Shiva as the endless flame; Murugan of the Krittikas
Karthigai Deepam
The Tamil festival of lamps — and one great fire on Arunachala answering them all.
Tithi: Krittika nakshatra of the Tamil month Karthigai, by the full moon.
In the simplest words
Tamil Nadu's oldest festival of lamps — a giant flame on Arunachala hill becomes Shiva as a pillar of light, echoed by little lamps on every doorstep.
The story & purpose
When Brahma and Vishnu disputed primacy, Shiva rose between them as a column of fire without top or bottom — the Lingodbhava. Arunachala hill is held to be that very flame cooled into rock; and on Karthigai Deepam a cauldron of ghee and camphor is lit on its summit at dusk — the Maha Deepam, visible for thirty-five kilometres, drawing the cry 'Annamalaiyarukku arohara!'
It is among the oldest festivals in Tamil literature — sung in Sangam poems as the lamp-rows of Karthigai. Homes ring themselves with agal vilakku oil lamps; the six Krittika stars who nursed the infant Murugan make it his day too.
What is done
Agal vilakku rows
Oil lamps at every threshold, window, and kolam point after dusk.
Bharani & Maha Deepam
The dawn Bharani Deepam and the dusk summit flame at Thiruvannamalai; giri-valam (14 km circumambulation) through the night.
Deepa jaap
Om Namah Shivaya before the lamps; the flame watched as the formless made visible.
Best timings
Home lamps at pradosh; the Maha Deepam is lit at sunset on the hill.
Exact muhurat varies by city and tradition — for the precise hour, consult a local panchang for your location.
Worth knowing
Ramana Maharshi made Arunachala the still centre of his life and teaching — for him the hill itself was Shiva, the flame become rock.
The summit wick drinks thousands of litres of ghee, carried up by hereditary families.
Karthigai extends Deepavali's lamps by a month in Tamil homes — light given a season, not a night.
Mantras of this festival
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Panchakshara — Om Namah Shivaya
Begin jaap →चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम्
Shivoham — refrain of the Nirvana Shatakam
Begin jaap →दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः । दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Deepa Jyotih Parabrahma
Begin jaap →ॐ शरवणभवाय नमः
Kartikeya (Murugan) mantra
Begin jaap →