was struck with the personality and bearing of the young newcomer. To the king’s enquiry He replied that he was a fishermen and could net any big fish or shark. The king told him of the prize offered for netting the shark infesting the area. The newcomer went to the sea and in no time netted the shark. 

The king and his men were astonished at the feat. And happily gave to the newcomer his daughter in marriage and celebrated the wedding immediately. The bride and bridegroom immediately appeared as Siva and Parvati on their Vrishabha mount and the shark also appeared as Nandikeswara. 

The king of the fishermen prayed to the God extolling Him for the great kindness shown to an ordinary and illiterate man like him. The Lord told him that as he has he had been yearning to get a child for so long, he had sent Parvati as his daughter and He came himself came to wed Her. The Lord also blessed the king to have all prosperity and at the end of his life to become a denizen of Sivaloka. Then the Lord instructed Parvati about the secret import of the Vedas and She eagerly and earnestly listened to the discourse." 

Live TV coverage and online streaming video 2014 Karthigai Deepam

Tiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam -- December 5, 2014 

Morning 4:00 am Bharani Deepam 

Afternoon - Theerthavari Brahma Theertham 

Evening 6:00 pm Karthigai Deepam at Arunachaleshwarar Temple 

Live TV Coverage 

Many TV channels will telecast Barani Deepam and Karthigai Deepam live from Tiruvannamalai on December 5, 2014; Sun News, Vijay TV, DD Podhigai, Zee Tamil, Raj TV, Sri Sankara TV, Jaya TV, and SVBC TTD TV -- from 4:00 pm onwards.

 

To watch Karthigai Deepam 2014 live on YouTube visit 'Swasthik TVCom Channel' at this link here: 

 

You can watch online streaming of Tiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam 2014 on:

http://vasanth.tv/livetv.php 

http://www.turbotv.in/dd-podhigai-live 

http://www.dinamalar.com/thirvannamalai_live_video.asp  
http://www.turbotv.in/dd-podhigai-live 

http://www.svbcttd.com 

http://srisankaratv.com 

Karthigai Deepam online streaming video from Arunachaleswarar Temple official website at:

http://live.arunachaleswarar.org 

2013 Arunachala Deepam Festival Photographs

RIGHT CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPHS TO VIEW ENLARGEMENT

The below photographs are of the culmination of the 2013 Deepam Festival celebrated at Tiruvannamalai by the lighting of the Deepam Cauldron at the top of Arunachala and also inside the Arunachaleswarar Temple. 

The first photograph is of the blessing of the Cauldron inside the Arunachaleswarar Temple before it starts its long trip to the top of Arunachala. 

Rukku's blessing of the Cauldron

Cauldron leaving the Temple on its way to top of Arunachala

The next series of photographs show the fisherman (who are traditionally in charge of the Cauldron, including its lighting) filling the Cauldron with ghee and wick. The small bottles of ghee have been donated by devotees, who often climb the hill during the period the Cauldron is alight to personally deliver their ghee offerings. Large containers of ghee from the Temple are also carried up the Hill to fill the Cauldron. 

Individual ghee pot offerings for the Cauldron

Fishermen devotees preparing the Cauldron

Wick previously waiting inside the Temple waiting to be carried up the Hill

Filling the Cauldron with the wick

 Arunachaleswarar Temple from Hilltop, notice the crowds in compound

The next two photographs are of devotees climbing Arunachala to be as close as possible to the Deepam Cauldron to view the lighting. From early morning one can see a column of devotees climbing the Hill from the Temple side. From a distance the column looks like a line of ants.

Some devotees marking their spot for the Mahadeepam Function

Other Devotees eager to climb higher to the top of the Hill

The next two photos are of the lighting of the 2013 Arunachala Karthigai Deepam Cauldron

Lighting of 2013 Arunachala Karthigai Deepam

2013 Deepam

While the lighting is occurring at the top of Arunachala, so too a smaller cauldron is being lit inside Arunachaleswarar Temple outside the Siva Sannidhi, near the flagstaff. At the culmination of the Deepam function inside Arunachaleswarar Temple, the statue of Ardhanarishvara is carried into the crowds. This is the only time in the year that this statue leaves its permanent place inside the Temple.

Arunachaleswarar Temple with 2013 Deepam Lights

The statue of Ardhanarishvara (Shiva-Parvati)

The Deepam Flame was burning on the Hill this year for 11 days. In olden times the Deepam pot remained on the top of the Hill and was only taken down the Hill when it was being repaired or replaced. Nowadays the Cauldron is taken up just before Mahadeepam and after its completion is brought back down to Arunachaleswarar Temple to its permanent home in the 1,000 Pillared Hall. Where it will remain until next Deepam at which time it will be repaired (if necessary) and repainted. 

Koparai Puja for the Deepam pots (from top of Hill and Temple)

I have a full collection of photographs of each day of the 2013 Arunachala Karthigai Deepam Festival which will be soon uploaded with full narratives onto Arunachala Samudra. 

In this respect Arunachala Samudra website welcomes contributions be they financial, submission of narratives, articles or photographs, in support and development of what will be the definitive Arunachala Website. There is a PayPal function located at the left column of this Blog. For information regarding alternative methods of sending donations please email via the address located at the top left of Arunachala Grace. Thank you.