Lord Thiruvannamalai Karthigai Deepam 2012 Annual Festival & Significance - Arunachaleswara Temple Tiruvannamalai

Karthigai Deepam is a annual carnival celebrates in Lord Arunachaleswara Temple,Thiruvannamalai City,Tamilnadu State.Every year this Festival celebrates for 10 days which begins in the Uthiradam Star (Uttarashada Star in Telugu)  day in the Tamil Month Karthigai(Karthika Masam in Telugu)[November/December] and ends in the Bharani Star Day. In this year 2012 the karthigai deepam carnival begins on 19-11-2012 and closes on 27-11-2012.

Significance of Karthigai Deepam : 

During this festival the Deity of Lord Arunachaleswara is grandly decorated and procession take place in various Vahanams during morning seva and evening seva in the temple city.On the final day[Full Moon Day] of 10days grand Karthigai Deepam Festival, Karthigai Deepam will be ignited at the top of the Arunchala(Holy Hill) coinciding with the Full Moon.Devotees believed that the Real image of Lord Arunchaleswar is viewed in the appearance of Agni. During this holy day more than 10,00,000 devotees get this heavenly worship of Lord.

How the Karthigai Deepam Igniting Process Take Place at atop of the Holy Hill

A big brass vessel especially designed in the form of a Lamp shape is lifted to the peak of the Arunachal(Holy Hill).It is filled with tins and tins of Ghee and pots and pots of Butter and an enormously thick wick made of losely twisted woven fibres(clothes) is immersed into the vessel and one end of the wick is drawn out to the apex and is ignited with burning camphor  around 6pm coinciding with the Full Moon.The luminous glow of the lamp atop of the hill opens the eyes of the Million devotees and uttering "Om Arunachaleswaraya Namah".The sacred Karthigai Deepam can be seen even from a distance of 45KM.

Lord Arunachaleswara Temple Timings & Phone Number - Thiruvannamalai

Lord Arunachaleswara Temple Information: 
Arunchaleswara Temple is the abode of Lord Shiva located at Thiruvannamalai.The Tiruvannamalai city is well connected to Chennai,Vellore,Pondicherry,Salem,Kanchipuram and etc., by road/rail/air. It is situated in 187KM from chennai,70KM from Vellore and nearest airport is Chennai airport. The temple opens from 5:30am to 12:30pm and 3:30pm to 9:30pm and closes at 9:30pm.The Temple Office timings are 10:00am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 7:00pm.The contact phone number of the temple is 04175-252438. The offical website of the temple is www.omarunchala.com

Daily Poojas at Lord Arunchaeswara Temple

Time	Pooja
5:30am	Ushathkalam
8:00am	Kalasanthi
10:00am	Uchikalam
6:00pm	Sayarakshai
8:00pm	Irandamkalam
9:30pm	Artha Jamam

Lord Thiruvannamalai Girivalam Dates 2012&Timings-Arunachaleswara Temple

Sri Arunachaleswara Temple

At Arunachaleswara Temple,the adode of Lord Shiva, Girivalam is the most important festival celebrates on Full Moon Day in every month.Thousands of Devotees perform Girivalam (Giri Pradakshina in Sanskrit,Girivalam in Tamil)  around Arunachala (Holy hill) on the day of Full Moon and believe that performing Girivalam removes all kinds of sins,restoration of Peace,Fulfilling Desires,freedom from re-birth and also giving deliverance through Jnana.

Girivalam Calender for the year 2012:

Month	Girivalam Day	Staring Date & Time	Ending Date & Time
January	8-1-2012(Sunday)	8-1-2012(Sun) 1:19pm	9-1-2012(Mon) 1:41pm
Febuary	7-2-2012(Tuesday)	6-2-2012(Mon) 4:59am	7-2-2012(Tue) 4:18am
March	7-3-2012(Wednesday)	7-3-2012(Wed) 5:43pm	8-3-2012(Thu) 4:09pm
April	5-4-2012(Thursday)	5-4-2012(Thu) 3:58am	6-4-2012(Fri) 1:50am
May	5-5-2012(Saturday)	5-5-2012(Sat) 11:58am	6-5-2012(Sun) 8:58am
June	3-6-2012(Sunday)	3-6-2012(Sun) 2:54pm	4-6-2012(Mon) 12:53pm
July	3-7-2012(Tuesday)	3-7-2012(Tue) 1:06am	4-7-2012(Wed) 12:06am
August	1-8-2012(Wednesday)	1-8-2012(Wed) 10:11am	2-8-2012(Thu) 9:13am
August	31-8-2012(Friday)	30-8-2012(Thu) 10:07pm	31-8-2012(Fri) 9:08pm
September	29-9-2012(Saturday)	29-3-2012(Sat) 9:08am	30-3-2012(Sun) 8:09am
October	29-10-2012(Monday)	28-10-2012(Sun)12:07am	29-10-2012(Mon) 1:07am
November	27-11-2012(Tuesday)	27-11-2012(Tue) 5:24pm	28-11-2012(Wed) 7:24pm
December	28-12-2012(Friday)	27-12-2012(Thu) 3:10pm	28-12-2012(Fri) 3:16pm

 Note: The Girivalam date & timings mentioned here is as per the official Site of Arunachalam Temple Website. If any errors please ignore....

Lord Arunachaleswara Temple Thiruvannamalai - Karthigai Deepam 2012 Date

Lord Arunachaleswara-Goddess Uma

Arunachalaeswara Temple is the abode of Lord Shiva located at Thiruvannamalai City,Tamilnadu State. The Temple was built at the foot of the Arunachala. Arunachala refers to the holy Hill situated at Tiruvannamalai City. Arunachalam Temple is an externalized aspect of faith and is a place of restoration of Peace.In this temple most important festivals are Karthigai Deepam which celebrates in the month of Karthigai(October/November) once in a year and Girivalam which celebrates on Full Moon Day  in every month.

Every month on Full Moon Day, thousands of devotees perform the Circumambulation (Pradakshina in Telugu) of  Arunachala (also known as Girivalam in Tamil Language and Giri Pradakshina in Sanskrit) and devotees believe that performing Girivalam removes all kinds of Sins, fulfilling desires, freedom from re-birth and giving deliverance through Jnana.Girivalam is also known as Malaivalam.

Every year Karthigai Deepam Festival celebrates for 10 days in the Tamil month of Karthigai(Karthika Masam in Telugu)[October-November], the Karthigai Deepam(Light) is lit on the final day of Festival at dusk at the top of the Arunachala (Holy hill) coinciding with the Full Moon(Karthigai Pournami).On this holy day more than 10,00,000 devotees get this heavenly worship of Lord.In this year 2012 Karthigai Deepam will be celebrated on 27-Nov-2012.

  Chant...     " Om Arunachaleswaraya Namah"     "Om Arunchaleswaraya Namah"