VILAKKU (DEEPAM)

Some of the oil-lamps used in rituals and festivals in homes in Tamil Nadu are – earthen agal vilakku : lamps made of stone or brass or silver : Lakshmi vilakku or Pavai vilakku (a lamp shaped like a woman bearing the shallow bowl containing oil for lighting the lamp): Kamakshi Vilakku (a lamp shaped like agal vilakku, but with a frame in the back) and the most common kuthu vilakku. Usually kuthu vilakku has five petals or nozzles which are said to denote the five main elements of Nature — earth, water, fire, air and sky or space.

We cannot think of a lamp without thinking about Kartigai Deepam, the festival of lights which is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Kartigai (November-December) on the ascension of the Kritigai star.

References to the Karthigai festival (which is basically a Tamil festival and is unknown in most other parts of the country) are found in Agananuru, a book of poems, which dates back to the Sangam Age (200 B.C. to 300 A.D.). Avaiyyar, the renowned poetess of the Sangam ge refers to the festival in her songs. Inscriptions in many temples also refer to the festival.

Karthigai Festival is celebrated in a special manner in Thiruvannamalai where Lord Shiva has taken the form of a jyothi on the hill. Thousands of devotees gather to witness Karthigai Deepam there.

Karthigai Festival is important to me as my wife Amritha was born on the day of the festival. Now my son’s wedding is in the month of Karthigai.

My wife and daughter join me in thanking you for your presence and blessings to Harish and Archana at their wedding reception.

(S.Parthasarathy)
30th November 2006