Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest and most sacred festivals in Tamil culture, celebrated as the
Festival of Lights that honours both Lord Shiva’s infinite flame and Lord Murugan’s divine birth. The
festival carries centuries of devotion, legend and symbolism, and transforms Tamil Nadu into a
landscape of glowing oil lamps and spiritual radiance.
The origins of Karthigai Deepam lie in two powerful legends treasured in Tamil tradition. The first
speaks of Lord Shiva manifesting as an endless column of fire to settle a cosmic dispute between
Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. Neither god could find its beginning or end, and this boundless flame
became a symbol of the ultimate truth that transcends form and time. Karthigai Deepam
commemorates this revelation of Shiva as pure, infinite light. The second legend celebrates the birth
of Lord Murugan. Sparks that emerged from Shiva’s third eye formed six divine flames, which were
nurtured by the six Krittika maidens. These six aspects later united to become Lord Murugan, the
radiant warrior deity. Because this divine event is associated with the appearance of the Krittika star,
the festival carries deep astrological and spiritual resonance.
Karthigai Deepam is observed in the Tamil month of Karthigai, between November and December,
and the celebrations span ten days. The festival reaches its pinnacle on the final evening when the
Maha Deepam is lit atop the sacred Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai. Devotees light rows of oil
lamps in temples, streets and homes, creating an atmosphere where every flickering flame seems to
echo the triumph of light over darkness. The Maha Deepam itself, placed in a giant cauldron and
visible for miles, represents Shiva in the form of Agni, the cosmic fire.
Tiruvannamalai becomes the heart of the celebration. At the Arunachaleswarar Temple, lakhs of
devotees gather to witness the lighting of the great flame on the hill. The festival draws an
estimated forty to forty-five lakh visitors, making it one of South India’s largest spiritual gatherings.
Temple processions carry deities through the streets in beautifully decorated chariots, and devotees
undertake Girivalam, a sacred fourteen-kilometre circumambulation of the Arunachala hill. This
pilgrimage is believed to purify the mind, dissolve karmic burdens and bring the devotee closer to
the presence of Shiva’s eternal light.
At its core, Karthigai Deepam is a celebration of divinity, unity and inner illumination. The humble
lamps lit at home symbolise the flame of truth within every individual. The festival honours Shiva,
Murugan and Ayyappan, reflecting the inclusive and interconnected nature of Tamil spirituality.
Families gather to light lamps together, while temples echo with chants and rituals that bind
communities to the cosmic flame. Everywhere, the message remains the same: divine light is
eternal, and it guides humanity through ignorance, darkness and uncertainty toward clarity, purpose
and liberation.
Karthigai Deepam is not merely a ritual; it is a deeply felt experience of devotion, light and
togetherness. From the gentle glow of lamps in a household prayer room to the towering blaze of
the Maha Deepam on Arunachala, the festival reminds every devotee that the light of the divine is
always present, always guiding, and always victorious over darkness.
