�Thiruvannamalai Deepam� Festival starts on 26th with sacred flag-hoisting ceremony!
Posted on: 24/Nov/2014 3:30:59 PM - No. of views : (2524)
The famous �Karthigai Deepam Festival� at the Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple is set to start on Wednesday, 26th November with the sacred flag-hoisting ceremony.
Mahadeepam� is scheduled to be lighted on 5th December.
Out of the 5 elements of nature (air, water, fire, earth, and space) depicted in Lord Siva�s temples, Thriuvannamalai represents the �fire� form. Hence, Thiruvannamalai Deepam festival is hugely popular among the devotees.
The festival starts with sacred flag-hoisting ceremony and lasts 10 days.
Devotees from India and abroad participate in large numbers.
Over 20 Lakh devotees gather at Thiruvannamalai on the of Karthigai Deepam.
This year, the festival starts on 26th November. The temple corridors will be opened at early morning 4.00 AM. Special decoration will be done for all the main deities and special poojas and prayers will be performed for the Panchamurthys including Lord & his consort, Amman. Depparadhnam will be performed.
5 deities, known as Panchamurthys, � Lord Ganesha, Lord Muruga, Lord Siva, His Consort, Amman, and Chandkeswara will be taken to the main sanctum sanctorum of Lord Siva in front of the main sacred flag-pole.
Sacred flag will be hoisted between 6.00 AM & 7.25 AM. The festival has commenced and will be celebrated for the next 10 days.
After this, the Panchamurthys are taken in procession on mirror palanquins around the �Mada streets�. The re will be a procession in night as well.
On the 6th day, the procession on silver chariot will be performed. Huge crowds of devotees gather from this day.
On the 7th day, chariot procession is performed between 6.55 AM & 7.55 AM.
Lakhs of devotees participate pulling the chariot. A specific order is maintained for the chariot procession. Lord Ganesha�s chariot comes first, followed by Lord Muruga�s. In the evening, Lord Siva�s chariot is take out. One this is done, Amman;s chariot is taken out pulled entirely by female devotees. Lord Chandikeswara�s chariot is also taken along.
The most important part of the festival, �Mahadeepam� lighting, will be performed on Friday, 5th December, at 4.00 AM in �Arthas Mandapam� in front of Lord Siva�s sanctum sanctorum.
At 6.00 PM, Maha deepam is lighted on top of the mountain behind the temple at a height of 2568�.
20 Lakhs devotees are expected to participate on this glorious occasion.
Basic facilitates for this is being arranged by the temple administration, district administration and the city corporation.
2000 special buses will be run for this occasion.
Devotees have also requested for special trains.
Durgai Amman festival is scheduled on 23rd November. Pidari Amman festival is scheduled on 24th November. Lord Ganesha�s festival is scheduled on 25th November.
Following the lighting of Maha Deepam, �Theppal� festival is celebrated for 3 days in Ayyankulam.
On the 1st day, 6th December, Lord Chandrasekhar�s Theppal festival will be celebrated. On the 2nd day, 7th December,
Parasakthi Amman Theppal festival is celebrated. On the 3rd Day, 8th December, Lord Subramanya�s Theppal festival will be celebrated.
