Today (Friday, 19th November) being the concluding day of the sacred Thiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam Festival, the Maha Deepam was lit on the top of the 2668’ mountain situated behind the famous temple of Lord Arunachaleswarar.
During this event of Maha Deepam lighting, the chant of the gathering of Devotees, “Annamalaiyarukku Arogara’ reverberated in the sky!
The divine and sacred temple of Thiruvannamalai yields Salvation just by thinking about it! The Deepam Festival during the Tamil Calendar Month of Karthigai commenced on 28th October with the Festival of Goddess Durgai Amman!
After this, the event of the divine flag-hoisting was performed to signal the start of the Maha Deepam festival of 10 days!
The idols of the 63 Nayanmars (Saivite Saints) and the deities of the Panchamurthys in various carriages such as Silver Chariot, Maha Chariot, and other carriages were taken out on a procession along the temple corridor streets.
The 5.9’ high and of 250 kg weight container/copra or the divine tank on which the Maha Deepam is light made of 5 metals and in 3 tiers of Lords Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva!
This divine copra or container of the Maha Deepam was filled with 3500 litters of ghee (clarified butter) given by the devotees and the wicks made up of cotton of 100 metres length were used to light the Maha Deepam.
