Karthigai Special

Thirukarthigai Deepam comes on the month karthigai that is on full moon day. Thirukarthigai is very special in “Thiruvanamali”. Whole month we will celebrate with oil lamps and lights in front of our house. On the Karthigai Deepam day we will keep lot of oil lamps in our house.

There is an interesting story behind to celebrate karthigai. Once upon a time Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma began to quarrel like who is the most powerful of the two. While they were fighting Lord shiva appeared in the form of a huge pillar of fire.

Lord Shiva said whoever find top or bottom of the fire is the greatest. Brahma took a bird and tired to top of the fire. Vishnu took a giant pig  and tired to bottom of the fire pillar. Both are trying, but they couldnot be able to find both top and bottom of the fire. At that time they both prayed the god. Lord Shiva appeared with the huge pillar of fire.Finally they realised that the pillar wasnone other than Lord shiva.

Lord Shiva appeared as a hill Arunachala at Thiruvanamali in TamilNadu. Thiruvanamali and Arunachala translate as "Holy Fire Hill". Every year thousands of devotees flocks to Tiruvanamali to see the spectacular Karthigai deepam there.

For thirukarthigai we will do appam and pori .

- Decorate with oil lamps in the kolam.

- We will decorate our house with mavu kolam.

- We will keep elephant lamp for our brothers. That is the sign of prosperity and wealth.
- Once upon a time there lived a King and he had only one daughter. She loved an elephant which grewed with her and she considered the elephant as her own brother. After she get married she missed the elephant very much. For every thirukarthigai she lift lamp(ie; yanai vilaku) and she prepare "Adai" and keep them as neivedhyam for festival.