Karthigai Deepam Wallpapers

Karthigai Deepam is the Tamil festival of lights, celebrated on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Karthigai. While Diwali is widely celebrated, Karthigai Deepam is considered the original festival of lights in Tamil Nadu and is observed with tremendous devotion. Homes, temples, and streets are illuminated with rows of oil lamps (agal vilakku). The grandest celebration occurs at Tiruvannamalai, where a massive fire beacon (Maha Deepam) is lit atop the Arunachala hill, visible for miles around, symbolizing Shiva manifesting as an infinite pillar of fire. Hundreds of thousands of devotees gather to witness the lighting of the Maha Deepam and perform girivalam. In homes, special lamps arranged in circular and geometric patterns are lit on the evening. The festival also commemorates the Karthigai star associated with Lord Murugan and his six mothers (the Karthigai Pengal). It is primarily celebrated in Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala and Sri Lanka.