Above image: The height of the Arunachala hill is 2671 feet and the Maha deepam is lit on the hill in the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December). The deepam will appear for 11 days on top of the hill from the date of the main deepam festival. The deepam is lit on the arrival of Lord Arthanareeswarar (god Shiva) near Sokka Panai in the temple procession. Across Tamil nadu and at the temple town deepam ill be lit only after the maha Deepam is lit atop the hill.......
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| Karthigai Deepam, Tiruvannamalai dubaiuae.in |
Above image: The Maha deepam atop the 2668 ft Arunachala Hill will burn contiguously for 11 days...........
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| Arunachaleswar temple and the holy hill, TN. chennaionline.com |
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| Girivalam path. arunachalagrace.blogspot.com |
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| Girivalam, arunachalagrace.blogspot.com |
The religious practice of Girivalam, a popular one in Tamil Nadu has been in vogue for centuries and this well-known religious undertaking is closely associated with Annamalai Hill in the temple town of Thiruvannamalai. Devotees in large number walk barefoot around the Annamalai Hill on the occasion of full moon every month. Thousand of devotees gather at the Arunachaleswarar Temple to walk clock-wise all the way the 14 km circular path around the hill. The word Girivalam (giri meaning hill and valam meaning coming around clockwise) around the Arunachala hill involves long journey and the devotees have to worship at eight lingam shrines known as Ashtalingam . They are Indra lingam, Agni Lingam, Yama Lingam, Niruthi Lingam, Varuna Lingam, Vayu lingam, Kubera Lingam and Esanya Lingam enshrined at different locations facing different directions Devotees undertake this tedious task with devotion and walk around the holy hill while chanting mantras on god Shiva or simply uttering ''Om Arunachaleswaraya namaha''.Normally, it will take 4 to 6 hours to complete the path and the time of completion depends on the stride of devotees.
The best time to undertake Girivalam is during the early morning hours, starting from 4.30 am. I have heard people say it is an exhilarating experience walking in a serene, quiet morning in the midst of greenery. There is nothing to be afraid of as lots of devotees will be doing girivalam at the same time. Depending on the stride and stamina, normally devotees take three and half to four and half hours to complete one circle.
On Full Moon days and festive days (like Karthigai deepam or first day of the Tamil month, Tamil New Year day) there will be big crowd set out to do girivalam. The practice of doing pradakshina in big temple is good for your physical and mental well-being. The advantage of doing girivalam has manifold benefits. This practice of girivalam is very much similar to the Govardhan Parikrama taken by devotees in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
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| Devotees carrying huge cauldron thehindu.com |
Above image:The cauldron (kopparai) is being carried to be kept atop the hill in view of Maha Deepam at Arunachala Hills near Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai. On December 2, 2025 the Maha Deepam team avoided their traditional southeast route to carry the materials atop the hills after landslip occurred there last December 2024.The team carried the cauldron (kopparai) on the northeast of the hills..........
The 2025 Maha Deepam festival is celebrated a year after a landslip that had killed at least seven persons, including five children. They were trapped inside a house beneath a landslide near the lower slopes of the Annamalaiyar Hill in Tiruvannamalai district on Dec1,2024 due to rains caused by Cyclone Fengal in the town.
For the Karthigai deepam festival, the district administration of Thiruvannamalai already started making preparation for the grand festival that falls on 3th December and has made elaborate announcements. Only certain number of devotees will be allowed to climb Annamalaiyar Hills to witness the lighting of Maha deepam atop the hill. The temple is being managed by the HR & CE, a Tamil Nadu state agency in charge of temples and their properties. The District Collector and and his officials will look after the arrangements being made for the festival.
Itis believed that his year the temple town of Thiruvannamalai is expected to receive less than 35 lakh people from different parts of Tamil Nadu and adjacent states due to heavy rains in many parts of coastal TamilNadu. Chennai is very much affected by the threat of cyclone.
For the benefits of the devotees special security arrangements are made in the town around the temple, including the the 14km girivalam path,.Several hundred CCTVs are installed inside the temple and more than 120 CCTVs around the girivalam path. More than 30 fire trucks, several hundred fire and rescue personnel will on duty in the town.
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| Maha Deepam at Thiruvannamalai TN .hindudevotionalblog.com |
https://www.navrangindia.in/2019/12/karthigai-deepam-festival-some.html
https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/11/a-good-spiritual-act-girivalam.html
