Thiruvannamalai: Several lakh devotees braved heavy rain to take part in the annual Karthigai Deepam festival, circumambulating the sacred Arunachala hill barefoot along the 14-path route, as the grand ghee lamp (Maha Deepam) was lit atop the 2,668-foot-high hill on Wednesday evening.

The event marked the culmination of the ten-day Karthigai Deepam celebrations at the renowned Sri Arunachaleshwar Temple, which began on November 24 with the hoisting of the holy flag on the temple’s golden flagmast.

Despite adverse weather conditions, a clan of traditional fishermen, entrusted with lighting the Maha Deepam, carried a five-foot-high copper cauldron weighing 175 kg, along with 600 kg of ghee, 10 kg of camphor, and 1,500 metres of cotton cloth used as a wick, to the summit. The lamp was ceremoniously lit at 6 pm, its massive flame glowing brightly against the dark sky.

Following the sighting of the flame atop Arunachala hill, devotees illuminated the town with rows of earthen lamps and decorative lights, creating a spectacular display to celebrate this festival of light.

Earlier in the day, priests of the temple, which holds historic and religious significance, began the festival rituals at the shrine at the foot of the hill, lighting the first flame known as the Bharani Deepam in the early hours of Wednesday.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu, along with senior officials of the department, participated in the celebrations.

Devotees from across the southern states, holding colourful umbrellas, began arriving at the temple and along the sacred circumambulation path from morning. Attendance surged in the evening as the rain eased, with families joining the thousands who had already gathered to witness the lighting of the Maha Deepam.

PTI inputs