During Deepam Festival on the day of Maha Radham, people offer up their child to Lord Annamalaiyar by taking it on girivalam around Arunachaleswarar Temple. In the below photographs people are buying sugar canes to tie together to support a hammock for their child.
In the below the tied cloth in the middle of the sugarcane holds a young child or baby. It used to be that people would offer up their first born to the God in this way, but it seems as if this custom has grown to include offering up all their children for the God's Blessing.
This day Wednesday, 21st November) there were hundreds of families carrying their Karumbu Baby Thotties in girivalam around Arunachaleswarar. Below a photograph of the pavement covered in leaves from the sugarcanes.
