Finally, after many years of thinking and considering, I went to the Arunachala Mahadeepam 2023. It is an overwhelming prospect due to the millions of devotees who flock to this small town of Tiruvannamalai to partake in the event on the full-moon night of Karthik Purnima. The 14 km long Girivalam path is jam packed with devotees circumambulating the hill.  (Know more about the Girivalam, circumambulating the Arunachala here)

It rained heavily the day before. As I entered the city, the hill was draped in cloud, it could barely be seen, let alone the mahadeepam. As the night passed, once in a while the clouds shifted and we could see the orange flare of the lamp lit on the hilltop of the sacred Arunachala. It was an exciting experience. But more than seeing the lamp, being in that kshetra at that time, was a powerful experience for me. And I would recommend it to everyone up for the challenge of navigating the crowds. 

Here’s my short vlog on this Mahadeepam Girivalam experience, 

Why Arunachala Mahadeepam is Celebrated

Shiva manifested himself as the pillar of unending light. The story about Brahma and Vishnu both trying to find the end of this pillar is fairly common. What is less known, is that the Devas and Rishis requested Shiva to keep this brilliant form accessible to all beings. The pillar of light was too dazzling, so Shiva settled on Earth as Arunachala. As per, https://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/arunachala-hill/ , the story goes further, 

Shiva declared, “As the moon derives its light from the sun, so other holy places shall derive their sanctity from Arunachala. This is the only place where I have taken this form for the benefit of those who wish to worship me and obtain illumination. Arunachala is OM itself. I will appear on the summit of this hill every year at Kartigai in the form of a peace-giving beacon.” This refers not only to the sanctity of Arunachala itself but also to the pre-eminence of the doctrine of Advaita and the path of Self-enquiry of which Arunachala is the center. One can understand this meaning in Sri Bhagavan’s saying, “In the end everyone must come to Arunachala.” 

Thus, the Kartigai Deepam mahadeepam is a reminder of Shiva’s Jyotirlinga or unending pillar of light form and it being Arunachala. Arunachala is considered a FORM of Shiva not the Abode or Temple of Shiva.

Tiruvannamalai Mahadeepam Glows for Many Days 

Thankfully, the mahadeepam on the sacred Arunachala hilltop is not only limited to the Karthik Purnima night though that is when it is most crowded. Maybe most people consider the full moon night to be the most auspicious time to experience the deepam. However, the deepam is lit on the hill for the next 10 days. So, it is very much possible to see the deepam and bathe in its grace on the ensuing days too. And it is significantly less crowded then.  

Note, that an akhand fire is maintained in the Ramana ashram too, for all the days of the deepam. This was a revelation to me, something that I found out only due to my visit to this festival.  

The deepam is lit at 6pm in the evening on the hilltop. A lot of people wait in a good spot to see the first light. If the clouds and weather willing, seeing the bright beacon of light on the hilltop is an enthralling moment. In Ramana ashram they sing the Aksharamanamalai bhajan during this time. It is an ethereal ambiance.  

Karthigai Deepam Temple Festival that Happens at This Time 

I wasn’t aware that the deepam on the Arunachala top is lit for 10 days. I was happy to find out about it on my visit. Usually, a 10-day temple festival is promoted along with the Mahadeepam night, but this is a different set of activities that happen at the major temples in the Tiruvannamalai town. For example, on the 10^th day of this festival which falls 2 days after the mahadeepam is lit – many of the major deities are carried around the Girivalam path on a chariot. 

Watch the video of Arunachaleshwarar, Unnamalai, Durga, Adi Annamalai and Parashakti chariots on Girivalam here: 

So, technically, there is a 10-day temple festival, plus the deepam is lit for 10 days. So, the entire festival is much longer. The schedule of the temple festival is available on government websites.  

Travel Information for Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai

Location: Tiruvannamalai is a small town in the state of Tamil Nadu. 195 kms from Chennai. 202 kms from Bangalore. Both the metro cities have fairly good roads to Tiruvannamalai. Self-driving is very much possible. Or private taxis are also good option.

Transport: Nearest railway junction is Villupuram. Nearest airport is Chennai. Buses are available from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai. Private taxis are also available. Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai buses are also available. Tiruvannamalai has a railway station, and is connected with direct trains from many metros of the country. However, these trains may take longer to reach here as it is not a major railway junction. So, faster modes of transport may be available.

If you plan to reach on the evening of mahadeepam itself, then I will be writing a detailed post soon – pls refer to that

Food: Ample small restaurants available all over Tiruvannamalai. A lot of ashrams are there which provide good satvic meals like Ramana ashram, Ramsurat Kumar ashram, Swami Seshadri Ashram.

Stay: Stay in any of the ashrams, guest houses or hotels scattered across Tiruvannamalai town. Since, Tiru is a very popular spiritual and religious center, you can easily find a large number of different accommodation options across the city on any of the popular travel booking sites – booking.com, Airbnb and Google maps. I would suggest staying close to Ramana ashram – Ramana towers hotel or some such place. You can also request stay at Ramana ashram or Swami Seshadri ashram or any of the other ashrams in town.

For stay during mahadeepam, it may be a bit tough, will write a special post for that soon