Karthigai Dhepam Festival 2020

Karthigai Dhepam is a festival which is celebrated on the month of Pournami (purnima) in theTamil month of Karthigai. Karthigai Dhepam is same like Deepavali where they called as Festival of Lights. On this day, the festival will be celebrated and well-known is Thiruvanamalai temple in Tamil Nadu. 

Thousands of devotees from all over the world visits the temple on this day. As the name suggest, Kathigai means lamps. People light earthen lamps at home and temple on this day to celebrate the enormity of the God. These are the rituals and way of Karthigai celebrations:

1) Rise early and bath

2) Wear fresh clothes

3) Observe a fast

4) Make preparations for the festival for example, sweets such as payasam, nei urundai and adhirasam.

5) Clean the prayer room and offer flowers for the deity

6) Prepare vilakku (lamps)

7) Decorate the house with kolams/rangolis

8) Soon after evening prayers, start lighting the lamps and decorate the house.

On this Karthigai, you can watch all the Hindus house filled with lamps and lights for three days!This festivals are always filled with love and blessings as we light up the lamps together with our family members and all we wish is for a prosperous life and peace. 

It is to always remind us that no matter what happens, during our dark days, we need to be our own light and be grateful for what we have. 

                                  A photo of myself decorating the lamps around kolam!