This year certain restrictions were put in force regarding people
climbing the Hill on the day of Mahadeepam (i.e. December 2, 2017).
Specifically only 2,500 devotees were given ticketed access to climb the Hill
in order to make their offerings of ghee directly into the Deepam Cauldron.
Tickets were issued from 6 a.m. that morning and devotees were allowed access
to climb Arunachala from 10 a.m. via the pathway opposite Arunchaleswarar
Temple Pey Gopuram. Ticketed devotees had to return down the Hill and be back
at the ingress point by 6 p.m.
To find out more about the reasons why such unique restrictions
regarding climbing the Hill on Mahadeepam Day were implemented this year, go to
this earlier link here.
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 Karthigai
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.
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| Carrying the 2017 Cauldron up Arunachala 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 as long as the Hill’s recorded history)
to men of the fishing caste.
Members of the Parvatha Raja light the cauldron on the summit of
Arunachala. According to local belief, the Parvatha Raja clan are descendants
of a king who had been blessed by Lord Shiva to light the cauldron in order to
ward off a curse. The clan has three sub-divisions: Unnamulai Priyan, Pennattu
Priyan and Vathathi Priyan. The menfolk from the three sub-classes take turns
every year to light the cauldron.
The clansmen are honoured with ‘Parivattam' on the morning of Karthigai
Deepam Day at the temple.They use `Ezhalal' (a long bamboo stick with the wick
at one end) to light the cauldron. The lamp is lit at 6pm when the idol of
Arthanareswarar is taken on a procession around the sanctum of the Arunachaleswarar
temple. Around 600kg of ghee, 100 metre of cloth and over 4 kg of camphor will
be used each day for the 13 days of 2017 Deepam.
The reason for the extraordinary grace shown to the fishing clan 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 that in retribution She should be born in the fisherman’s community.
The Goddess lamented 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, considering the books of the Vedas to be the cause
of the trouble, 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 the elephant God, 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’s curse, 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 and the king was
struck with the personality and bearing of the young newcomer. To the king’s
enquiry the young man 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 extolled the God for the great kindness shown
to an ordinary and illiterate man. The Lord told him that as he had been
yearning for a child, He sent Parvati to be 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."
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| Ticketed devotees climbing Hill |
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| Many are carrying ghee offerings to put directly into the Cauldron |
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| More ambitious devotees bypassing the single-file ascending the Hill |
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| Ropes in particularly difficult areas to climb were added for this year's Deepam |
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| Almost symbolically the soldier has his hand over the muzzle while next to the Bonnet Macque |
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| Devotees at the top of the Hill with their ghee offerings |
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| Medical assistance was available on the Hill |
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| Arunachaleswarar Temple from Arunachala as dusk slowly emerges |
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| Lighting the 2017 Arunachala Karthigai Cauldron |
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| Some devotees were allowed to remain on the Hill summit during the lighting |
Arunachala Karthigai Deepam will remain alight for 11 days
this year. The last day being Wednesday, December 12, 2017.
