Karthigai Deepam is one of the most ancient festivals in our country, also being one of the biggest celebrations as entire South India participates in this massive event. Karthigai Deepam K Sriram Sri Ramana Bhaktha Samajam Chennai
KARTHIGAI DEEPAM Deepa Darshana Tatvam [Significance of the Beacon] Getting rid of the I am the body idea and merging the mind into the Heart to realize the Self as non-dual being and the light of all is the real significance of darshan of the beacon of light on Annamalai, the centre of the universe. -Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi on Annamalai Karthigai Deepam Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in the Heart, Oh Arunachala! -Aksharamanamalai, verse 1 Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi 1 P a g e
Introduction: Karthigai Deepam is one of the most ancient festivals in our country, perhaps even before people began celebrating Deepavali or Navarathri. Also being one of the biggest celebrations as entire South India participates in this massive event. Tiruvannamalai, known as Arunachala outside Tamil Nadu, is the scared town, about 180 Km from Chennai, where this festival is celebrated from time immemorial. Historians are unable to fix the time as to when this festival came into being. Thirugnana Sambandar, the Saint-Poet in Saivam, who belongs to 6 th Century, states that this festival as the most ancient of festivals in the decade( a set of ten verses) he rendered at Kapaleeswarar temple, Mylapore. One can find reference to this festival in Ahanaanuru [verses 141 &185] of age old Sangam Tamil literature said to be between 200 B C and 300 A D. Avaiyyar, the renowned Sangam Tamil poet, also mentions it in her poems. Also, Natrinai [verse 202], a Sangam Tamil literature refers this festival. Post Sangam literature Kar Narpadu [verse63] and Jeevaka Chinatamani [verse 256] also refers this. This festival is celebrated over ten days in the famous Arunachaleswara temple and the last day is the most significant one. It falls on full moon day (Pournami) coupled with Krithika star. This day is also celebrated in Kerala as ThriKarthika. THE GENESIS: Once Goddess Parvati, playing sport on Lord Siva, closed His eyes with both her hands from behind. This resulted in the entire universe getting plunged into darkness and different worlds including Booloka underwent untold misery. Getting angry, Lord Siva declared that Parvati no more deserved to be with Him. Goddess realised the seriousness of the prank she played on Him and requested Him to help her expatiate the sin she committed. The Lord said she should go to Arunachalam 2 P a g e
and do penance and that is the only solution. He also advised her to seek guidance from Sage Gautama, the designated Sthala Rishi for Tiruvannamalai. Leaving Kailas, Parvati camped at Kancheepurum enroute to Arunachalam. While she was at Kanchi, floods surged forth threateningly. Goddess made a Linga out of sand & mud and worshipped Lord Siva to save her and Kanchi. Floods receded and a temple was built subsequently around the Linga she created and thus was born the famous Ekambareswara Temple at Kancheepurum. On reaching Arunachalam, Goddess went straight to see Sage Gautama and accepted him as her Guru and conveyed to him the command of Lord Siva. Sage Gautama was astonished to the core on the exalted position,lord Siva accorded him by making him an Acharya(Teacher) to Mother Parvati. He immediately initiated her into tapas on the lines Lord Arunachaleswara taught him earlier. Goddess stayed there for quite some period and did tapas accordingly. She also did Arunagiri pradakshana( circumambulation of the Hill) on a daily basis. On full moon day which coincided with Krithika Nakshatram, as soon as she completed Giripradakshana, Lord Siva appeared before her and she merged with the Lord by His Grace. This is called Siva Sayujyam, the ultimate and fourth stage in Mukthi (Liberation). The other three states are Saalokiyum [living in the same world of the Lord like Kailas or Vaikunta], Saameepyam [living very near to the Lord] and Saaroopyam [attaining the powers of God and His Qualities] respectively. Lord Siva declared that the merger bestowed upon by Him to Goddess is irreversible and to prove this, He appeared as Arthanareeswara i.e. in a form wherein right half was Lord Siva and the left portion was Goddess Parvati. He also declared that all those who go around the Hill on this Holiest of Holy day i.e. on Pournami day in the month of Karthigai Nakshatram will be absolved of all sins and will be granted Siva Sayujyam, the ultimate goal of human life. Thus began the custom of celebrating goddess Parvati s attaining Siva Sayujyam on Full Moon Day in the month of Karthigai. 3 P a g e
The Festival: The whole festival is celebrated over ten days. Though each day is a grand celebration of masses ( about 8 to 10 lacs devotees assemble at Tiruvannamalai these days), the fifth day in which the Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati come out in Rishaba Vahanam ( Bull) and the tenth day, celebrated as Deepam Day, are the most important ones. The tenth day is the Full Moon day falling on Krithika Nakshatram. At 6 pm, Lord Arunachaleswara in His Arthanareeswara form will come out of the Sanctum Sanctorum of the temple and synchronising this, a huge fire ( Deepam) will be lit on top of Arunachala Hill. This Deepam will be visible for the next 7 to 10 days. Even today, millions go around the Hill on this Holy Karthigai Deepam Day keeping in sight the Holy Beacon lit on the hill. 4 P a g e
Karthigai and Lord Muruga: Highly pleased with the penance done by Sage Sanathsujatha, Lord Siva appeared before him and said he would grant any boon the sage desired. Surprisingly, the sage replied that he would grant any boon Lord Siva wants for a change. Taken aback by the highest level of devotion exhibited by the sage who expected nothing in return, Lord Siva stated His desire that he would like to have him as His son. The sage agreed but with one condition. He said he would like to be born directly from Lord Siva and not through the womb of a woman. As this is impossible, he thought that lord Siva would drop His request then and there. However the Lord had other ideas. He opened his third Eye and a great fire came out of it and became six sparks and they settled down in a lake called Saravana Poigai as six babies. These six babies were looked after by six women called Krithika group of ladies ( Karthigai Pendir in Tamil). It is on this full moon day falling on Krithika star, Goddess Parvati united all the six babies into one and Lord Muruga was born with six faces. Hence Karthigai Deepam is celebrated with great fervour in the entire south India as Lord Muruga s Birthday. Further Lord Muruga is wisdom- personified and dispels the darkness of ignorance. So, a lot of lights are lit in little lamps symbolically driving away darkness from everywhere. Lord Muruga represents Knowledge, Victory and Peace as he is incarnation of Sage Sanathsujatha who is verily supreme Gnana itself. Thus the birth of Lord Muruga was without getting into the womb of a woman satisfying both the Sage Sanathsujatha and Lord Siva. 5 P a g e
Karthigai King Mahabali: Deepam and The legend behind Onam( Keralites) and Karthigai( Vaishnavaites) is the same and is linked with the Fifth Avatar of Lord Mahavishnu- Vamana. Lord Vishnu granted Mukti (Liberation) to King Bali on the Karthigai Deepam Day. King Bali requested Lord Vishnu to allow him to visit Kerala once in a year and Lord Vishnu granted him his wish. In fact the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by King Mahabali and hence his desire to visit Kerala at least once in a year. It is believed that he visits Kerala on Onam day every year. 6 P a g e
How Karthigai Deepam is celebrated? Rows of little lamps ( Agal Vilakus ) in front of every house... this is the image that comes immediately when one thinks of Karthigai Deepam. Bigger lamps made of mud, stone and metal are lit inside the house. The ancient Tamils are said to have imported lamps from Greece and Rome through ports of Arikamedu (near Pondicherry), Mahabalipurum and Mylapore. Karthigai Deepam has its own Recipies. Vella Seedai, Karthigai Adai, Adhirasam, Pori Urundai are the famous ones. 7 P a g e
On Deepam day, people place all the lamps before God and do Puja [worship] and light them. Then Deeparadhana is done. Earlier they clean the house, draw kolams [Rangoli] and place the lighted lamps over them. Normally this is done for three days. However some people celebrate this extending from Deepavali. Let this Karthigai Deepam bring all of us a brightened and enlightened future full of Wisdom, Happiness, Peace and Prosperity. Wish you all a Grand, Happy Karthigai Deepam 8 P a g e