Arudhra Darshan is a very important festival dedicated to Lord Shiva Nataraja. It falls in the tamil month of Margazhi which begins in mid December and goes upto mid January. It is on the full moon night of the Arudhra (Orion) constellation that Lord Nataraja is believed to perform his cosmic dance and thus He upholds the five-fold activities of the universe. Arudhra signifies the red flame and Shiva performs his dance in this red-flamed light.

The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva represents five activities – Creation, Protection, Destruction, Embodiment and Release. In essence, it represents the continuous cycle of creation and destruction. This cosmic dance takes place in every particle and is the source of all energy. The Arudhra Darshan festival celebrates this ecstatic dance of Lord Shiva-Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer.

This year Arudhra Darshanam in Tiruvannamalai takes place on the full moon night falling on 22^nd December. Millions of people will walk around the holy hill of Arunachala. In the big temple of Lord Arunachaleeswara, Arudhra is celebrated as a Nataraja Utsavam and there will be many special pujas and rituals involving sacrificial fires and grand abhishekams to the deities of Lord Nataraja and his consort Goddess Shivakami.

For Ramana devotees it will also be a special day because it marks the preceding night of Sri Ramanas birth anniversary which one may remember, happens on the next day.

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People may wonder how Deepam was celebrated when Bhagavan was alive. Here is an account of it by Suri Nagamma in Letters from Ramanasramam:

In the afternoon from 3 o clock onwards the devotees started making preparations for the festival. At the Asramam the floor was decorated with lime and rice powder, floral designs and mango leaf festoons. On such occasions the crowds which come to town for this festival usually visit the asramam in the morning as they go round the Hill, whereas in the evening it is mostly the Asramites who are present at the Asramam celebrations…

On this evening when Bhagavan went out the attendant placed his couch in the open space facing the summit. Opposite the couch a large shallow iron pan was placed on a high stool, ghee poured into it and a wick placed in the centre. We then sat in rows, the men on Bhagavan’s right and the women on His left. The space in front of Bhagavan was filled not only with baskets of flowers but also with vessels of all sorts of sweetmeats and other preparations. When the ghee brought by the devotees was poured into the pan for kindling the light, the pan was overflowing. Camphor was then placed on the wick. The fragrance from the lighted incense sticks spread on all sides and created a holy atmosphere. Bhagavan sat lovingly looking at all the devotees and related to those near Him the significance of the festival of Light. He also pointed out the exact place where the light was to be kindled at the top. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the lighting of the sacred beacon on the Hill top. While His gaze was concentrated on the summit of the hill, ours was concentrated on His divine face, for it was just a reflection of Arunachala. With the firing of  crackers at the temple, the light on the Hill top appeared. Immediately the Akhanda Jyothi (perennial light) opposite Bhagavan was lit. The brahmins rose and chanted the mantra, “Na karmana na prajaya dhanena” and lit the camphor. After Bhagavan had partaken of a little fruit and some sweetmeats, the rest were distributed amongst the devotees. Immediately after that the devotees divided themselves into two groups, singing the hymn Aksharamanamalai. After that, the five stanzas beginning with “Karunapurana Sudhaabhde” in Sanskrit and its equivalent in Tamil were recited. Bhagavan sat resting His cheek on His hand, His characteristic pose. His face appeared as though mirroring His Self-Illumination, what with His silence and His profound thought reflected on it. The moon rose in the East and cast its light on Him as though seeking its light from Him…

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The glorious festival of Karthigai Deepam came to its culmination on Sunday 21^st November. On this day the flame or the holy beacon is lit on the summit of  Arunachala hill. The prelude to the Lighting of the Great Flame started inside the big temple at 2 o clock in the morning. At this time, a Yagna or sacred fire Homa is kindled in the Mahamantapam while the Abhishekam to Lord Arunachaleswara is performed in the inner sanctum.

After the puja, Arathi is done by the priests by lighting a huge chunk of camphor on a golden plate and waving it around the Lord. The temple bells start clanging and the musicians beat on their drums. Amidst all these sounds, the temple walls resound with loud cries of devotion. The Arathi is brought outside and shown to the five lamps lit on earthen plates for which the Yagna has been going on. This is Bharani Deepam, the prelude to Karthigai Deepam. Its significance is that the universal Lord manifests as the five elements during the day and in the evening He again becomes the One Absolute Being and shines as Tejolinga when the Deepam is lit on the Hill. (Bharani is one of the 27 stellar constellations through which the moon is believed to pass through successively each day and according to the hindu almanac, Bharani precedes Krithika which is the constellation of Karthigai Deepam).

The earthenware lamps of Bharani Deepam are taken in procession around the temple. A fire torch is lit from these lamps and taken to the Hill top. Here on the summit there is a huge copper cauldron filled with ghee (poured in by devotees) and a wick made from many metres of cotton cloth rubbed with camphor after being steeped in the ghee. Millions of people have already arrived since morning and start walking giripradakshina around the Hill. The roads are packed with an ocean of people still increasing as the day goes by.

Around sunset, at 6 p.m. to be exact, the deity of Lord Ardhanaareeswara is brought out ceremoniously and installed in the DeepaMantapam in the big temple, facing the Hill. After Arathi is shown to the Lord, a thundering blast of fire crackers gives the signal to the men on the summit of the Hill to light the Flame. It is a Full Moon night and as the sun sets in the western sky and the beautiful full moon rises in the east, the flames of the Maha Karthigai Deepam spring forth into the sky on top of Arunachala, creating a wave of ecstatic devotion among all the people. A tremendous roar of “Annaamalaiyurukku Haro Haraa” is heard from all directions. The Deepam burns brightly and fills our hearts with the powerful and vibrant presence of the Lord. Everyone stands awe-stricken in front of this splendid sight and thousands fall down on their hands and knees doing Pranaam to the Great Lord. And thus the great festival of Deepam is completed. True Completion happens when it is not only outside with the Lighting of the Flame but also inside when the Flame of Jnana is lit correspondingly in the heart of each being.

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Thursday 18th November is the day of the Maha Ratham or the Great Chariot in the Karthigai Deepam Brahmotsavam. Today, the great wooden chariot which is supposed to be the largest temple chariot in Asia was taken on procession around the four streets of the temple. The main great chariot carried the stately figures of Lord Arunachaleswara and his consort Goddess Unnamulai whereas the smaller chariots carried the deities of Lord Muruga, Lord Ganesha and Goddes Durga respectively.

Early in the morning, thousands of men and women flocked the venue of departure in front of the Raja Gopuram, eager to pull the chains of the chariot thus having the honour of drawing their Lord’s vehicle.When the signal was given, men and women with great enthusiasm and crying loudly “Hail to Annamalaiyar” started to draw the great chariot with all their might. Slowly, inch by inch, the huge chariot moves and as the pull force increases it gains momentum and moves faster.

It is indeed impressive to see the gigantesque enormous wooden chariot move forth slowly and majestically, drawn entirely by man power. The chariot is made of rose wood and has beautiful carvings of divinities on its sides.  The top is decorated  attractively with silk canopies, banana and coconut fronds and flower garlands. The Temple Sivacharyas in royal attire are seated on either side like footmen to the Gods and they wave lovely peacock feathered fans to keep the Gods cool and airy during their procession.

And thus the great chariot winds its way down the temple streets. By the time it has reached the western street, it is evening and the sun has started to set. The golden rays of the sinking sun shine through the peaks of the Hill. With the Hill view, the golden sunset, the soaring temple towers and the Lord majestically riding on his great chariot in the centre, it makes a spectacular sight and  one feels that the gods themselves are down there admiring the show!

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In India, all temple festivals are ‘Utsavams’ and the most important one is called ‘Brahmotsavam’. From the etymological point of view, the Sanskrit word ‘Utsava’ denotes an act of creation or re-creation. If we study the features of the Brahmotsavam, we will find that more than any other temple festival, the Brahmotsavam would essentially be a festival of re-creation.

The Karthigai Deepam Brahmotsavam holds a unique place in the world of temple festivals. Due to its ancient origins and deeply esoteric significance, it has withstood the ravages of time and modernization. Despite the decadence of the present age and all its evils, the beauty and wonder of the Deepam festival remain unchanged and unsullied. The true significance of all religious festivals is that the Supreme Being makes His presence felt strongly during that time. During Karthigai Deepam, Arunachala opens up the heart of His beloved ones and reveals Himself as the Supreme Being. Shining as ‘I’, ‘I’ the sole occupant seated in the centre of the Heart’s cave of His devotees, He is believed to guide and inspire the proceedings of the entire festival.

On the first three days of the sixteen day festival, the various deities are propitiated, while the last three days form a sort of epilogue to the lighting of the Deepam on the Hill. Thus the main festival is only for ten days. The first day begins with the hoisting of the Flag which ceremoniously ushers in the ten days of the Brahmotsavam. Called Dwajaarohanam, it marks the beginning of any temple festival. The Dwajaarohanam of Karthigai this year took place at dawn on Friday 12th November and was attended by a fairly large crowd of devotees. The idol of the Lord was adorned beautifully with jewels and flowers and brought by the priests and placed in front of the dazzling golden flagpole in the first courtyard of the temple. At the appointed auspicious time, the flag was hoisted to the divine chanting sound of the Vedas accompanied by Nathaswaram music, drums and cymbals. The priests then invited all the sacred rivers, all the gods and goddesses and all the rishis and seers to come and witness and bless this occasion. After the ceremony was over, the Lord was taken around on procession and then installed in the vast hall (called the Kalyana Mandapam) on the southern side. Here he will stay for the next ten days, beaming graciously upon the multitude of devotees thronging at His feet for Darshan.

The special days before the actual Deepam day are the fifth and the seventh days. On the night of the fifth day, the Lord along with his consort is taken on His sacred Mount, the Rishaba (Bull) which is made of wrought silver in this case. The  seventh day is the day of the Maha Ratham or the Great Chariot which is of spectacular proportions and the largest sacred chariot in India. This year it will take place on the 18^th of November and millions of devotees braving the sun and rain will struggle to pull the chains of the chariot for it moves entirely by human force. The tenth Day is the most important one when the Maha Deepam will be lit on top of the Hill at sunset and falls on the 21^st of November this year. The Deepam burns for seven, nine, eleven or thirteen days and at about six every evening, the flame flares up and burns throughout the night. It is visible for miles around and thrills the heart of every being who has the good fortune to look upon it. Giri Pradakshina at this time is a very special experience and devotees come from far, distant lands to partake of this Grace. May the Karthigai Deepam this year light the flame of jnana in each of our Hearts!

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As the name indicates, this is a festival celebrating the prowess of Lord Muruga, the son of Lord Shiva, who is also called Skanda. It falls on Sashti, which is the sixth day of the lunar cycle after the New Moon day of Deepavali. Whereas Deepavali is when Lord Krishna the hero-god of the North slays the demon Narakaasura, Skanda Sashti is when Lord Muruga the Hero-God of the South slays the demon Soorapadman.

Here in Tiruvannamalai, the big temple of Arunachaleswara celebrates this festival in a very popular and dramatic manner. The Soorasamharam (destruction of Sooran) takes place at nightfall on the day of Skanda Sashti (this year it fell on Thursday 11^th November). This time, Lord Muruga in the form of Arumugam or Shanmukham with six heads and twelve arms goes out in procession from the big temple after having, earlier, received the weapon (a bow and arrow) from his mother, the Goddess Unnamulaiyamman. After making a tour of the four streets around the temple, He then wields his way in the northern direction preceded by the temple elephant and accompanied by his retinue of priests, musicians and devotees.

The procession passes in front of the Durga temple and then stops in front of the Vada Subramanya temple a few metres before the bus depot. Here Lord Muruga is assailed by the demon coming from the North (like all asuras). This is enacted in the form of a giant wooden doll placed on a cart with wheels which comes whizzing down the slope pushed by men from behind. The asura Sooran thus attacks Lord Muruga three times and the priest wields his bow and lets fly an arrow to strike him each time. After each hit, the head of the Asura changes successively.

The last head is the Maamarasura with the head of a mango tree. At the end, the Asura undergoes a change of heart, repents his misdeeds and to signify this, his head is altered into a peacock and a rooster head, being the two mounts of Lord Muruga. The Asura Sooran then pays obeisance to the Lord and thus the festival ends after a grand display of fireworks.

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The festival of Karthigai Deepam which is approaching soon is the one of the oldest living festivals in India. It takes place in the Tamil month of Karthigai when the star Kirthiga is on the ascendant and usually occurs on a full moon day. In ancient tamil literature, the oldest available work Tolkappiyam which dates back to 2500 B.C. carries a marked reference to this festival. In another ancient Tamil classic, the Kalavazhi Naarpadu, dating back to the third Sangam period (around 1000 B.C.), the poet writes, “In the battle, the blood oozing out from the dead soldiers’ bodies is like the red coloured flame of the light lit on Karthigai Deepam”. Another song in Sambandar’s Thevaram says that the Lord is verily the Deepam (lit during the Karthigai festival).

Everyone knows that Karthigam Deepam is the lighting of the flame on the summit of Arunachala on Karthigai day but not many people know about why this festival is celebrated. Readers may remember the legend of the Navaratri festival in earlier posts about how Goddess Parvathi having incurred the wrath of her husband, Lord Shiva, came to the holy hill of Arunachala to do Tapas and regain the favour of her Lord. And so, after a long period of arduous Tapas which the Goddess Parvathi performed with great devotion and strength, Lord Shiva’s wrath was appeased and He came down to Arunachala to take her back. When He arrived, Lord Shiva was so moved by the strength and force which emanated from the Goddess as a result of her Tapas that he decided that She was his equal in every way. Therefore he granted her half his body so that the Two would become totally united in One form. This was the birth of Ardhanareeswara. Physically It signifies the Divine Union of Shiva and Parvathi. Spiritually it signifies the absolute union of Advaita. Not two but One. Shiva and Parvathi are not two but One. Man and God are not two but One.

This momentous event is believed to have happened in the month of Karthigai on the day of Kirthiga Nakshatra and that is why till today the flame is lit on the summit of Arunachala in memory and honour of this wonderful Union which unite Man and God.

When Sri Muruganar asked Bhagavan Ramana about the significance of the Karthigai Deepam festival, Bhagavan composed a stanza of four lines in which He says, “The true significance of the Karthigai Deepam festival is to turn the intellect inwards and have it fixed in the Heart, thereby merging it with the indweller of the Heart”

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Deepavali is a festival of truimph of good over evil and the word literally means “row of lights”. Though it started as a north-indian vaishnavaite festival it is now celebrated all over India. The legend of Deepavali goes back to times of yore. There was an evil demon called Narakasura who was terrorising the world. People prayed to Lord Krishna to save them and so Krishna came down and slew the demon after a terrible battle. In his last breath, the demon repented his evil deeds and begged Krishna that his death day be celebrated as a festival and that people should wear new clothes, eat sweets and burst fire crackers on that day. Krishna granted the demon his dying wish.

The battle between Krishna and Narakasura took place at night in the forest. After Krishna killed Narakasura, he smeared his forehead with the demon’s blood as a sign of victory and returned to the city at dawn. The women folk received him with joy and gave him a bath to wash the blood off after anointing his head with scented oils. In remembrance of this, on Deepavali, it is still a tradition among the people to wake up at dawn and take an oil bath, that is after applying oil on the head. And then of course the custom of wearing new clothes and gorging on delicious sweets and setting of a fantastic array of fireworks is practiced with great enthusiasm by one and all, especially the youngsters.

In Tiruvannamalai, at dawn, in the big temple of Lord Arunachaleswara, all the different deities in every nook and corner of the temple, are given an oil abhishekam and then adorned with new clothes. Otherwise deepavali does not have any special significance here except that the textile shops in town do a brisk trade and go about even a week prior to the festival, in autorickshaws with blaring loudspeakers advertising their wares.

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The ninth day of Navarathri is celebrated as Ayudha puja and Saraswathi puja. Ayudha means weapon or tool and on this day every tool or instrument which serves us in daily life is honoured in a special way. Even transport vehicles are included and the auto stand in front of Ramanashram bore a festive look as all the autorickshaws had been cleaned and decorated and a puja was performed there by the drivers in the evening.

Saraswathi puja is celebrated in the houses of artists and scholars and on this day they honour their musical instruments, books of learning and other articles of study which are believed to be the abode of Saraswathi, the  Goddess of wisdom. The Ramanashram book shop celebrated Saraswathi puja and the whole place was cleaned and decorated. Sandal paste and vermillon were applied everywhere and flower garlands festooned the entrance. After the puja, pufffed rice and sugar candy are distributed to one and all as prasad.

Vijaya Dasami is the tenth day after the nine nights of Navaratri and signifies the victory of the Goddess Durga over the powers of darkness. While performing the tapas of atonement, Parvathi was assailed by the evil demon Mahishasura who tried to seduce her. When She refused to fall to his wicked wiles, the demon tried to fight Her and win Her by force, right there on the slopes of Arunachala. Undaunted, the brave Parvathi took the form of Durga, the fierce Shakthi and screamed at Mahishasura, “This is a sacred place where only sages and devotees of Arunachala can reside, therefore do not incur the wrath of my Lord and be burnt by Him. It is ordained that I should fight and kill you.”

Hence She took him outside the borders of Tiruvannamalai. After a nine day battle She slayed him and returned to Tiruvannamalai truimphantly, where She continued her tapas on the slopes of the holy mountain. Thus the Navaratri festival although celebrated all over India, has the greatest significance in Tiruvannamalai.

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Navaratri is a festival of nine nights dedicated to the Goddess Shakthi (Parvathi or Amba) in her different manifestations. The legend of Navarathri starts with the penance of the Goddess on the slopes of Arunachala. Separated from her Lord (due to having playfully closed his eyes with her hands), the Goddess yearns to be reunited with Him. The great sage Guatama advises her to perform penance on the slopes of the holy Hill Arunachala and accordingly she comes here and sits in Tapas (penance). She follows the various scriptural injunctions and exhibits her devotion to the Lord in various ways. During the nine days of penance she manifests  herself each day in one of her different forms.

In Ramanashram, the Navaratri festival is celebrated in a grand way. On the night of Mahavalya Amavasya, the goddess Yogambika is brought out of her niche in the Mother’s shrine and taken on procession around the Samadhi of Ramana. After this, she is installed in a beautiful decorated pedestal behind the Nandi of the Mother’s shrine. Every night for nine days, the goddess is decorated splendidly in silk attire, gold jewels and flowers, depicting each day a different aspect. After the Alamkaram, arathi puja is performed by the priests in an elaborate manner. Hundreds of devotees from all over throng the new hall every evening to witness this spectacle.

It will be interesting to see what Bhagavan Sri Ramana had to say about this celebration. In Letters from Ramanasramam, Suri Nagamma recounts to her brother in a letter dated 27th January 1946. “You have seen the decorations made in the shrine of Mathrabhutheswara on the first day of Navarathri festival last year. There was a different type of decoration every day in accordance with the puranic story that Amba went out to do Tapas as she could not bear the separation from the Shiva. So the idol of Amba was decorated suitably and was put in the shade of a tree. After the night meal was over that day, Bhagavan was taken to that place and was shown that idol. Next morning in the hall, while talking about the ornamentation in the temple and in this shrine, Bhagavan said, “Yesterday’s ornamentation was intended to show that Amba was doing Tapas. Unable to bear the separation, she goes out to do Tapas (penance) here. But Parvathi is depicted as sitting in a stylish pose under a tree to do Tapas, wearing a silk sari, gold jewels and flower garlands! What our people do is always like this. Tapas means meditation connected with the practice of self-denial or bodily mortification, does it not? Amba is reported to have closed the eyes of Shiva with both her hands for fun and to expiate that sin, Parameswara asked her to perform penance, and so she left her husband, went to a lonely place, and in self-mortification, forgot about her body, became weak and with great austerity, performed Tapas. But see the way Amba is now decorated to depict that story. She is dressed like a Maharani with diamonds and emeralds and gold ornaments and wearing a silk sari and flower garlands !”

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