Karthigai Deepam: An Ancient Festival
Karthigai Deepam is celebrated in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November – December). Not many of us are aware that it is one of the oldest festivals celebrated in the State perhaps even before people began celebrating Navratri and Deepavali. Unlike many other Hindu festivals, Karthigai Deepam is basically a Tamil festival and is virtually unknown in most other parts of the country. Not only is it one of the most important festivals of the State, but it is also one of the most elaborately celebrated festivals of Tamil Nadu. Here, people celebrate Karthigai Deepam for three days. One of the earliest references to the festival is found in the “Ahananuru”, a book of poems which dates back to the Sangam Age (200 B.C. to 300 A.D.) The “Ahananuru” clearly states that Karthigai is celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Karthigai. It was one of the most important festivals of the ancient Tamils. Avaiyyar, the renowned poetess of the Sangam Age refers to the festival in her songs.
Karthigai Deepam: An Interesting Festival
Legend of Siva
Legend has it that Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma were quarrelling as to who was the most powerful of the two. In order to teach them a lesson, Lord Siva appeared before them and asked them to find out the exact location of his head and his feet. Meanwhile, he transformed himself into a huge pillar of fire. Accordingly Brahma assumed the form of a swan and moved upwards. Vishnu transformed himself into a boar and started digging deep into the earth. Even after searching for many years, they were not able to find the ends of the pillar. Accepting their defeat, they prayed to Lord Siva that the blazing pillar should establish itself as a Hill (Thiruvannamalai), and that Lord Siva should take the form of a Lingam on the east of the Hill. They entreated that as a remembrance of the Greatness of Lord Siva, a Jyothi should appear every year on the top of the Hill during the time of Karthigai (i.e. the period of the Deepam). That is how this festival came to be known as Annamalai Deepam. Thiruvannamalai, near Chennai is the key temple of the festival. Here, a special torch is lighted on the zenith of the Hill and it is believed that Lord Siva’s Jyothi will be visible on this day.
Legend of Muruga
Karthigai Deepam is celebrated on the full moon day of the Karthigai month which coincides with the Krithigai Star. The month of Karthigai is of special importance to the Tamil people, which derives its name from the star “Krithigai”. It was in this month that Lord Siva created Lord Muruga from his Divine Light. Lord Muruga took the form of six babies in a lake called “Saravana Poigai.” On this day, all his six forms were united by his mother Parvathi, and he became “Arumugan” (the form with six faces). Special pujas are performed for Lord Muruga on this day. Lord Muruga is worshipped as the reigning deity of Tamil Nadu.
Karthigai Deepam: An Extended Deepavali
Karthigai Deepam is also considered as the extension of the Deepavali festival. In some houses, people double the number of lamps everyday from the day of Deepavali and this way they end with a number of lamps on the day of Karthigai Deepam. Children keep aside some of their Deepavali crackers, which is then burst on Karthigai Deepam. Rows of “Agal vilakkus” (lighted diyas) in front of every house…this is the image that at once comes to mind when we think of Karthigai Deepam – the festival of lights. On this day, people clean their houses and draw big, colorful “Kolams” (Rangoli) in front of the house and also place some lamps on it. The “Agals” are placed in the puja room. After lighting them and per