THE GLORY OF DEEPAM - Visual Story | Tiruvannamalai | Deepam | Arunachala | திருவனணமலை தீபம் 2019

(The glory of Deepam)? Arunachala stands as one of the oldest hills in the world and Thiruvannamalai is mentioned in many ancient texts. Thousands of devotees, saints and Rishis still come to have darshan. During Krretha yuga Arunachala was said to be a column of fire, during the Treta yuga it appeared as diamonds and gems, during the Dwapara yuga it was made of gold and now in the Kali yuga it appears as rock.

The path around Arunachala measures 14kms. On the day of the full moon also known as Pournam, millions of devotees circle the hill using this path. The sixth enclosure around the main temple is called Maada veethi and the seventh is the Girivalam, however to many, this hill represents Lord Arunachaleshwara. The hill is known by many other names,, Arunagiri, Arunachalam, Somachalam, somagiri and Arunai.

It is said that the waves of magnetic energy that emanate from this hill attracts and submerges the devotees in divine bliss. Devotees speak of the pure air from the herbal forests on the hill curing them of ailments naturally.

Every year in the month of Karthikai (mid nov to mid dec) a large fire is lit on the summit of the hill called Kartakai Deepam. This marks the beginning of the sacred festival for the devotees of Arunachala. Millions of people throng to the hill to attend this event. Every year on the full moon day in the month of Kartakai, when the moon is in the star of Kritika, the festival is celebrated for a period o 17 days. Beginning with 3 days at the Durga temple, 10 days at the Annamalai temple and the remaing 4 days in processions.

This festival celebrates the manifestation of Lord Siva as a column of light. The fire is lit on the top of the hill which stands 2668ft above sea level in a cauldron of ghee. On the morning of the festival, five lamps are lit at 5 o’clock in the morning at the Arunachalashwara temple. This is called the Bharani deepam because the lighting of the lamps happens on the day of Bharani nakashatram also in the month of Kartakai. The five lamps represent the five fold function of the Supreme Lord o creation, preservation, and destruction. The lamp that’s lit on the top of the hill in the evening is the Maha Deepam. Thousnads o kilograms of ghee and wicks made of cloth together go into the lighting of the flame. This symbolizes the very form of Lord Shiva as light. The lighting of the flame follows the darshan of Lord Ardhanaareeshwarar in the temple. The lighting of the huge flame signifies the union of Shiva and shakti. In the glory of Arunachala it is said that the devotees will obtain the boon of eliminating any sin if one prays on this particular day as Arunachala represents Lord Shiva himself who has manifested for the benefit of his devotees.

Significance of witnessing the beacon of light.
Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi: “To make the intellect rid of the ‘I am the body’ sense, and to become introspective by fixing it securely in the heart. And so perceive the true light of the Self, the one ‘I-I’, which is the Absolute.
This the significance of witnessing the Beacon of the light of Arunachala, the spiritual centre of the earth.

produced by
Arunadri Creations

visual story by
Saran Dashnamoorthy
Baskar Arumugam

Assisted with
Nithish Ram
Arunachalam
Shek Husen

Thanks to Kanagaraj Kg

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