Source: Asiantribune.com
CHENNAI, INDIA, December 2, 2009: The holy deepam was lighted atop the hill of Thiruvannamalai on Tuesday evening. Devotees gathered within and around the precincts of the temple, along with the residents of the town to catch sight of the flame atop the Annamalai hill, cherishing the age old belief that it is a representation of Shiva himself, who appeared in the form of a flame whose origins could not be deciphered by Brahma and Vishnu.
The Kartikai Deepam was preceeded by the Bharani Deepam celebration when a lamp was lit in the main shrine of the temple following a fire worship before the shrine of Surya. A small bowl of ghee lighted at this fire is used to light five other lamps representing the five aspects of Shiva. Then a group of fishermen carried a portion of this fire inside a container of baked earth to the summit of the mountain where a large copper utensil filled with offerings of ghee and pieces of cloth was placed.
Kartikai Deepam is a festival of lights celebrated by Tamil Hindus on the full moon day of Kartikai month (November/December), which is observed in every home and in every temple. This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and the full moon, purnima.