25 November 2010

Cauldron on Arunachala



On the day of this year's Bharani Deepam, i.e. November 21, 2010, men from a fishing family left the Arunachaleswarar Temple in the morning amidst ringing bells and Temple music. It will be fishermen from these hereditary fishing families, that each year light the Deepam flames both outside the Arunachaleswarar Siva Sannidhi and on top of Arunachala.







Local fishermen are traditionally given the privilege of carrying the Bharani Deepam up the mountain and lighting the Krittika Deepam in the evening, because, according to a popular myth, Parvati (the wife of Lord Siva) was born in a fishing village.





Since early morning town's people and pilgrims from far afield, have been climbing Arunachala in order to secure a good viewing point for the evenings lighting of the 2010 Deepam cauldron.











Thousands have donated ghee to Arunachaleswarar Temple for the 2010 Deepam cauldron. Many organisations and ashrams have made donations of lakhs of rupees for the purchase of ghee, and other smaller but equally welcomed contributions of small packets and bottles of ghee have been made by individual devotees. Some of those devotees will climb up the Hill over the approximate ten days in which the Deepam will be kept alight, so that they may personally deliver their ghee offerings.










It is early morning on November 21, the day of Bharani Deepam and the pot stands empty waiting to be filled with ghee coated linen and cloth.

















All across India, millions of bonfires are lit on hills and in temples on Krittika Deepam. But nowhere is this festival celebrated like it is at Tiruvannamalai. Here it is unique.

Krittika Deepam occurs annually in the lunar month of Kartika, which occurs in November/December, on the last day of the 10-day festival called Brahmotsavam. It is on this auspicious day that, at precisely 6:00 in the evening, a sacred fire is lit on top of the 2,668 foot Arunachala mountain to symbolize the merging of all manifest existence back into the one source of all things. It is said that those who witness this sacred ceremony personally receive the blessings of Siva and Parvati.








Finally, the appointed moment arrives. Against the backdrop of a sunset sky, crowned with the rising star of Kartika, thundering firecrackers, ringing Temple bells and a frenzy of rhythmic chanting merge to create a cacophony of chaotic splendor. Camphor is lit in a cauldron by Arunachaleswarar Temple flag pole, signaling the fishermen on top of the mountain to light the Deepam cauldron.








24 November 2010

Maha Radham Arunachala Deepam 2010


One of the most well attended functions during the Arunachala Deepam Festival is always the day of the Maha Radham. On this day, five enormous chariots carrying representations of the Gods, circumbulate the perimeter of the 26 acre Arunachaleswarar Temple compound. The largest of these chariots is the Maha Radham, carrying the Lord Arunachaleswarar.

Over the years another major part of the day of 'Maha Radham' is ‘karumbu thottil’ -- which involves the fulfilment of a vow by parents, who previously promised Lord Arunachaleswarar that if granted a child, would return and carry the child in a 'sugar cane cradle' around the Temple.

A short narrative in a National newspaper on this subject begins thus:

"Hundreds of parents circumbulated Sri Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai town carrying their child in ‘karumbu thottil’, a cradle made of a new silk sari tied to sugarcane, to fulfil their prayers to Lord Arunachaleswarar.

A common sight on the seventh and tenth days of the Karthigai Deepam festival, the ritual is the culmination of a vow made to the deity. The devotees and temple priests strongly believe that couples will be blessed with a child if they promise to Lord Annamalaiyar that they will carry the infant around the temple in a sugarcane cradle. Not less than 10,000 couples kept their vow this year." To continue reading go to this link here.






This year at the beginning of the day long circumbulation, there was an incident in which the back wheels of the huge chariot over ran a number of devotees. We can report that no lives were lost and the devotees involved in the incident are now recovering.

In some of the below photographs, its possible to gauge the size and weight of the huge chariots, which are pulled with chains manually by devotees (gents on the right, ladies on the left) around the vast Temple perimeter.












By the time the Chariots have completed their full circumbulation of Arunachaleswarar Temple, it is late in the evening, and the chariots are once again positioned in their permanent homes on the side of 'Car Street' in the front of Arunachaleswarar Temple.




23 November 2010

Sri Nannagaru Question and Answer Session

As is his usual custom Sri Nannagaru, who hails from Jinnuru, Andhra Pradesh, spent Deepam at his Ashram at the foot of Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai. I've written about Swamiji many times in Arunachala Grace, but briefly would mention that he considers his life work twofold, to tell people about the glory of Arunachala and also to disseminate the teachings of his own Guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi. To read more about Sri Nannagaru, please visit his website at:

http://www.srinannagaru.com







Tomorrow, i.e. November 24th, 2010, there will be a Live Feed, Question and Answer session with Sri Nannagaru at IST 8.00 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. To watch please visit this link at:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/srinannagaru


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.














22 November 2010

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.



20 November 2010

Deepam Legends



The night of the lighting of the 2010 Deepam Flame on top of Arunachala, is tomorrow November 21st.

In this respect, there are two famous myths from the Puranas that describe the history behind the famous yearly Arunachala Deepam. The first legend is that of Brahma and Vishnu’s dispute over a column of light and the other is of a boon given by Shiva for Parvati’s penance in atonement for killing the demon Mahisasura, a devotee of Shiva.

It is customary to celebrate Deepam in all Shiva Shrines at the same time that Deepam is celebrated at Arunachala, however the legend for these Siva Shrines is different to that of Arunachala. One other legend goes thus:



The Ghee Lamp, Rat and King:

While Lord Shiva was seated in Mount Kailas with Devi Uma, a ghee lamp was in the process of extinction. A rat nearby approached it to drink the ghee and in that act the wick was pushed out a little, enabling the flame to brighten. This pious act though unintentional, resulted in the rat securing a human birth with huge wealth and the rank of a King.

With that prosperous boon the rat was born on earth as Mabali. Mabali, while reigning in all glory, one day wanted to worship Siva and went to a Siva shrine with all his royal paraphernalia. While in the Temple, a drop from a ghee lamp fell upon Mabali. The King got sores from that one drop and his malady continued for a long time.

It was then Lord Siva proclaimed, "King, thou art very arrogant. Hence you got this trouble through me. From this day on if you light Shiva shrines with ghee, you will be rid of your sores and live happily." Highly delighted on hearing these words the King from that day commenced lighting Shiva Temples and dark places with ghee (clarified butter) lamps. Lord Shiva looking at the king's piety, gave him liberation in the month of Kartigai on star Kartigai during poorva Paksha.

It is for the reason the Lord appeared before the King in the form of Light, that Deepam Darsan is celebrated in all Siva Shrines on this same day every year.


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Some say that a spiritual significance of celebrating Karthigai Deepam, is that the ghee used in the cauldron (or lamp), symbolises one’s innate tendencies, which, is responsible for the ego to thrive. The wick is the ego. The flame of the lamp symbolises spiritual knowledge which depletes the ghee and also burns the wick, the ego (body, mind complex). Through the draining of the innate tendencies and the burning of the wick, one attains the spiritual goal, the realisation of the ultimate truth.



Arunachaleswarar Temple Flag Hoisting 2010

At the start of any Temple festival, a flag is hoisted outside the main Sannidhi to invite all to participate. As always the flag hoisting at the beginning of this year's Deepam Festival was a grand event. Below a pictorial representation of the occasion.


Right click on all photographs to view enlarged version.
























Deepam Festival Lights

The beautiful Arunachaleswarar Temple resplendent with its 2010 Deepam Festival lights.


Right click to view enlarged photographs.








Rainy Days during Deepam Festival

So far 2010 Arunachala Deepam has been beset by heavy rains. Below a couple of very nice 'rainy' photographs taken during this year's Festival at one of the Arunachaleswarar Temple tanks.









Deepam Festival Preparations

Tomorrow at dusk at 6.05 p.m. (November 21, 2010) the Deepam cauldron will be lit on top of Arunachala. Below is a pictorial vignette of some of the Temple preparations preceding the Deepam Festival.





























18 November 2010

Street Processions



Below a pictorial snapshot of the first few days of 2010 Arunachala Deepam. Most days there are processions in both the morning and evening. To see the Festival schedule click on this link here.

Just to get the party going, a beautifully adorned Ruku, the lovely lady Arunachaleswarar Temple elephant.








Priests and workers in all the Arunachaleswarar Temple shrines are busier than usual maintaining puja implements.








Even though Deepam Festival is going forward nicely, there are still roadworks underway on outlying streets, in preparation for the huge crowds expected for Bharani Deepam on Sunday, November 21.






Certain towns in India were created as a consequence of the presence of a Temple. In the case of Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai initially grew around it in support of the slow development of the massive 26 acre Temple compound. Originally streets surrounding Arunachaleswarar Temple were inhabited by priests, artisans, labourers and tradespeople, all working in the creation and maintenance of the Temple.

Nowadays, the surrounding streets are no longer defined by class, caste and ocupation, however the relevance of processions through town, still play an essential role in maintaining a living relationship with ordinary folk going about their business throughout the day and Temple life.

All the following photographs are of processions that have occurred in this 2010 Deepam Festival, and are all taken OUTSIDE Arunachaleswarar Temple. The photographs are of the Gods circumbulating and giving their darshan around the 26 acre perimeter of the Temple. The radhams (chariots and floats) of the Gods, stop constantly to accept offerings from pilgrims and townfolk.







































Arunachala Deepam Origins and History