Deepam Festival. Day Ten - Night: Temple Mahadeepam Alangarams
The below photographs are of the Panchamoorthies alangarams on the
evening of the 10th Day of the 2015 Karthigai Deepam Festival. The Five
Idols (as in all processions) are: Vinayakar, Lord Arunachaleswarar,
Goddess Unnamulai, Subramanya and Chandikeswarar. The sixth God is that
of the form of Ardhanarishvara (half male, half female) which is only
ever taken out of the 2nd Prakaram on the evening of Mahadeepam.
Vinayakar
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Lord Arunachaleswarar
Goddess Parashakti
Lord Subramanya with wives
Chandikeswarar
Ardhanarishvara
2015 Deepam Festival. Day Ten - Evening: Mahadeepam Arunachaleswarar Temple
Arunachaleswarar darshan
Temple Deepam precedes Arunachala Deepam by seconds
After Deepam Ardhanisvara gives darshan
Packed Temple with devotees eyes on Deepam at Temple and Hill
Arunachala Deepam 2015
Mahadeepam
[By Swami Abhisktananda 1970]
"Towards five the singing stopped, as a procession emerged from the
Kalyana Mandapam. It was the five murtis which were now coming attired
in their most splendid garments and covered with flowers, to mix with
the crowd so that they might have the darshan of the Holy Light.
Immediately in front of the porch of the sanctuary stands a mandapam
which was built in 1202 by Mangayarkarasi to provide a shelter for the
Lords of the Temple during this annual function. The murtis passed
through the crowd in their palanquins carried on the shoulders of the
Brahmins. Once they were in their place, everyone's attention was once
more turned towards the Mountain and the chanting of mantras began
again.
The atmosphere became more and more intense. The sun had now disappeared
behind the mountain, and the lengthening shadow of the mighty Linga of
rock gradually spread across the sanctuary, the courtyards and the
Gopurams. The great moment was drawing near for which everyone was
waiting - the appearance of the Flame. Expectation filled every heart and
showed on every face. It increased in harmony with the rhythm of the
cosmos itself; as slowly beyond the horizon the moon rose into the sky,
while in the depths of space the constellation of the Pleiades, of
Krittika, appeared in the same direction.
Suddenly there was the sound of an explosion, like a gunshot. Young
torch-bearers came running out of the inner sanctuary, brandishing their
lighted torches at arm's length. Priests offered the flame of the aarti
before the murti of Arunachala at its space under the mandapam. In
front of the main gate a huge bronze cauldron, filled with oil, camphor
and clarified butter, burst into a giant flame.
And from the peak of the Mountain also - on which all eyes had been fixed
for the last full hour, not only in the Temple and the town, but in the
whole countryside around to a distance of many leagues - the flame mounted
up, manifesting both outwardly and in the heart of the faithful, the
mystery of Light which from the beginning has at the same time hidden
and revealed itself in Arunachala.
That is all. The Flame has been seen. Joy and grace have filled all
hearts. The crowd immediately begins to disperse, though it will be more
than two hours before the Temple courts are completely empty. Each one
as he leaves, goes to the bronze cauldron and casts into it his offering
of camphor or of oil to be burnt up in the one great flame - a symbol of
his own departure into the mystery of the Flame.
Meanwhile the bearers up above begin their slow and difficult descent
from the Mountain. They had climbed up early that morning in the first
light of dawn, carrying jars of oil and clarified butter. The worthiest
of their number were entrusted with bearing the sacred fire, taken from
each of the Temple shrines, in order to light the Thibam flame. This had
to be done at the very moment when, from their lofty observatory, they
saw simultaneously the red sun disappearing in the west while the moon's
dish came over the horizon in the east.
As soon as I left the Temple precincts amid the crow of faithful, I
joined with many others in once more following the circular road round
Arunachala . . . as I stepped into the cool air of the night . . . all
the detailed features of the Mountain had disappeared. There was nothing
to be seen but the sharp outline of its mystic triangle sketched
against the sky. As the moon climbed majestically towards the zenith, it
shed over it its silvery light, while all around was spread a
mysterious shadow.
The Mountain had become an immense lamp, from the top of which glittered the bright Fame. OM."
Arunachala Karthigai Deepam November 25, 2015
Below photographs taken of the Mahadeepam being lit on the top of Arunachala around 6 p.m. Thursday, November 25, 2015.
2015 Arunachala Mahadeepam
2015 Arunachala Mahadeepam
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