Karthika Deepam

In Hindu mythology, some legends state that the deity Shiva created Kartikeya (Murugan) from his third eye,[note 1] or his six primary faces (tatpurusam,[note 2] aghoram,[note 3] sadyojātam,[note 4] vāmadevam,[note 5] iśānam,[note 6] and adhómukham[note 7]). It is believed that these six faces transformed into six children, and each of them brought up by six Kartika nymphs (Śiva, Sambhūti, Prīti, Sannati, Anasūya, and Kṣamā,[6] sometimes also rendered Dula, Nitatni, Abhrayanti, Varshayanti, Meghayanti, and Chipunika), later merged into one by his mother, Parvati. These six nymphs are regarded to represent the cluster of six stars that make up the Kartika constellation.[7]

As the six nymphs had helped in rearing the child, Shiva is said to have bestowed immortality upon the six nymphs, created to become eternal stars in the sky. Any worship performed to these six stars is regarded to be equal to worshiping Murugan himself, and are hence sacred to Shaivas. They are worshiped by lighting up rows of oil lamps (deepam) in the evening of the festival day around houses and streets.[8] Kartika Deepam is also celebrated as the birthday of Kartikeya.

According to a Shaiva legend, Shiva once appeared as an endless flame of light before the deities Vishnu and Brahma, both of whom considered themselves to be the supreme deity. Shiva declared that the dispute would be resolved if the two could discover his head and feet. Vishnu took the form of a boar (Varaha) and descended to locate his feet, while Brahma rode his swan (Hamsa) to locate his head. Vishnu failed in his search of the feet and returned, honest about the outcome of his quest. But Brahma, chancing upon a piece of tāḻampū flower, and learnt from it that it had been floating down for thirty-thousand years from Shiva's head. He seized upon this flower and claimed to Shiva that he had seen the deity's head. Shiva realised the falsehood and pronounced that there would never be a temple for Brahma in this world. He also interdicted the use of the aforementioned flower in his worship. To honour Shiva's appearance as the jyotirlinga, this day is called Kārtikai mahatīpam in Tamil (Great lamp of the month of Kārtikai).[9]

In the town of Thiruvannamalai, the festival is marked by the lighting of the Thiruvannamali Maha Deepam. A massive earthen lamp is lit around 6 PM at the top of the 2668 feet high holy mountain of the town. The entire mountain is regarded by devotees to be a representation of a Shiva Linga. Nearly 3500 kilograms of ghee are used to light this lamp. Devotees believe that the form of Shiva named Ardhanarishvara would bless them in the temple at the time of the lighting the Maha Deepam. The light emitted from the mountain is visible up to a radius of 35 KM. Hundreds of thousands of devotees perform the 16 km girivalam, the circumambulation of the sacred mountain. The mai, the ash that remains as residue after the lighting of the ghee is distributed as prasadam to devotees on the Margali Arudra Darisanam day.

As in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, the Kartika festival is also famous in Koneshwaram, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.[10] The festival is celebrated for three days. The first day is called Appa Kartika, the second Vadai Kartika, and the final day is called Thiru Kartika, widely considered as the Kartika day, when the main pooja is performed.[11] On the Kartika day, a huge fire lamp is lit up on the hill (in both temples), visible for several kilometers around. The fire (deepam) is called Mahadeepam. Hindu devotees visit the place, to pray and make offerings to Shiva.