Karthikai Deepam Festival of South India
(Compilation for adiscourse at Sri Ganesha Temple by
N.R.Srinivasan, December 2014)
Karthikai Deepam is one of the
oldest festivals celebrated by Tamil people. The festival of Karthikai finds
reference in Tamil Sangam literature like Ahanuru and the popular literary
work of Tamil Saint Auvvaiyar.
Karthigai is celebrated on the
full moon day (pournami) of the month of Karthigai, as per the Tamil calendar. The Sangam period dates back to 200 BCE to 300
AD. It is one of the most important festivals of Hindu Tamils and
Keralites. You may kindly refer to my elaborate discourse on
the subject circulated a few years back and also Elephant Festival of Iyengars
of Karnataka for details. In my earlier lecture I purposely avoided details of mythological
stories giving it a spiritual focus. Vaishnavites as well as Saivites have
their own stories and Karnataka Iyengars their own story too.
Rows of Oil Lamps (Agal
vilakkus in Tamil) are lit in every house in South India. Karthigai is essentially a festival of lamps
though Deepaavali alone is understood as Festival of Lights by majority because
of its popularity in the North. The lighted lamp is considered an auspicious
symbol. It is believed the flame of the
lamp would ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy. While
the lighted lamp is important for all Hindu rituals and festivals, particularly
Malayalees it is indispensable for Karthigai. This festival is also celebrated
to commemorate the bonding between brothers and sisters in South India
(analogous to Bhaiya-Dhuj and Raakhi of Diwali in the North). Sisters pray for
the prosperity and success of their brothers and light lamps to mark the
occasion.
In Andhra Pradesh Hindus consider the whole month of Kaartheeka
very auspicious. The Kartheeka month starts on the day of Deepaavali.
From that day one till the end of the month, oil lamps are lit every day. On
Kartheeka Pournami (full moon of Kartheeka month) oil lamp with 365 wicks,
prepared at home, are lit in Lord Shiva temples. Apart from that, Kartika Masa Purana
(the sacred story of month of Kaartheeka)
is read and fasting is observed till sunset, every day for the whole
month.
In Tiruvannamali, where Siva is worshiped as Fire
(Tejolinga) Kaarthigai festival is
very famous. On Karthigai day, a huge fire lamp is lit up on the hill, visible
for several kilometers around. The fire (deepam) is called Mahadeepam (the
Great Light). Hindu devotees visit the place, to pray and make offerings to Lord
Siva.
Lord Siva appeared as an
endless flame of light before Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma who each
considered himself supreme and said that the matter could be tested if the two
could search for Lord Shiva's Head and feet. Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar and
delved deep into the earth, Lord Brahma that of a swan and flew towards the
skies. Lord Vishnu failed in his search and returned. But Lord Brahma, chancing
upon a piece of Thazhambu, a flower, learnt from it that it had
been floating down for thirty thousand years from Lord Shiva's head. He seized
upon this and claimed to Lord Shiva that he had seen the other's top. Lord Siva
realized the falsehood and pronounced that there would never be a temple for
Lord Brahma in this world. He also interdicted the use of the flower Thazhambu
in his worship. Lord Shiva appeared as a flame on this day called karthikai maha Deepam. South Indians therefore do not worship
Brahma like Rajasthans and also many other traditions in the North.
One day when Lord Siva was on meditation which he
often resorted to, Parvati feeling miserable by her loneliness left him and went to the
Hill of Arunachala according to the local legends (Sthala Purana) and performed
penance there. She was the guest of
Gautma there. It was during her penance here that Mahishasura was killed by
Durga hidden by Parvati. Siva appeared as Arunachaleswara and took back Parvati
to His half side and made her Ardhaangini permanently joined together so that they could be never separated. That
was the beginning of Ardha-Naareeswara in which form Siva-Parvati are worshiped
at the same time as Jagatapitarau or Parents of the World.
This festival
occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai
(Pleiades) and Pournami. This constellation appears as a group of six stars in
the firmament in the shape of a pendant from the ear. The six stars are
considered in Indian mythology as the six celestial nymphs who reared the six
babies in the saravana thicket on Ganges which later were joined together to
form the six faced Muruga (Shanmukha). He is therefore called Karthikeya,
the one brought up by the Karthigai nymphs. Houses and streets are lit up with
rows of oil lamps (Deepam) in the evening of the festival day to
celebrate the event.
This festival
is also observed as Vishnu Deepam by devotees of Lord Vishnu (Vaishnavites).
The day is popularly known as Karthigai Deepam – when all houses and temples
will be decorated with oil lamps after sunset. Vishnu Deepam is celebrated by
lighting bonfire known as Sokkappanai in Vishnu shrines. The reason for the
festival is based on Lord Vamana’s (Lord Trivikrama) incarnation of Lord Vishnu
appearing on Earth and pushing King Bali
to the underworld which event is celebrated as Vishnu Deepam festival. It is said that the
two steps of Lord Vamana are the Uttarayana and vernal equinox, and the third
step with which he sends Bali to the underworld is the autumn equinox. The
bonfire lit on Vishnu Deepam reminds all of us of this memorable event. Vishnu
Deepam is also observed as Yanai Pandigai (Elephant Festival) by Iyengar
community of Karnataka as well as by some Sanketi and Madhwa Brahmins of
Karnataka who are Vishnu worshipers.
Deepaavali is
projected as Hindu Festival of lights by Hindu Americans to the White House and
American population drawing similarity to the Festival of Lights in USA which starts immediately after
Thanksgiving. It is not uncommon to see trees by the roadside on December 26th indicating
conclusion of Festival of Lights on Christmas
Day. Following the policy
of secular State USA does not want to call it Christmas
Season or project Christmas tree as a religious symbol though it is called so.
A Wilson County teacher in Nashville was reprimanded for putting
up a Menorah as well as sign that said” Happy Kwanza” and “May Allah
bless your Family”. He however did not add “Happy Karthikai” though South
Indians are in good number in Wilson County as he had no knowledge of Hinduism
and their Karthigai Deepam Light
Festival. Deepam in Sanskrit means light. I don’t blame him as even in India
Karthikai is not considered as Festival of Lights by North Indians.
Hindu Festival
of Lights starts on Diwali Day signifying the return of Rama to Ayodhya and
ending with Makara Vilakku(light) on Makara Sankranti day (January 14) when Sun
starts his journey towards Northern Solstice. In my tradition we do
not believe in candles but believe in oil wick mud lamps. Two mud lamps of
Deepaavali are kept burning through Karthikai till bidding goodbye (visarjan)
to the elephant of Elephant festival on the third day of Karthikai. Two
Deepaavali lamps that are kept burning are used to light all Karthikai Lights.
American
Christians do not realize Christmas is actually a 12 days
festival leading up to Epiphany, which is January 6th, like Diwali
which is a 5 days festival. Here December 25th is the Christmas day.
They conduct Mass on December 25th and January 1st. In
Eastern orthodox tradition using a different calendar they celebrate Christmas
Mass on January 7th and observe Epiphany on January 19th.
It is logical
for Hindu Americans to start putting up lights for the Festival of Lights
season on Diwali Day and end it on Makara Sankranti Day, celebrating Makara
Vilakku (light) which incidentally will take care of in between occurring
Karthikai Festival of American Hindus of South Indian origin which is also a very sacred Festival of Lights. Eastern
Orthodox traditions use a different calendar and they celebrate Christmas on 7th
and observe Epiphany on January 19th. So the
so called secular Festival of Lights and
Holiday season falling after Thanksgiving could as well end on January 19th to satisfy all
traditions within its fold, calling it
Holiday Season Lighting and not Christmas Lighting. Interfaith couples in
which one of the partners is a Hindu will love it too as well as all Hindu
Americans. If USA does not oblige officially for all, Hindu Americans can
start the tradition to call the period from Diwali through Makara Sankaranti as
Festival of Lights Season. After all
they have One Temple of an agreed deity for all traditions on which they
mainly focus and try to pacify all traditions including Buddha,
Vardhamana, Swami Narayan and Saibabas as side deities adding to the cluster of Puranic deities to please all
donors according to the quantum of donation to build the temple and support its
running.
Everyone has
to annihilate the three impurities, namely egoism, selfishness and delusion.
Let us burn the mind, senses and the desire in the fire of Knowledge of Self or
what Saivites call Sivajnaanam or Knowledge of Siva. Let us attain full
illumination and behold the light of all lights, which illumines the mind,
intellect, sun, moon, stars, lighting and the fire. This is the real Karthigai
Deepam which Saivites call Siva Deepam and Vaishnavites call Vishnu Deepam which in reality is nothing but Brhama-jyoti.
The bonfire reminds us that the period of sloth, Tamas (darkness) is past and
the days of progress and endeavor have come.
I see
Hindu Americans rush to the temple on
January First the official New Year Day
to do special Abhishekam and also
make their New Year resolutions unlike Hindus in India who can only make their official or secular day
resolutions in their homes on that day and not as
religious worship day based on Aagamas or Tantras like any other
auspicious religious day. Romans
originally dedicated New Year Day to Janus, the God of Gates, Doors and
Beginnings after whom the first month of
the year January was named. January First is the Feast of the circumcision
of Christ liturgically marked which is still observed as such in the Anglican
Church and Lutheran Church. Christianity being the religion in the hands of
Western rulers who ruled the world at one time made this Christian religious
day as First Day of Gregorian calendar and also forced it on the world to call
it International New Year Day. India had no voice and had to accept the same as
New Year Day being ruled by British for more than 300 years which Hindu
Americans have confirmed as their religious New Year day observing it as
special religious worship Day.
No religious
leader of Eastern Orthodox Tradition was as powerful enough as Pope Gregory,
Anglican and Lutheran Church to come out with such dictatorial authority to
make January 14 of the present Gregorian calendar as the New Year Day. Eastern Orthodox Tradition uses a different
calendar and they celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Therefore their Feast of the circumcision of
Christ would fall on January 14 which is Makara Sankranti Day or the day when
Sun turn towards Northern Solstice which day could have been most acceptable to
all people of the world as a very significant land mark day. Unfortunately
Eastern orthodox was not in power! Today most countries use Gregorian calendar
as their de facto calendar including
Hindus in India. Karunanidhi, the
leader of atheist group in India called Dravida Kazhagam (DK) when he was chief
minister of Tamil Nadu made Makara Sankranti Day as New Year which is also the
day on which the Tamil month of Thai starts.
For Hindus this is the most sacred day and Puranas say Bhishma waited
for this day to give up his ghost and ascend to heaven. This would have been
ideal for whole of India as the ideal day to start the New Year. But
unfortunately Tamils revolted and when his rival Jayalalita another atheist and
corrupt chief minister came to power she reverted back to original April 14
as Tamil New Year Day. Hindu Americans
celebrate many of their festivals like Durgapuja on weekends only following the
example of Western Culture who celebrate their Holidays and Birthdays of
Presidents on week- ends. Therefore it will
be fitting and proper to observe
January 14 or Makara Sankranti Day as special worship day for New Year
day celebrations also instead of rushing on January 1. It is better to join
Eastern orthodox than Western Anglican or Lutheran for it suits us as the most
auspicious Day. Tamils will be happy as
they believe in “Thai pirandaal vazhi pirakkum” the birth of month of
Thai leads us to live our lives!
REFERENCES:
1) Swami Sivananda, Hindu Festivals and Rituals, The
Divine Life society, Shivanandanagar, India
2) Durward Blanks, The Twelve days of Christmas,
Nashville Christian Family, USA
3)
Srinivasan N.R., Kaartigai Deepam –Kartik Poornima, Hindu Reflections, December
2011
4)
Srinivasan N.R., Makara Sankranti, Hindu Reflections, January 2012
5)
Srinivasan N.R., January 1—Hindu
American Worship in Temples, Hindu Reflections, December 2011
[This
discourse material is a compilation from the reference above as well as other sources for a prepared
lecture for delivering at Vedanta Class of Sri Ganesha Temple which is
gratefully acknowledged. I do not claim anything as original though I have
included my explanations and comments elaborately suitably editing. Anybody is
free to download partly or fully this discourse, modify and redistribute this
as well as other discourses from the
blog Hindu Reflections <nrsrini.blogspot.com> for spreading the wisdom of
Vedas and scriptures further. These lectures are
posted on the blog for the benefit of those who are not able to attend
my lectures personally due to personal reasons or due to not living in
Nashville or able to go through the various sources as I have done.]
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