Yesterday, there was a discussion at home, my hubby said Karthika is tomorrow, I said, it was in November. Yes, it do come every month, but the actual celebration was today.
Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, celebrates the Karthigai Deepam festival today. It is celebrated with a maha deepam. A massive earthen lamp is lit around 6 PM at the top of the 2668 feet high holy mountain of the town. Nearly 3500 kilograms of ghee are used to light this lamp. The fire that appears at the top of the mountain is visible up to a radius of 35 KM. The mai, the ash that remains as residue after the lighting of the ghee is distributed as prasadam to devotees.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi has composed the following Tamil verse to explain the significance of the Karthigai Deepam that is lit on the Arunachala Hill every year. The stanza is as follows:
Ittanuvē nānām enu-madiyai nīttapbuddhi idayattē porundi-aga nōkkāladduvita mā-mey agac-chuḍar-kāṇ gai-bhūmaddi-yenum Aṇṇā malaicchuḍar-kāṇ meyyē.
Meaning: The true significance of seeing the flame (Karthigai Deepam) on Annamalai, which is the Heart centre of the world, is realising the Light of the Real Self that is one without a second, after discarding the notion ‘I am this body’ and making the mind abide in the Heart by attending to the source of the mind (through Self-enquiry and meditation).
Temples in Kerala have lakshadeepam or Karthika velakku tomorrow.
When sun and moon are also amazing on this day.
And the moon
And here is a wish summarizing all
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