Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 3 : Thousands of devotees thronged the Arunachaleswarar Temple from early morning on the 10th day of the Karthigai Deepam festival, as the temple town witnessed heavy footfall for prayers and special rituals.
The Maha Deepam is scheduled to be lit at 6 PM atop Annamalai Hill on Wednesday, drawing lakhs of devotees from across Tamil Nadu and abroad to witness the sacred event.
Visuals from the temple showed large crowds, police protection, devotees singing Lord Shiva hymns, and organised crowd management ensuring smooth movement for worshippers.
Vidya, a devotee, said, "We are so happy to be here in Tiruvannamalai to offer prayers at Arunachaleswarar on this special day. We finished our girivalam and have been waiting in the queue since early morning to receive the blessings of Annamalaiyar. We will also witness the Maha Deepam this evening and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva."
Sheela, another devotee, added, "Devotees also noted that the government and temple administration have made necessary preparations to ensure a peaceful and organised darshan for the large number of visitors, still, we request them to allow the devotees to see Arunachaleswarar as early as possible."
With the festival being celebrated today, the Thoothukudi city market in Tamil Nadu witnessed brisk activity from the early hours as large quantities of agricultural produce arrived for sale. Essential items for the festival, including banana stems, banana leaves, coconuts, lemons, palm leaves used for making kozhukattai, and Karthigai earthen lamps, were brought in from various parts of the region to meet the heightened demand.
Vendors said, "Whenever the Karthigai festival approaches, sales in the Thoothukudi market increase significantly. Even though there has been rain this time."
Meanwhile, Tiruvannamalai has also intensified preparations with an extensive security and traffic management plan to handle the massive influx of devotees. The festival, which began on November 24, will continue until December 7, with authorities deploying police personnel, CCTV surveillance, and traffic diversions to ensure safety and smooth darshan for all visitors.