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Kartikai Festival
Karthikai festival is the festival of lights and widely celebrated in south India. This is celebrated particularly in TamilNadu. This happens on the full moon day in the month of Karthigai just like the North India celebrates Diwali as a festival of lights. Even Kartkai Celebrations inlcudes the tradition lights.
On this day, fluffed rice and jaggery are mixed. They are then rolled into balls and offered to God and it is believed people are united by worshipping light as God.
Thiruvannamalai is a place where this is celebrated with a lot of pomp. Here one of the pancha bootha kshetras is an agni (fire) kheshtra and on this deepam day, a huge vessel is filled with oil and huge wicks are lit on top of the hill.
There are a lot of tribals who live in Thiruvannamalai hills. These tribals fast for 40 days and light the lamp. Only these people have the right to light the lamp and once the lamp is lit, the Sanctum Sanctorum is closed.
Another thing about ritual followed in Thiruvannamalai is circumnavigating the hill. This hill has a diameter of nine miles and devotees give great importance to this ritual. Also, there is a strong belief that people who go around the hill are blessed by Lord Shiva.
After the auspicious day of the "deepam", all the deities in the temple are taken around the hill and this is called Athma Pradhakshinam. On this particular day the entire town is on fast. There is no restaurant or any outlet serves food.
The other temple where Karthigai is celebrated is Swamimalai Temple. Even in lot of Shiva temples, this festival is celebrated.
The Karthigai Deepam festival is during the months November - December. The festival starts on the Uttradam day. This starts with flag hoisting. This continues till nine days and during morning on the tenth day Bharani Deepam in five agantams are lit in Arunachaleswarar's Sannithi. In the evening, the Pancha Murthis will be brought to the place and during dusk which is also called as Pradosha, the Karthigai day synchronizing with the full moon day, the deity, Ardhanareeswarar is taken out to this place. This is done with the five deepams. These lamps are put in a big receptacle near the flug-stuff. During the same time, the beacon light on the hill is lit and lot of devotes cry the name of "Harohara to Annamalai". It is an amazing sight to watch.
Apart from that, people light up lamps in their homes. This is celebrated the festival of lights all over the state of Tamilnadu during this period of November to December. This is one of the oldest festivals which is celebrated in south India and there are not many people who are aware about it. This was celebrated even before Diwali was being celebrated.