Lakhs of people witness Maha Deepam atop Annamalai hills

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Pic Courtesy : Dinamalar.

Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, Dec 04: Lakhs of people witnessed the ''Maha Deepam'' atop the Annamalai hills, marking the culmination of ten-day Karthigai Deepam festival in this temple town today.

At the stroke of 1800 hrs, as soon as the Ardhanareeswarar deity was taken round the ''Dwajasthambam'' of the Arunachaleswarar temple, the Maha Deepam was lit atop the 2,667-foot-high Annamalai Hills, amid chanting of 'Annamalayarukku Arohara' by the devotees. Hundreds and thousands of devotees drawn from various parts of the country and abroad in offering worship to Arnachaleeswarar.

The ten-day long festival began on November with the flag hoisting ceremony and since then, people from the state and neighbouring states started thronging the temple town. A number of foreign tourists were also seen witnessing the Deepam festival. After the lighting of the Maha Deepam, the deities were taken out of the mandapam and the devotees proceeded to perform ''Girivalam'' (circumambulation) of the hills as the Deepam festival coincided with ''pournami'' (full moon day).

Earlier in the day, thousands of devotees witnessed the Bharani Deepam. Right from the morning, devotees started converging here. The Southern Railway and the State government arranged special trains and buses for the convenience of the devotees.

An hour before the lighting of the Deepam, the ''Utsava'' deities of Vinayaka, Muruga along with Valli and Deivanai, Annamalaiar along with Unnamalaiamman, Parasakthi and Chandikeswarar were taken in a procession.