About Karthigai Deepam
Karthigai Deepam is the Tamil festival of lamps, kept on the night the Karthigai star rules in the Tamil month of Karthigai. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Homes light rows of clay lamps at dusk, and at Tiruvannamalai a huge ghee lamp, the Maha Deepam, is lit on top of the Annamalai hill.
Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals still kept in Tamil Nadu. Poems in the Sangam anthology Akananuru, written roughly 2,000 years ago, already describe rows of lamps lit in the month of Karthigai, and the poet Avvaiyar mentions the festival too. It is a festival of lamps like Diwali, but it belongs to Shiva and Murugan, it falls about a month later, and it is quieter: no gambling, few gifts, and the main event is a single flame on a hill.
How the date is set
The date comes from the Tamil solar calendar, not the lunar one used in north India. Karthigai Deepam falls in the Tamil month of Karthigai (mid-November to mid-December) on the day the Krittika star, Karthigai in Tamil, is in force after sunset. That night is usually the full moon.
This is why the festival sometimes lands on the same day as north India's Kartik Purnima and sometimes a month later. In 2026 both fall on 24 November. In 2027 they do not: Kartik Purnima is on 14 November, while Karthigai Deepam waits for the Karthigai month and falls on 11 December. If you have friends in Tamil Nadu and in Varanasi, don't assume one date covers both.
The stories behind the lamps
The best-known story is from the Shiva Purana. Brahma and Vishnu argued over which of them was greater. Shiva appeared between them as a column of fire with no visible top or bottom. Vishnu, as a boar, dug down to find its base, and Brahma, as a swan, flew up to find its top. Vishnu came back and admitted he had failed. Brahma claimed he had reached the top. For that lie he lost his place in worship. Tamil devotees believe that column of fire stood at Tiruvannamalai, and that the Annamalai hill is the flame turned to stone.
The second story is Murugan's. Shiva sent out six sparks, which became six baby boys in the Saravana pond. They were raised by the six Krittika women, the stars of the Pleiades, and Parvati later joined them into one child with six faces: Murugan, also called Karthikeya, "son of the Krittikas". This is why Murugan temples light lamps on this night as well.
The Maha Deepam at Tiruvannamalai
The Arunachaleswarar temple at Tiruvannamalai holds a ten-day Karthigai Brahmotsavam that ends on Deepam day. Two lamps mark that day.
- Before dawn · Bharani DeepamA lamp inside the temple
Around 4 am, priests light a lamp in the sanctum and from it five more, for the five aspects of Shiva, which are carried to shrines around the temple.
- Dusk · Maha DeepamThe flame on the hill
Around 6 pm, as the image of Ardhanareeswarar, Shiva and Parvati as one, is carried out to the crowd, a huge lamp is lit on top of the 2,668-foot hill. Lakhs of people below shout "Annamalaiyarukku Arohara" when they see it.
- The days after · The lamp keeps burningVisible for miles
The lamp, a copper cauldron with a wick of cloth and fed with ghee, burns for about eleven days and can be seen from as far as 40 km away.
District officials have put the ghee used at about 3,500 kg, and crowds of over 25 lakh people from Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. Many walk Girivalam, the 14-kilometre path around the base of the hill, barefoot.
If you plan to go, the temple sells limited tickets for the Bharani and Maha Deepam darshan through the Tamil Nadu temple department's website, the town fills up days ahead, and the district limits or stops climbing the hill on the day, so read its notice before you plan. Most people watch the flame from the temple or the Girivalam path.
How families keep it at home
At home the festival is about small lamps in large numbers. In the evening, families set clay agal vilakku lamps along the threshold, the windowsills, the steps, the wall of the compound and around the tulasi plant. Many homes draw a fresh kolam at the door first and place lamps on it. Some families light lamps on all three evenings, Bharani, Karthigai and the day after.
Food is simple and specific. The classic offering is pori urundai, balls of puffed rice bound with jaggery syrup, along with appam, adai and vadai. In villages, children once swung bundles of burning palm flowers, called maavali, to make showers of sparks, though few still do it.
- Agal vilakku
- A small clay oil lamp, the kind used in rows on Karthigai Deepam
- Maha Deepam
- The great lamp lit on top of the Annamalai hill at Tiruvannamalai
- Bharani Deepam
- The lamp lit before dawn inside the Tiruvannamalai temple
- Girivalam
- Walking around the Annamalai hill, about 14 km, as an act of worship
- Pori urundai
- Puffed rice balls bound with jaggery, the festival's best-known sweet
- Thrikarthika
- Kerala's name for the festival, kept for the goddess
Outside Tamil Nadu
| Where | Name | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu and Puducherry | Karthigai Deepam | Lamps at home, the Maha Deepam at Tiruvannamalai, lamps at Murugan temples |
| Kerala | Thrikarthika | Lamps lit at dusk for the goddess, often on banana stems decorated with mango and coconut leaves; Devi temples hold special worship |
| Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Karthika Deepam | Part of the whole Karthika month of lamps; women float lamps on rivers and tanks, especially on Karthika Pournami |
| Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia | Karthigai Deepam / Karthigai Vilakkeedu | Tamil Hindu homes and temples light lamps at dusk, as in Tamil Nadu |
It is not one of Tamil Nadu's state public holidays, so offices and schools usually work. Plan around the evening, which is when the lamps are lit.
What to write
The standard Tamil greeting is "Iniya Karthigai Deepa thirunaal vazhthukkal" (warm wishes on the holy day of Karthigai Deepam). It works for anyone, Tamil or not.
Iniya Karthigai Deepa thirunaal vazhthukkal, Amma, Appa. Light an extra agal by the door for me. I'll call when you've finished the lamps.
இனிய கார்த்திகை தீபத் திருநாள் வாழ்த்துகள். (Iniya Karthigai Deepa thirunaal vazhthukkal. Warm wishes on the holy day of Karthigai Deepam.)
Have a safe Girivalam. When the Maha Deepam is lit, say one Arohara for me too.
Happy Karthigai Deepam. Even one lamp on a flat's balcony in London counts. Send me a photo of the row.
Wishing you and your family a peaceful Karthigai Deepam. Hope the evening is all lamps and pori urundai.
തൃക്കാർത്തിക ആശംസകൾ. (Thrikarthika ashamsakal. Wishes for Thrikarthika.)
కార్తీక దీపం శుభాకాంక్షలు. (Karthika Deepam shubhakankshalu. Good wishes for Karthika Deepam.)
Thinking of you this Deepam. No celebrations needed; one lamp at the door is enough, and we're remembering him too.
Do
- Say the Tamil greeting if you know it, or simply "Happy Karthigai Deepam". Both are welcome.
- Ask before photographing people at the Tiruvannamalai temple, and keep to the queues on the hill path.
- Check the date with your family's panchang or temple if it seems close to the full moon.
Avoid
- Don't call it "Tamil Diwali". It is its own festival with its own gods and stories.
- Don't send firecracker-heavy greetings to people in Tiruvannamalai; the day there is about the flame and the walk.
- Don't assume a family in mourning is lighting lamps this year. A quiet word suits them better.
How to wish someone on Karthigai Deepam
A Karthigai Deepam wish is about light at the doorstep and in the home: lamps lit together, a family gathered, and Shiva's blessing for those who follow him. \"Iniya Karthigai Deepa thirunaal vazhthukkal\" is the standard Tamil greeting. Mention the lamps, the kolam or the Tiruvannamalai hill if the person goes there. Keep it warm rather than loud, and don't treat it as a second Diwali.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Tamil + Malayalam or Telugu.
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2026 and 2027?
Karthigai Deepam is set by the Hindu solar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 17 days later than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2026?
Karthigai Deepam 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
Why is Karthigai Deepam celebrated?
Karthigai Deepam honours Shiva, who in the Shiva Purana appeared as an endless column of fire, believed by Tamil devotees to be at Tiruvannamalai. It also honours Murugan, raised by the six Krittika stars. Lighting lamps at dusk welcomes that light into the home.
What is the Maha Deepam at Tiruvannamalai?
The Maha Deepam is a huge lamp lit on top of the 2,668-foot Annamalai hill at about 6 pm on Karthigai Deepam day. Thousands of kilos of ghee are used, the flame burns for about eleven days, and lakhs of people watch from below and walk around the hill.
Is Karthigai Deepam the same as Kartik Purnima?
No. Kartik Purnima follows the lunar month of Kartik, while Karthigai Deepam follows the Tamil solar month of Karthigai and the Krittika star. They fall on the same day in some years, such as 2026, and about a month apart in others, such as 2027.
How many lamps should you light on Karthigai Deepam?
There is no fixed number. Most homes light as many clay agal lamps as they can place along the threshold, windows, steps and courtyard, and many keep lamps burning on all three evenings around the festival. Ask the eldest in the family; some households keep their own count.
What sweet is made for Karthigai Deepam?
Pori urundai, puffed rice bound into balls with jaggery syrup, is the classic offering. Many homes also make appam, adai, vadai and sweet paniyaram, and offer them to the lamp before eating.
How do you wish someone Happy Karthigai Deepam in Tamil?
Say "Iniya Karthigai Deepa thirunaal vazhthukkal", which means warm wishes on the holy day of Karthigai Deepam. In Malayalam, Kerala's Thrikarthika greeting is "Thrikarthika ashamsakal".
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