Karthigai Deepam- Annamalai Deepam- Full moon day- Nov 26 -Fri

[Guest guest]

Karthigai Deepam- Annamalai Deepam at Thiruvannamalai- Nov 26 2004 - Friday - Full moon day===========================================================================

This year Karthigai Deepam is combined with Paurnami- Full Moon day which is very auspicious.

 

Annamalai deepam and Karthigai Deepam and Full Moon day is celebrated at Samratchana, Ramrajya with yagams in the noon and lighting of the deepam in the evening and also Sathyanarayana Pooja and Food for all and various cultural programmes.

 

Please view this link for more information about Thiruvannamalai Deepam at Thiruvannamalai.

http://www.chennaionline.com/toursntravel/placesofworship/tiruvannamalai.asp

 

Karthikai which takes its name from the Karthikai star falling on its full moon day, is favored for worship of both Shiva and Muruga. Vedas and puranas hail the Almighty as embodying the five elements, apah, vayu, tejas, prithvi, akasa (water, wind, light, earth and ether).

 

Karthikai is the month set apart for worship of Shiva in his embodiment of light. Because of the confluence of Karthikai star and full moon day in this month, it is favored for worship of Muruga who, born in a spark from Shiva’s jnanagni, was brought up by Kruthika maidens. In Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu worship of the Almighty as light, called Annamalai Deepam, has gone on since ancient times.

 

The soma vara vratam is ideal for Shiva. On soma vara – Mondays – in Karthikai month, the devout in Tamil Nadu and Andhra worship Shiva with shankabhishekam, with 108 or 1,008 conch shells. Annamalai Puranam has this explanation for Karthikai Deepam festival.

 

Brahma and Vishnu once engaged in an argument about who of the two was greater, and agreed that it would be the one who saw the head or feet of the Almighty. Brahma then took on the form of a swan and went in search of the head of God. Maha Vishnu took on the form of a boar, and, digging away at the earth, went in search of God’s feet.

Vishnu could not reach it and conceded his defeat.

 

Brahma, however, claimed falsely that he had seen God’s head. In consequence, the Almighty manifested himself as a flame and said, “Wherever a temple for me exists, there shall also be a temple for Vishnu, but not for Brahma.” It is this manifestation of the Almighty as a flame that we worship on Thirukkarthikai.

 

The legend has also the import that God can be realized only through love, not with conceit; also, it is only through goodness or satvika the Lord’s grace is realized, not with an upward gaze, which is rajasa, nor with a downward look, which is tamasa.

The all-new My – Get yours free!