karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

Karthikai Deepam  கார்த்திகை தீபம் 

The festival is observed in every home and every temple, and falls in the month of Kārttikai (mid-November to mid-December) as per Tamil calendar. This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and purnimai. This constellation appears as a group of six stars in the firmament in the shape of a pendant from the ear. Many legends and lyrical poetry have grown round this star. The six stars are considered in Indian mythology as the six celestial nymphs who reared the six babies in the saravana tank which later were joined together to form the six faced Muruga. He is therefore called Karthikeya, the one brought up by the Karthigai nymphs. Houses and streets are lit up with rows of oil lamps (Deepam) in the evening of the festival day. One of the earliest references to the festival is found in the Ahananuru, a book of poems, which dates back to the Sangam Age (200 B.C. to 300 A.D.). The Ahananuru clearly states that Karthigai is celebrated on the full moon day (pournami) of the month of Karthigai, as per South Indian calendar. It was one of the most important festivals (peruvizha) of the ancient Tamils, including now the areas of modern Kerala too. Avaiyyar, the renowned poetess of those times, refers to the festival in her songs. Karthikai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals celebrated by Tamil people. The festival finds reference in Sangam literature like Ahananuru and the poems of Auvaiyar.  karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013

karthika deepam  / photography © Abul Kalam Azad / 20''x20'' pigment print  2013