Popular among Hindus who speak Tamil, Karthigai Deepam (sometimes spelled Karthikai Deepam) is one of the most important Hindu holidays. The Tamil Solar Calendar is used to determine the date of Karthigai Deepam. As the name implies, the festival takes place during the month of Karthikai, when the star Karthigai is in its zenith during the Hindu lunar calendar’s Ratri cycle. It is a fortunate period, in the month of Karthikai, when the star Karthigai and the new moon, Pournami, align.
Karthigai Deepam Date 2023
Sunday 26th November 2023
Karthigai Nakshathram Starts:- 2:05 PM on 26-November-2023
Karthigai Nakshathram Ends:- 1:35 PM on 27-November-2023
Rituals of Karthikai Deepam
- On this day, people all across the world clean and wash their homes. Kolams, or floral patterns fashioned from rice flour paste, are placed in front of the house to greet the worshippers’ deities.
- The Kolams are further decorated with lamps called agal that are set in front of God.
- Special meals are cooked and served when the fast is broken at sunset.
- Around the home, you’ll find a plethora of lighting. The Lakshmi villaku, formed like a woman’s folded hands, the Kuthu villaku, fashioned like a flower with five petals, and the Gajalakshmi village, shaped like an elephant, are all utilized.
- Sisters pray and fast for their brothers’ long life and prosperity during this holiday, which strengthens the link between them.
- On the day of the full moon, known as Karthika pournami, people in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh light a huge lamp with 365 candles and read passages from the sacred scripture Kartheeka puranam in an effort to fend off evil and bring about prosperity.
- The Shiva temples in the Tirruvanna malai hills of Tamil Nadu celebrate this event with great fanfare and opulence. During Karthikai Deepam, a massive fire is lit atop the hill and can be seen for miles.
Karthigai Deepam Significance and Celebrations
The most important festival is the Karthigai Deepam celebration at the Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleshwara Swamy temple, also known as the Karthikai Brahmotsavam. Around these parts, the Karthigai Deepam celebration lasts for a full week. To kick off the festivities, Dwajarohanam is carried out on the morning that Uthiraadam Nakshatra is in control at daybreak. About 10 days before the actual Karthigai Deepam day, the Uthiraadam Nakshatra is the most prominent.
The opening ceremony of Karthigai Deepam, known as Bharani Deepam, is unique from the rest of the festival. At four in the morning, just before sunrise, devotees celebrate Bharani Deepam. On the day before or on the day of Karthigai Deepam, a day known as Bharani Deepam is celebrated. When the Bharani Nakshatra is in control, the Bharani Deepam is illuminated in the temple. Bharani Deepam is lit at 4 a.m. on the same day as Karthigai Deepam, and in most years the two festivals occur on the same day.
After dark, the flame from Bharani Deepam is moved to Karthigai Deepam. Around sundown, the torch is brought to the peak of the hill, where it is lit in the Karthigai Maha Deepam.
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