karthigai deepam!

        Karthikai Deepam is a traditional Hindu festival observed in South India.It falls in the month of Karthikai (mid-November to mid-December) as per Tamil calendar. This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and purnimai. This constellation appears as a group of six stars in the firmament in the shape of a pendant from the ear.
          Many legends and lyrical poetry have grown round this star. The six stars are considered in Indian mythology as the six celestial nymphs who reared the six babies in the saravana tank which later were joined together to form the six faced Muruga. 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. 

            Temples, houses and streets are lit with rows of oil lamps known as agal vilakku. This festival is grandly celebrated in Thiruvannamalai, located in Tamilnadu. It is celebrated for 10 days and on the 10th day Mahadeepam (a huge lamp) is lit on top of the Annamalai hill which is said to be visible around a radius of 40 km. Devotees from all over the country visit this temple where Lord Shiva has manifested in the form of fire (Arunachalam). This is perhaps the oldest festival in the history of Tamilnadu.

           For this kathigai deepam, We lit clay lamps in and around our house.I prepared maa vilakku for the well being of family members.we keep this lamp by praying god to bless our family with health, wealth and peace. i prepared sweet appam for this festival.