Tirupparankundram Subramaniyaswamy Temple near Madurai -getting ready for Karthigai deepam 2022

Temple at Tirupparankundram thehindu.com

Every year the annual Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated on a grand scale at  Tirupparankundram  Subramaniyaswamy Temple close to Madurai city. It is one of the six popular abodes of God Muruga.   

 Temple at Tirupparankundram dinakaran.com/

karthigai deepam 2022 Thiruparam kundram, copper vessels.
maalaimalar.com
This 10-day  event began on 27th November with the customary hoisting of the holy flag of the temple by the priests with chanting of mantras and mangaka music. In the morning and in the evening each day during this period deities  will be taken out in a religious procession on different well decorated  mounts/ vahanas around the temple.

The highlight of the festival, lighting of ‘Maha Deepam’ atop the hill is to be held on December 6. During the festivities  special pujas and abhishekams are  done to the deities and thousands of devotees in and around this place will visit the temple. 

Maha deepam will be lit up in a huge copper vessel (in Tamil Koppirai), which is filled with ghee a wick at the center. The vessel (cauldron) is a huge one - four and a half feet high and two and a half feet wide and about 300 kg to 350 of ghee will be used in the vessel. Normally, the wick is made of 150 meters of cotton cloth that will absorb the ghee and let the flame go for a long time. Along with it 5 (five ) kg of camphor will be used to light up the lamp which will be burning for three days.

Karthigai Deepam  festival is observed on a grand scale at the near-by  Alagarkoil, Palamathirsolai, Tiruchendur and Palani temples. The famous  Madurai Meenakshi temple will be well illuminated on the Karthigai Deepam day.  

In all Hindu houses here the earthen oil lamps will be lit after Maha Deepam atop the Arunachala hill at Thiruvannamalai and at Thiruparamkundram atop the temple. In the latter place the Mahadeepam stand is near the Vinayagar temple where the deepam will be lit. This being due to the presence of mosque near the temple on the hill.

https://www.maalaimalar.com/devotional/worship/thiruparankundram-murugan-temple-karthigai-deepam-542228?infinitescroll=1

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/karthigai-deepam-lights-up-madurai-district/articleshow/66778741.cms