Karthigai Deepam 2026: Date, Maha Deepam Time, Schedule

Crowds watch the Maha Deepam lit on the summit of Arunachala hill, Tiruvannamalai

Featured image: MAHEDRAN S / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized).

Karthigai Deepam 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. At Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, the Bharani Deepam will be lit inside the Arunachaleswarar temple before dawn, and the Maha Deepam will be lit on top of the 2,668 ft Arunachala hill at around 6 PM that evening. The ten-day Karthigai Brahmotsavam begins with flag hoisting on 15 November. Here is the full festival schedule, what each ritual means, and how to plan a visit for the busiest day of the year in Tiruvannamalai.

Karthigai Deepam 2026 date and timings

Date: Tuesday, 24 November 2026, the tenth day of the Brahmotsavam.
Bharani Deepam: about 4 AM, inside the temple.
Maha Deepam: about 6 PM, on the summit of Arunachala hill.
Flag hoisting (Kodiyetram): Sunday, 15 November 2026.

The schedule is as reported by ABP Nadu from the temple’s festival programme. The festival is tied to the Krittika (Karthigai) nakshatra in the Tamil month of Karthigai, and in 2026 it falls on the same day as Kartik Purnima, when Varanasi celebrates Dev Deepawali and Sikhs mark Guru Nanak Jayanti.

Full Tiruvannamalai festival schedule 2026

Before the Brahmotsavam

12 November: Durgai Amman utsavam.
13 November: Pidari Amman utsavam.
14 November: Vinayagar utsavam.

The ten-day Brahmotsavam

15 November (Sunday): Kodiyetram, the hoisting of the festival flag at the golden flagstaff, which opens the Brahmotsavam.
19 November: procession on the Rishaba (bull) vahanam.
20 November: Velli ratham, the silver chariot procession.
21 November: Maha ratham, the big chariot procession, one of the most crowded days of the festival.
24 November (Tuesday): Bharani Deepam at dawn and Maha Deepam in the evening.

On the other days, the deities are taken out in procession on different vahanams in the morning and at night around the temple’s car streets.

After the Maha Deepam

25 to 27 November: the Theppam (float festival) at the temple tank. On 26 November the deities also go around the hill on Girivalam.
28 November: Chandikeswarar utsavam, which closes the festival.

The Maha Deepam on the hilltop is kept burning for 11 days, so you can still see it if you arrive after the main day.

What Karthigai Deepam celebrates

According to the Tiruvannamalai district administration, the festival recalls the legend in which Shiva appeared as a column of fire before Vishnu and Brahma, on Krittika nakshatra in the month of Karthigai. Arunachala hill itself is worshipped as a form of Shiva, and Tiruvannamalai is revered as the fire (Agni) shrine among the five Pancha Bhoota sthalams, the temples linked to the five elements.

Across Tamil Nadu, families also light rows of small clay lamps at their doorsteps and in their homes on the evening of Karthigai Deepam, so you will see the festival far beyond Tiruvannamalai.

Bharani Deepam and Maha Deepam explained

Bharani Deepam

The district page explains that at 4 AM on the tenth day, a lamp is lit before the main shrine on Bharani nakshatra. Five lamps are then lit from it in front of Nandi and at the Unnamulai Amman shrine, and they are finally placed at the Bhairavar shrine. The ritual expresses the idea that the one divine light takes many forms.

Maha Deepam

In the evening, Ardhanareeswarar, the half-Shiva, half-Parvati form, is brought out to the Deepa Mandapam. This is the only time in the year the deity appears there. At the same moment that the Akhanda Deepam is lit in front of the temple, the Maha Deepam is lit on the summit of the hill. The flame is visible from across the town and the surrounding villages, and the crowd’s chants of “Arunachala” mark the moment.

Planning a visit to Tiruvannamalai

Crowds

Karthigai Deepam draws some of the largest crowds of any festival in Tamil Nadu, and 24 November will be the peak. If you dislike crowds, consider visiting on a chariot day or in the days after the Maha Deepam, when the lamp is still burning on the hill.

Girivalam

Many devotees walk Girivalam, the circuit around the base of Arunachala hill, which is about 14 km long. It is traditionally walked barefoot, and full-moon nights are the busiest. Carry water, start early and stay on the marked route.

Climbing the hill

Access to the hill on Deepam day is restricted and controlled by the authorities. Do not plan to climb unless the district administration announces that it is permitted for the public, and check its notices closer to the date.

Choosing your days

Pick your dates around what you most want to see:

Chariots: arrive by 20 November for the silver chariot and stay for the Maha ratham on 21 November.
The main lamp: arrive on 23 November so you are in town before the Bharani Deepam at dawn on 24 November, and find your viewing spot for the evening early in the afternoon.
A quieter visit: come between 25 and 28 November for the float festival, while the lamp still burns on the hilltop.

Whichever you choose, wear clothes suited to a temple visit, keep your phone and valuables secure, and expect long queues for darshan.

Getting there and staying

Tiruvannamalai is reached by road from Chennai, Bengaluru, Vellore and Puducherry, and the town has a railway station. Hotels and ashram guesthouses fill up quickly around the Deepam, so book early or stay in a nearby town and travel in for the day. Expect traffic diversions and parking away from the temple on the main day.

For more trip ideas for late November, see our winter travel guide to India and our 2026-27 festival calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is Karthigai Deepam 2026?

Tuesday, 24 November 2026.

What time is the Maha Deepam lit in Tiruvannamalai?

At about 6 PM on 24 November 2026, on top of Arunachala hill.

What time is the Bharani Deepam?

At about 4 AM on 24 November 2026, inside the Arunachaleswarar temple.

When does the Tiruvannamalai Brahmotsavam start in 2026?

With flag hoisting on Sunday, 15 November 2026.

How long does the Maha Deepam burn?

The lamp on the hill is kept burning for 11 days.

How long is the Girivalam path?

About 14 km around the base of Arunachala hill.

Sources: ABP Nadu festival schedule and the Tiruvannamalai district Karthigai Deepam page. Timings can change, so check temple and district notices before you travel.