Karthigai Mahadeepa Festival In Thiruvannamalai Today

Karthigai Mahadeepa festival in Thiruvannamalai today: Karthigai Deepam 2020, Parani lamp was lit in the early morning.

Karthigai Deepam 2020 | The Mahadeepa program is being held today at the Thiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Temple.

Devotees are banned from performing Sami darshan as a corona prevention measure.

The Karthigai Mahadeepa Festival at the Annamalaiyar Temple started on the 20th with the flag hoisting. Special pujas and decorations are held for Swami every day of the festival.

As the culmination of the Festival of Lights, the Great Lighting Ceremony takes place today.

As the Great Light was to be mounted on the 2,668-foot-high mountain, the Great Light Copper was carried to the top of the mountain.

Earlier, special pujas were held for the 5.6 feet tall, 300 kg copper metal Maha Deepak Koppar.

The torch was then carried to the top of the mountain by 20 staff carrying it on their shoulders.

The lamp will be lit using 3,500 kg of ghee and 1000 meters of kata cloth donated by the devotees in the Mahadeepa cauldron.

On the occasion of the festival of lights, the Parani lamp was lit at the Annamalaiyar temple at 4 am today. Similarly today at 6 pm, the Great Light is to be mounted on the top of the hill.

On Saturday, the 9th day of the Karthika Fire Festival, a special anointing ceremony was held for Chandrasekhar and Lord Ganesha.

Later, Chandrasekhar and Lord Ganesha rode in chariots decorated with flowers.

Various restrictions have been imposed on the Karthika Fire Festival as a corona prevention measure.

Devotees are not allowed to participate in the Maha Deepa procession and climb the mountain.

District Collector Sandeep Nanduri said that pilgrims are not allowed to visit Kiriwalam on Saturdays and Sundays.

The collector said the program was being aired on YouTube, the temple website and local cable TV and asked the public to co-operate fully.

As a precautionary measure, outstation residents have been barred from entering the Thiruvannamalai municipality from Saturday afternoon to Monday.

Police have set up barricades at 9 places on the Thiruvannamalai Nagar border to prevent outsiders from entering the area.

However, devotees are not allowed to visit the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple from 3 pm.

According to the temple administration, special pujas and Maha Deepam have been arranged with a small number of devotees, including Sivacharyas.