KARTHIGAI DEEPAM THIRUVIZHA
What is the karthigai deepam festival?
Karthigai Deepam – “The triumph of lights over darkness” is considered as the festival of lights, where people light lamps(diyas)to remove the evil darkness and bring light into their lives. It is a mandatory event followed from very ancient times with high rich traditional custom rituals. This is a famous south Indian festival celebrated in main places like TamilNadu, Kerala, Andhra pradesh, Srilanka and people in different parts of the world.
When is it celebrated?
Karthigai deepam is usually celebrated in the tamil month of Karthigai(8th month in tamil calendar) during a full moon day. This year Karthigai deepam lies on November 26th Sunday ( 26.12.2023)
The history behind karthigai deepam festival:
In Tamilnadu:
The full moon day of 8th tamil month karthigai is celebrated as “karthigai deepam” in Tamilnadu. Lamps are lighted and decorated at home and out for various reasons. Usually people light lamps from the starting of this month and some on the day of karthigai deepa thiruvizha.
According to one Hindu myth, When lord brahma and vishnu were fighting about their supremacy among them, lord shiva interfered them showing that he is the supreme god. So he took the form “pillar of fire” and asked them to find out the starting and ending of the pillar. Lord Vishnu took a form of varaha or pandri avatar and went down digging the earth to find the end, whereas lord Brahma took the form of a swan and flew towards the top to find the top. Atlas both have failed in the task accepting the supremacy of lord shiva the greatest. As lord shiva also beated the evil Tripasura, people lit the lamp in honour of victory of good over evil.
In other words Shiva stood as a form of a Holy hill called Tiruvannamalai as Annamalaiyar in which MAHADEEP(bharani deepam) is lit on this day at 6 pmat the top of the hill, representing him in a huge lamp with The Kopparai (a vessel used for lighting), about 3500 kg of ghee and 1000 metres of cloth is used as thread wick to light this huge lamp. This will be visible from every place in and around that specific area. The moist black ash called Mai out of thos burned lamp is then given as prasadam on Margazhi Arudra Darisanam in the temple.
Another story is as follows. Lord Muruga is considered to be created from the six fire sparks representing 6 stars that came from the third eye of Lord Shiva ( Dula, Nitutni, Abhrayanti, Varshayanti, Meghayanti, Chipunika) which is deposited on the Saravana Poigai.(Sa, Ra, Va, Na, Ba, Va). Each sparks is created a baby on the lotus with 6 primary faces called Tatpurusham, Aghoram, Sadyojatam, Vamadevam, Easanam and Adhomukam. 6 celestial nymphs called Karthigai pengal was created to raise up each baby (Siva, Sabhuti, Priti, Sanmati, Anasuya, Ksama). It is believed that on this day Ma Parvati devi together as a whole made the 6 babies as one called Arumugan with 6 faces and 12 hands.
Tiruvannamalai temple location
In Kerala:
This festival is named as Thri Karthika or Karthika Vilakidu in the state of Kerala. Here it is celebrated as a ceremony of welcoming goddess Parvati who was born as Karthiyayeni. It is done for about 10 days(karthigai puzhuku) by lighting lamps in the banana stem and tender coconut. The ritual is done in Kumaranalloor devi temple at kottayam Where it is believed that lord Shiva (vadakkumnathan) gets darshan from the divine devi parvati.
In Andhra pradesh:
On the full moon day of the month kartheeka, the Karthika pournami is celebrated at Arunachaleshwara temple in Andhra Pradesh with a big lamp of 365 wicks and the lord is praised by chanting Kartheeka puranam.
Arunachaleswara swamy temple location
In Srilanka:
At Trincomalee Koneswaram temple, this karthigai deepam is celebrated for 3 days and the 3rd day is considered as Thiru Karthigai-the main day.
Karthigai deepam in Tamil literature:
Various ancient books like Aganaanoru, Kaar Narpathu, Seevaga Chintamani of 2500 BC have dropped the hint of this festival in their scripts that acts as proof for this.
Why do we light lamps(diya) on this day?
In general the lamps are lit at every home from ancient days especially on karthigai deepam. The inner meaning of a lighting lamp is destroying the evil in us with a divine power, where the wick and oil in it is considered as the evilness of people, greed, jealous hatred, lust which tends to nurture and the lighting them with divine power atma, self and soul. Hence it is believed that lighting of lamps helps to vanish the wicked evil in and around our life by providing peace and positive vibes.
This helps to get rid of selfish thoughts, free sadness, connect supreme being, disappearance of worldly illusion and paves the way to attain enlightenment.
RITUALS:
- Clean the home and keep yourself and the home neat, tidy and decorated.
- Draw floral Kolam in front of home and make it ready.
- Light Agal vilakku (earthen lamps) at various parts of home.
- Keep fasting and offer to the Lord with special delicacies.(Karthigai pori with jaggery)
It is a celebration spree that protects home from evil eyes and forces and provides victory in all endeavours, prosperity and abundance at home with ultimate success.
BEST TIME TO LIGHT THE DIYA:
-
- Morning before sunrise – From 4 AM to 6 AM.
- Evening after sunset – At 6 PM
MINIMUM COUNT OF DIYAS:
- It is considered that a minimum of 27 diyas should be mandatorily lit in the home for better benefits which represents the 27 stars.
- Front yard – 4 diyas
- Kitchen – 1 diya
- Walk path – 2 diya
- Backyard – 4 diyas
- Front thinnai – 4 diyas
- Madakuli – 2 diyas
- Level Threshold – 2 diyas
- Pooja room – 2 diyas
- Outside the home – Yama Deepam – 1
- On kollam – 5 diyas.
NOTE: The diyas should not be placed on bare ground, instead can be placed on cow dung or banana leaf at the bottom. 
DIFFERENT TYPES of Diyas:
| TYPES OF DIYAS | BENEFITS |
| Mud or earthen diyas | Gain immense blessings from the divine. |
| METALS | |
| Silver | Keeps out of poverty and provides material gain (blessing of Mahalakshmi) |
| Gold | Cures cancer, Provides Wealth and expand business |
| Iron | Gain peace and removes Shani dhosham |
| Panchaloha | Showers from Devadhais blessings |
| Brass | Provides good life |
| Bronze | Improves health |
| VEGGIES | |
| Lemon | Any special rituals |
| Beet | Purifies blood and provides peace |
| Pumpkin | Lit after Devi pooja for family welfare |
| Coconut | For getting child, good fortune and wealth |
| LEAVES | |
| Mango leaf | For the visit of prosperity |
| Blackberry leaf | For auspicious ritual |
| Paan/ Betel leaf | For destroying evil and withstand good |
| Peepal leaf | To destroy diseases |
Diya made of rice flour is believed to be a cure for black fever and also provides other health benefits.
WICKS OF DIYA:
| COUNT | BENEFITS |
| One | Fulfills all the wishes and desires of one |
| Two | Help to improve welfare of family |
| Three | Provides Children boon |
| Four | Gain of Wealth |
| Five | Gives every benefits and pleasures |
Besides these counts there is no any maximum limit where as infinite wicks can be lit.
| NATURE OF WICKS | BENEFITS |
| Cotton | Welfare of family |
| Banana stem | Blessings from ancestors |
| Lotus stem | Relieves us from karmic mistakes and provides wealth |
| White Calotropis | Material gain |
| Yellow colour cloth | Improves health |
| Red colour cloth | Boon of getting children |
| White colour cloth | Every goodness for life |
The wicks can be lighted in odd numbers like 3,5,7,9 and so on, which is said to cure diarrhoea and measles.
Different kinds of oils used in diya and its benefits:-
| OIL USED | RELEVANT GOD | BENEFITS |
| Pure Ghee | Mahalakshmi, Kuberar and Family god | Fulfills every wish and desires and provides wealth. |
| Sesame oil | Bairavar, Narayana, Subramaniya. | Helps to improve health, defeat hurdles and pleases shani. |
| Coconut oil | Lord Ganesha | Protects from evil eyes and helps in attraction |
| Mahua oil | Family god | Provides success in all endeavours. |
| Castor oil | Amman | Bestow the blessings of pride, fame and fortune. |
| Neem oil | Family god, Amman | To improve a fair bonding between husband and wife |
| Panchadeepam oil(a mixture of ghee,sesame oil, neem oil, mahua oil, castor oil) | Lord Shiva, Perumal, Goddess Parvati, Murugan and almost every god. | Gives a good life with wealth,fame,prosperity,joy, peace, positivity and various health benefits. |
NOTE: Groundnut oil and Sunflower should be strictly prohibited from lighting the lamp and it should not be used.
DIRECTIONS TO BE FACED:
| DIRECTIONS | BENEFITS |
| East | Removes sufferings and provides prosperity and unity in family. |
| West | Reduces the debts and other Dosham one is facing from. |
| North | May provide the boon of marriage to the unmarried people. |
NOTE: The lamp should not be placed facing towards the south direction which is considered as bad luck.
GENERAL SLOKAM for LIGHTING THE LAMP:
“Subham karoti kalyanam Arogyam Dhansampada
Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya Deepa Jyoti Namostute”
“Deepajyothi Parabrahma Deepajyothi Janardhana
Deepo Me Hara Tu Paapam Sandhya Deepa Namostute”
SPECIAL SLOKA FOR KARTHIGAI DEEPAM LIGHTING :
“Pathangaa macha kaachcha vruksha jale
Sthalaye nivasindhi jeeva Dhrishttvaa
Pradeepam na da Janma baaja bavandhi
Nithyam swapachcha hivipraa”
“LET ALL THE DARKNESS FADE AWAY,
WITH THE ARRIVAL OF DIVINE LIGHTS”
“HAPPY KARTHIGAI DEEPAM”