‘Karthigai Deepam’ lights up Madurai

Devotees throng Tirupparankundram temple and Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

Earthen lamps glowing at the Golden Lotus Tank of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in the city on Friday. Photos: S. James and G. Moorthy

The festival of ‘Karthigai Deepam’ was celebrated here with piety and fervour as lamps were lit outside houses and commercial establishments.

A large number of devotees thronged Sri Subramaniaswamy Temple at Tirupparankundram to get a glimpse of the ‘Mahadeepam’ lit atop the hillock on Friday evening. Devotees also stood in the streets around the temple and chanted hymns as the ‘Mahadheepam’ was lit at 6 p.m.

‘Bhattars’ from the temple assembled at the spot at 5 p.m. and performed pujas after which the ‘Mahadeepam’ was lit. People residing in the streets around the temple offered prayers and lit clay lamps outside their homes after the ‘Mahadeepam’ was lit.

The wick in the ‘deepam’, which was kept soaked overnight in oil and ghee, was prepared by a team brought from Tiruvannamalai.

Nearly 120 metres of cloth, five kg of camphor and 350 litres of ghee and oil were used for the wick and to fuel the ‘deepam.’

Around 200 cadres of the Hindu Munnani protested near the temple demanding that the ‘deepam’ be lit on Kudhiarai Sunai Thittu, a stone tower close to Sultan Sikkandar Avulia Dargah atop Tirupparankundram hillock.

In the morning, Lord Subramaniaswamy, the presiding deity, and his consort Goddess Deivannai were taken in a procession in a decorated temple car through the streets around the temple.

At Meenakshi Temple

The lighting of one lakh clay lamps on the premises marked the ‘Karthigai Deepam’ celebration at Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.

Volunteers and temple officials arranged clay lamps with oil and wicks around the golden lotus tank, on the terrace and along the corridors around Amman Sannidhi from 4 p.m. Volunteers said that they wanted to light up every nook and cranny to present the ancient temple in all its grandeur.

The lamps were lit at 6 p.m. by temple staff and volunteers and many devotees waited around the golden lotus tank to catch a glimpse of the fully illuminated tank and terrace reflected in the brimming waters.

A heavy posse of police was deployed at both the temples to monitor the crowd and ensure safety of devotees.