MAHA DEEPAM IS ON NOV 26

[Guest guest]

Thank you Alan

Here is a selection from an article in chennaionline.com

 

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Karthigai Deepam is the oldest festival of South India. Falling in

the Tamil month of Karthigai, when the star Krithigai is in the

ascendant, it usually occurs on a full moon day. The month, during

which Lord Shiva with his divine light created Lord Muruga, is of

special importance in Tamil Nadu.

Every year thousands flock to Tiruvannamalai to see the spectacular

Karthigai Deepam there, when a special torch is lit on top of the

hill. The belief is that Lord Shiva's jyoti will be visible on this

day.

The festival is also known as Annamalai Deepam.

At Tiruvannamalai, the lighting of the beacon on the hill top is the

culmination of ten days of activity in the temple town. The tribals

who live in Thiruvannamalai hills, fast for 40 days and light the

lamp as only they have the right to light it. Once the deepam is lit,

on top of the hill, the sanctum sanctorum is closed.

The lighting of the 'Maha Deepam' takes place simultaneously with

the 'deeparathana' to the five deities in the temple at the foot of

the hill.

On Karthigai day, devotees walk round the hill and worship the

Bharani Deepam which is lit early in the morning on the final day of

the 10-day festival, in the sanctum sanctorum. The belief is that

people who circumnavigate the hill are blessed by Lord Shiva.

The Deepam is lit in a gigantic, circular metal vessel that can hold

about 2,000 litres of ghee. It is five-and-a-half feet in height and

five feet in diameter. To make the wick, 30m of 'ghada' cloth is used

and is burnt with 2 kilos of camphor on the night of 'Karthigai

Pournami'. The Jyoti can be seen from nearly 35-km around.

('This vessel was donated in 1745 AD by Venkatapathy Rayan, minister

of Mysore State' says a Tamil magazine)

The day after the 'deepam' all the deities in the temple are taken

around the hill. This is known as Athma Pradhakshinam. On this day,

the entire town observes a fast and no restaurant or outlet serves

food.

The festival is also considered an extension of Deepavali. On this

day, people clean their homes and have 'Kolams' (Rangoli) in front of

the house with lamps placed on it. Lamps ('Agal') are lit in the puja

room and after the 'Deeparathana' (puja), they are moved to different

places in the house. Rows of houses with hundreds of lamps aglow are

a wonderful sight indeed.

 

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RamanaMaharshi, Alan Jacobs

<alanadamsjacobs> wrote:

> MAHA DEEPAM DAY IS ON NOV 26

>

>

> MAHA DEEPAM

>

> The glorious festival of Maha Deepam's fire is nigh,

> Let all devotees of Ramana, from their hearts , give cry,

> "Arunachala Shiva ! today we surrender and die

> To our all loving Self, by asking the question, " who, in

truth, am

I ?"

[Guest guest]

Dear All:

 

Happy Kaarthigai Diipam to everyone; here are two verses that start

Shri. aruNaachala sthuthi panchakam (Five Poems worshipping Shri.

aNNaamalai) chanting every Monday at RamaNaasramam:

 

A. Shri. aruNaachala thaththuvam by Shri. Muruganaar SwaamigaL (1931

on Kaarthigai diipam day)

 

(Real Import of aruNaachalaa)

 

bhuddhi agamkaaram pulambu eytha oongum

maddhi idhayanthaan maRayavanum maalum

naththa aRiyaathu nalam kulaya annaar

maddhi oLir aNNaamalaiyinathu meyee.

 

Meaning: The real import of aNNaamalai appearing between Lord

Brahmmaa and Lord Vishnu who were led astray without being able to

find it's top and bottom is to indicate the fact that Heart shines

forth between the intelligence and the ego only when they both

subside without trace.

 

B. Diipa Dharsana thaththuvam by Shri. Bhagavaan (1931 Kaarthigai

Diipam day; sung on request by Shri. Muruganaar SwaamigaL)

 

(Real Import of Diipa Dharsanam or Witnessing Kaarthigai Light)

 

'iththanuvee naan aam' enum mathiyai niiththu-ap'

bhuddhi idhayaththee porunthi aga nookkaal

aththuvidham aam mey aga'ch chudar kaaNgai, buu

maddhi enum aNNaamalai'ch chudar kaaN meyyee.

 

Meaning: The real import of the diipa dharshanam (or witnessing the

Light) over aNNaamalai which is considered to be the heart center of

earth is to indicate the fact that when the false attachment of 'I am

this body' is dropped and the attention turns inwards merging towards

the Heart, the witnessing of the One Inner Light of Self takes place.

 

Shri. Saadhu Oom's brief vilakkavurai (explanatory notes):

 

Shri. Bhagavaan presents a Gem of a Summary of His Primary Teaching

(of Self Inquiry practice) in this verse about the real import of

aNNaamalai Diipa Dharsanam:

 

When 'I am the body' thought is dropped and the intelligence is

turned inward to merge towards the heart center by pursuing the 'I'

thought relentlessly, the Self will be witnessed as an 'I'-'I' Inner

Light.

 

love to all, Murthy

 

RamanaMaharshi, "r_ramasamy" <rramasamy@g...>

wrote:

>

> Thank you Alan

> Here is a selection from an article in chennaionline.com

>

> ****************************************

> Karthigai Deepam is the oldest festival of South India. Falling in

> the Tamil month of Karthigai, when the star Krithigai is in the

> ascendant, it usually occurs on a full moon day. The month, during