KARTHIGAI DEEPAM

Karthigai is essentially a festival of lamps. Lighting a lamp is considered auspicious. In addition to warding off evil forces, it brings prosperity and joy. Throughout Hindu festivals and rituals, the lighted lamp is indispensable, but that's especially true for Karthigai. Ahananuru gives one of the earliest references to the festival, dating back to the Sangam Age (200 B.C. to 300 A.D.). It states that Karthigai is celebrated on the full moon day (pournami) of the Tamil month of Karthigai. The ancient Tamils celebrated it as one of their most important festivals (peruvizha). The renowned poetess Avaiyyar refers to the festival in her poetry. 

    According to the earliest Hindu scripture, the two great deities of Hindu culture, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma began fighting among themselves over superiority. Each believed the other was stronger. To stop the fight, Lord Shiva stood in front of them and showed his supremacy. Taking the form of a huge fire, he challenged the two fighting Gods to put an end to the fight. Vishnu took the form of a boar and tried to reach the end of the fire below the earth. Lord Shiva told him that he had failed miserably and that he had not been able to find the end of the fire from the bottom. Lord Brahma on the other hand, took the shape of a swan and flew to find the beginning of the fire on the topside. But his search was also in vain and he was unable to find the top of the fire. Thus, Lord Shiva proved his supremacy over the two Gods and managed to stop the fight. Lord Shiva proved that he is the main God of the earth and there is no use in fighting among other Gods regarding their supremacy. He then appeared in the shape of a hill in the Thiruvannamalai region. The names Tiruvannamalai’ and `Arunachala’ denote “holy fire hill”. As time passed, kings and famous people built a temple on the hill to honour Lord Shiva. This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in this particular place.

    Another legend links Karthigai Deepam to Lord Muruga. Lord Muruga adopted the form of six babies in Saravana Poigai, a lake and was looked after by six Krittika stars. On this day, Goddess Parvathy united all the six forms. Thus, Lord Karthikeya has six faces and is popularly known as Aarumugan in Tamil culture.

    Despite its religious significance and other aspects, this festival holds greater significance due to the fire that blazes 2668 feet in the sky on the mountaintop. A kilometre of Gada cloth is the wick, and 15 tons of ghee is the fuel for the divine lamp to burn for ten days. There have been many times when the lamp shone brightly even when it was raining and windy. Devotees feel a great sense of faith and devotion when they see this. 

    Thus, Karthigai Deepam, or the festival of lights, is thus one of the most prominent festivals in Tamil Nadu, and it holds several rich cultural aspects within it.