Karthigai Deepam Shiva-Shakti’s Eternal Flame: More Than 2,200-Year-Old Mystery

Today is one of the most important days in the southern part of India, especially here in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. I’m currently at the Arunachaleshwarar Temple, also known as the Arunachalam Temple, and I’m here to witness the amazing Karthigai Deepam, which represents God Shiva and Goddess Shakti themselves. It’s believed that seeing this divine light can free us from our sins.
As I mentioned in the earlier video, this is a 10-day festival till December 13th and is known as Karthigai Deepam Mahotsavam.
Not just the temple, but the entire town of Tiruvannamalai is filled with people today. According to the information available, more than 3.5 million devotees have come here to experience this divine light.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s go and see it for ourselves.
There is historical evidence of Karthigai Deepam in ancient poems, dating back as early as 200 BCE. On this special day, you’ll see every home lit up with beautiful lamps at the entrance. Houses are also decorated with colorful rangoli or kolam designs made from rice flour, believed to bring good luck and positive energy.
Karthigai Deepam celebrates when God Shiva revealed himself as an endless flame to show his infinite nature. There’s also another belief: it’s said that when Goddess Parvati performed Girivalam or walking around the sacred hill, God Shiva appeared and granted his darshan on the very day of Karthigai Deepam.
The highlight of this festival is the lighting of the Maha Deepam on top of Arunachala Hill in the evening. A huge lamp, filled with ghee, is used to create this sacred flame. This special pot, called the Deepa Kopurai, is made of five metals or panchaloha and has three sections named Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. One day before the festival, this massive 350 kg pot is taken up the hill. They then fill it with 26 tins of ghee and sacred cloth to keep the flame burning. If you arrive one day before Karthigai Deepam, you can see and even touch the sacred cloth placed in front of the main Annamalaiyar Temple. You can also see a footprint of God Shiva above the hill. After the flame is lit, thousands of devotees join in Girivalam, walking around Arunachala Hill in devotion and celebration.
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