Karthigai Deepam @ Home and Neighborhood

Karthikai Deepam is a South Indian festival observed by Hindus on the full moon day of Tamil month Karthikai, which falls amid November and December. It is an occasion where rows of oil lamps are lit in every home and temples. Karthigai Deepam is essentially a festival of lamps and lighted lamps are considered as auspicious symbols and believed to drive off evil forces and let in prosperity and joy.

Though generally lighted lamps are important in festivals and rituals of Hindus, Karthigai Deepam is indispensable. We hold the festival of lamps yesterday at home and lit some limited oil lamps at the entrance and windowsills. A few of our neighbors had some splendid arrangements of lamps around their compound walls and stairs across our house-made feels good to the eyes and mind.

The construction office opposite our side entrance did wonderfully by lighting rows of lamps on their wooden stair and someone stood there to make sure all lamps kept burning. Our oil lamps couldn’t light long due to the wind but to my surprise, the lamps lit on the compound wall of our neighbors keep lighted. Only later mom said those are candle lamps. So what? I can’t understand the logic here.

Usually, mom used to light the lamps once Thiruvannamalai Deepam (a huge fire lamp, which is called Mahadeepam) was lit up on the hill, following a live relay on TV. Tiruvannamalai Karthigai festival is well-known, and millions of people go to the temple town to watch the Maha Deepam lit up on the hill.