Karthigai Deepam 2026 – The Ancient Tamil Festival of Lights
கார்த்திகை தீபம்
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2026?
Karthigai Deepam falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. It is the Tamil festival of lights, observed when the Karthigai (Krittika) star meets the full moon of the Tamil month Karthigai. At the Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai, a giant lamp of ghee – the Maha Deepam – is lit atop Arunachala hill after sunset.
Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals in the Tamil calendar, kept long before Diwali took its present form. It arrives on the full-moon night of the Tamil month Karthigai, when the Karthigai (Krittika) star shines with the full moon – in 2026 that night is Tuesday, 24 November. Families light rows of small clay lamps called agal vilakku along doorways, walls and temple corridors. Its most striking form burns at Tiruvannamalai, where a cauldron of ghee blazes on the summit of Arunachala hill, visible for miles.
Karthigai Deepam 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The next Karthigai Deepam is Tuesday, 24 November 2026. The date shifts each year because it depends on when the Karthigai star aligns with the full moon (Pournami) in the Tamil month Karthigai, which spans mid-November to mid-December.
| Year | Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 24 November | Tuesday | Next occurrence – Maha Deepam at Tiruvannamalai |
| 2027 | 12 December | Sunday | Karthigai star with full moon |
| 2028 | 1 December | Friday | Karthigai Deepam / Maha Deepam |
At Tiruvannamalai the day is the climax of a ten-day Brahmotsavam. On the morning of the main day the smaller Bharani Deepam is lit, and after sunset – around 6 p.m. – its flame is carried up to kindle the Maha Deepam on the hilltop.
Why Karthigai Deepam Is Celebrated
Karthigai Deepam celebrates light as a form of the divine, and in Tamil tradition it is regarded as older than Diwali. Each lamp is a small answer to darkness, lit in the home and multiplied across whole hillsides.
Shiva as a column of light
The festival is tied to the lingodbhava story, in which Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of fire whose top and bottom neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find. The Maha Deepam on Arunachala hill re-enacts that infinite column, marking Shiva as light without beginning or end.
Arunachala, the hill of fire
Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai is worshipped as the fire element (Agni) among Shiva’s five element shrines. Lighting the great lamp on its summit is seen as honouring the hill itself as a living form of Shiva.
The Karthigai stars and Murugan
The month and star are named for the Krittika, the six stars linked to the birth and nursing of Murugan (Kartikeya). Many Tamil households connect the six lamps and the festival’s imagery to him alongside Shiva.
A sequence of lamps
In the Tiruvannamalai tradition the Bharani Deepam is lit first, and its flame becomes the Karthigai Maha Deepam. The lighting of one flame from another carries the idea that light is passed on and never truly lost.
Deities & Figures Worshipped
Karthigai Deepam centres on Shiva, especially in his fiery form at Arunachala, with a strong link to his son Murugan through the Karthigai stars.
Shiva
Worshipped as Arunachaleswarar, the lord of Arunachala hill, and as the boundless column of light of the lingodbhava. The Maha Deepam is offered to him as fire.
Murugan (Kartikeya)
The Tamil month and the Karthigai star are named for the Krittika who nursed Murugan. Many temples and homes honour him during the festival, and he is closely associated with the six Karthigai stars.
Karthigai Nakshatra
The Krittika, a cluster of six stars, gives the festival its name. Karthigai Deepam is observed on the full-moon day when this star is prominent, which fixes the date each year.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
Home observance is simple and centred on lamps; at Tiruvannamalai it becomes a large temple procession. Here is how the day usually unfolds.
- Clean and prepare. Homes are cleaned and doorways decorated with kolam (rangoli) in the days leading up to the festival.
- Prepare the lamps. Rows of agal vilakku, small clay lamps, are filled with oil or ghee and fresh cotton wicks, ready for the evening.
- Morning worship. A lamp is lit before the household shrine, and prayers are offered to Shiva and Murugan.
- Light at dusk. As evening falls the agal vilakku are lit in odd numbers along walls, windowsills, balconies and courtyards, so the whole home glows.
- Temple visit. Families visit Shiva and Murugan temples, where corridors and towers are lined with lamps and special deepa aradhana is performed.
- Bharani Deepam (Tiruvannamalai). On the main morning the Bharani Deepam is lit inside the Arunachaleswarar temple; its flame is kept to carry the fire upward.
- Maha Deepam. After sunset, around 6 p.m., a huge cauldron of ghee on the summit of Arunachala hill is lit from that flame, and the great lamp burns through the night.
- Girivalam and prasad. Many devotees walk the barefoot circuit around Arunachala hill (girivalam) and share festive sweets once the lamp is lit.
Special Foods of Karthigai Deepam
The festival has its own sweets and savouries, many made to be shared with neighbours as lamps are lit.
Pori urundai
Puffed-rice balls bound with molten jaggery syrup, flavoured with dry ginger and cardamom. They are the signature Karthigai treat and are often offered at the shrine first.
Nel pori
Plain puffed paddy rice mixed with jaggery, a lighter cousin of pori urundai that is easy to make in large batches for guests.
Appam and adai
Sweet rice-and-jaggery appam and savoury lentil adai are cooked as festive offerings, especially for the family meal after the lamps are lit.
Aval and payasam
Sweetened beaten rice (aval) and rice or moong payasam are common festive dishes, prepared as naivedyam before being shared.
Regional Names & Variations
Though rooted in Tamil Nadu, the festival is kept across the south under different names and emphases.
Tamil Nadu
The heartland of the festival. Homes fill with agal vilakku, and the Maha Deepam at Tiruvannamalai draws huge crowds who also walk the girivalam around the hill.
Kerala
Observed as Karthika / Thrikarthika, especially at Devi temples where rows of lamps are lit in the evening and the temple grounds glow with oil lamps.
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Kept as Karthika Deepam through the month of Karthika Masam, with lamps lit at Shiva temples and on riverbanks, and Mondays (Karthika Somavaram) given special weight.
Karnataka
Marked during Karthika Masam with lamp-lighting at Shiva and Murugan temples, echoing the wider southern tradition of the lamp month.
Karthigai Deepam Do's and Don'ts
A few simple customs help keep the observance safe and meaningful.
Do
- Clean the home and lay a fresh kolam at the entrance beforehand.
- Light lamps in odd numbers and keep at least one burning through the evening.
- Use a fresh wick and clean oil or ghee for each lamp.
- Offer the first pori urundai or sweet to the deity before sharing.
- Visit a Shiva or Murugan temple and, if at Tiruvannamalai, consider the girivalam walk.
Avoid
- Do not leave burning lamps unattended near curtains or children.
- Do not blow out the main lamp; let it burn down or extinguish it gently.
- Do not use broken or cracked clay lamps for the main offering.
- Do not treat the festival as only decorative – keep the worship at its centre.
- Do not litter or crowd unsafely on the hill routes at Tiruvannamalai.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2026?
Karthigai Deepam in 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November. It is observed on the full-moon night of the Tamil month Karthigai, when the Karthigai (Krittika) star aligns with Pournami. At Tiruvannamalai the Maha Deepam is lit atop Arunachala hill after sunset that evening.
When is Karthigai Deepam in 2027 and 2028?
Karthigai Deepam is on Sunday, 12 December 2027 and on Friday, 1 December 2028. The date moves each year because it depends on the Karthigai star meeting the full moon in the Tamil month Karthigai, which runs from mid-November to mid-December.
Why is Karthigai Deepam celebrated?
Karthigai Deepam celebrates light as a form of Shiva and is regarded in Tamil tradition as older than Diwali. It recalls the lingodbhava, when Shiva appeared as an endless column of fire, re-enacted by the great lamp on Arunachala hill. Homes light rows of clay lamps to welcome that light into daily life.
Which god is worshipped on Karthigai Deepam?
Shiva is the main deity of Karthigai Deepam, worshipped at Tiruvannamalai as Arunachaleswarar, the lord of the fire hill. His son Murugan (Kartikeya) is also honoured, since the Tamil month and the Karthigai star are named for the Krittika stars linked to his birth.
What is the Maha Deepam at Tiruvannamalai?
The Maha Deepam is a giant cauldron of ghee lit on the summit of Arunachala hill at Tiruvannamalai on Karthigai Deepam night. Lit after sunset from the temple’s Bharani Deepam flame, it burns through the night and can be seen for miles, symbolising Shiva as an infinite column of light.
What are agal vilakku?
Agal vilakku are the small clay oil lamps lit during Karthigai Deepam. Families arrange rows of them along doorways, walls, windowsills and temple corridors, usually in odd numbers, so that the home and shrine glow through the evening.
Is Karthigai Deepam older than Diwali?
In Tamil tradition Karthigai Deepam is considered one of the most ancient festivals of lights, often described as older than Diwali. It is mentioned in classical Tamil Sangam-era literature, which points to a long history of lamp-lighting on the Karthigai full moon.
What foods are made for Karthigai Deepam?
The signature Karthigai food is pori urundai, puffed-rice balls bound with jaggery syrup and cardamom. Families also prepare nel pori, sweet appam, savoury adai, aval and payasam, offering the sweets to the deity before sharing them with neighbours.
May your lamps burn bright and steady this Karthigai Deepam – இனிய கார்த்திகை தீப நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்.