The great festival · Day by day
Karthigai Deepam 2026 festival calendar: every day, 15 to 27 November
Ten days of processions carry Tiruvannamalai toward one evening: the lighting of the Maha Deepam on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Here is each day in turn, what happens, what it feels like to be there, and which days to choose.
The dates of the flag hoisting (15 November) and the Maha Deepam (24 November) agree across every calendar I checked, and the shape of the ten days matches last year’s festival. The vahanam for each night comes from a community calendar and one private calendar that differ in places, and where they differ I say so. The temple has not yet published its own programme or timings; when it does, it is the authority.
The festival at a glance
- Flag hoisting
- Sunday 15 November 2026, morning
- Great chariot (Maha Ratham)
- Saturday 21 November 2026, the seventh day
- Karthigai Pournami
- About 11 PM on 23 November to about 9 PM on 24 November
- Bharani Deepam
- About 4 AM, Tuesday 24 November, in the temple
- Maha Deepam
- About 6 PM, Tuesday 24 November, on the summit (sunset 5:42 PM)
- Theppal (float festival)
- The nights of 25, 26 and 27 November
- Climbing the hill
- Reported banned on 24 November; see the latest
Why we light the lamp: Karthigai Deepam explained
The story of the Maha Deepam in pencil and light: the column of fire, the hill that became Shiva, the six Krittikas, Ardhanarishvara, and how to keep the festival wherever you are.
How the crowd builds
The ten days are not equal. They begin gently, climb steadily toward the great chariot, surge on the Pournami and Deepam nights, and then fall away quickly during the float festival. The chart below is our own estimate of how crowded the town is, drawn from the pattern of past years, and not an official figure.
QuietLightBusyVery busyExtreme
The festival, day by day
Sunrise and sunset are calculated for Tiruvannamalai. Times for ceremonies are approximate, from past years and published calendars; confirm locally on the day.
Before the flag: the guardian deities
- Pre-festival ceremonies for the guardian deities Durga, Pidari and Vinayaka with Sandikeswarar. These rites happen before the flag is hoisted, and open the festival in the traditional order.
For a visitor: Quiet, and a good time for a calm visit to the temple before the town fills.
The flag goes up
- Flag hoisting (Kodiyetram) in the morning, which opens the ten days. In 2025 it took place between 6:15 and 7:15 AM.
- Silver-vahana processions in the morning and at night (the community calendar names a lion, simha, vahanam).
For a visitor: A gentle start. It is a Sunday, so local families fill the temple, but the streets are not yet crowded. A good day to see the temple at ease.
Indra Vimanam
- Procession of the deities on the silver Indra Vimanam. One calendar also lists a golden Suryaprabha (sun-disc) vahanam.
For a visitor: Quiet enough to stand at the front of the procession on the Mada streets, if you arrive early in the evening.
Conch abhishekam and the lion
- Morning: 1,008 conch (sangu) abhishekam (listed in one calendar).
- Night: Simha (lion) vahanam. The community calendar lists a silver swan (anna) vahanam around these days; calendars differ on exactly which night.
For a visitor: Light crowds. Evening processions begin after dusk and run late; wear shoes you can carry or leave at your stay.
Kamadhenu and the wishing tree
- Night: Kamadhenu (the wish-granting cow) and Kalpavriksha (the wish-granting tree) vahanams. In 2025 these were on the fourth night too.
For a visitor: Light to moderate. Out-of-town devotees begin arriving.
The silver bull
- By day: Kalasa pooja (one calendar).
- Night: silver Rishabha vahanam, Shiva on Nandi the bull. In 2025 this was the fifth night.
For a visitor: Moderate. The town is filling and rooms for the last days are already scarce.
The silver chariot
- Silver chariot (velli ratham) procession. One calendar also lists the procession of the 63 Nayanmar saints on this day.
For a visitor: Busy. This is the last evening that is comfortable on the Mada streets before the great chariot.
The great chariot
- Maha Ratham, the great chariot festival: the five huge wooden temple cars (the Pancha Ratham) are pulled round the four Mada streets by thousands of hands. In 2025 the pulling began early in the morning, around 6 to 7:30 AM; the 2026 timing is not announced.
For a visitor: Very busy and it is a Saturday. Come for it knowingly: find a spot early, keep children close, and expect the streets to close to traffic.
The horse and the wanderer
- Morning: horse (ashva) vahanam.
- Night: Sri Pichandavar utsavam, Shiva as the wandering mendicant (listed in one calendar).
For a visitor: Very busy. It is a Sunday, and the crowd begins to build toward the Pournami and Deepam.
Kailasa, and the full moon begins
- Night: Kailasa vahanam, Shiva on his mountain Kailasa, mostly on the ninth night.
- Karthigai Pournami begins late at night, at about 11 PM (the published Girivalam window runs to about 9 PM on the 24th). Moonrise is at about 4:30 PM.
For a visitor: Extreme in the night hours. Girivalam fills from late evening, and many begin walking after midnight so as to finish with the Bharani Deepam.
Karthigai Deepam
- About 4 AM: Bharani Deepam, lit in the temple.
- Afternoon: the ritual bath (theerthavari) at the Brahma Theertham tank (one calendar).
- About 6 PM: Maha Deepam on the summit of Arunachala, just after sunset. The full moon rises at about 5:30 PM.
- Night: golden Rishabha vahanam procession (one calendar). The Pournami window ends at about 9 PM.
For a visitor: The great day. Millions are in the town. Climbing the hill is reported to be banned this year; watch from below. See the hour-by-hour guide.
Theppal: the first night
- Night: Theppal utsavam (float festival) of Chandrashekhara, the deity floated on a decorated raft on a temple tank under the light of the night.
- The Maha Deepam continues to burn on the summit.
For a visitor: The crowd eases quickly. Often the most peaceful night of the festival, with the flame still burning above the town.
Theppal: Parashakti
- Night: Theppal of Parashakti Amman.
For a visitor: Calm. A good time for the temple and for a quieter Girivalam.
Theppal: Subramanya
- Night: Theppal of Subramanya (Murugan). One calendar adds a Girivalam by Chandrashekhara on a silver bull vahana the following day, 28 November.
For a visitor: Calm. The town begins to empty. If you wanted the atmosphere without the crush, this is the time.
Which days should you choose?
If you can come for only part of the festival, the choice depends on what you want from it.
Quiet and devotional
15 to 19 November. The temple is open, the processions are close enough to see, and the streets are still walkable. This is the festival at its most intimate.
The great chariot
21 November. The five wooden cars on the Mada streets are a sight to remember. Be in place before dawn, and expect it to be crowded.
The Deepam night
23 to 24 November. The Girivalam, the Bharani Deepam and the Maha Deepam. This is what most pilgrims come for. It is also the most crowded: see the honest warning before you decide.
The peace afterwards
25 to 27 November. The Theppal nights, with the flame still burning on the summit and the town breathing out. Many who know the festival prefer this part.
What the processions mean
Each night the deities are carried through the four Mada streets around the temple on a different vahanam (vehicle). Each mount tells part of Shiva’s story: Kamadhenu and Kalpavriksha are the cow and the tree that grant wishes; the Rishabha is Nandi the bull, Shiva’s companion; the Simha is the lion; Pichandavar is Shiva as a wandering mendicant, owning nothing; the Kailasa vahanam carries Shiva on his own mountain, Kailasa. The great ratham (chariot) days are when the temple itself comes out into the street.
Arrive well before dusk, wear shoes you do not mind losing or leave them at your stay, and keep to the edge of the street. Photographs are welcome from a distance but never from the front of the vahanam. Remove your hat and speak softly near the deity.
Add it to your calendar
Download the festival calendar (.ics)
The file opens in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook, and puts every day from 15 to 27 November on your calendar, with the Bharani Deepam and Maha Deepam as timed events (approximate times, in your own time zone). To print the page, use your browser’s print option; it is laid out for paper.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Karthigai Deepam festival start and end in 2026?
The ten-day Karthigai Brahmotsavam at the Arunachaleswarar temple begins with the flag hoisting on Sunday 15 November 2026 and reaches its climax on Tuesday 24 November, the day of the Bharani Deepam and the Maha Deepam. The float festival (Theppal) follows on the nights of 25, 26 and 27 November.
Which day is the Maha Ratham (great chariot festival) in 2026?
Saturday 21 November 2026, the seventh day of the festival. The five temple cars are pulled round the four Mada streets. In 2025 the pulling began early in the morning, so plan to be in place before dawn. The 2026 timing has not been announced.
What happens on 25, 26 and 27 November?
The Theppal (float festival), on three successive nights: Chandrashekhara on the 25th, Parashakti Amman on the 26th and Subramanya on the 27th, according to the calendars we checked. The Maha Deepam continues to burn on the summit, and the crowds are far smaller than on Deepam day.
What time do the evening vahanam processions start?
The temple has not announced timings for 2026. By custom the night processions leave the temple in the evening and travel the Mada streets until late, and the morning ones begin in the early hours. Treat all times here as approximate and confirm locally on the day.
Which day is best to visit the festival without the crush?
The first five days (15 to 19 November) and the Theppal nights (25 to 27 November) are the calmest. The days to avoid if you dislike crowds are 21 November (Maha Ratham) and 23 to 24 November (Pournami and Deepam). Crowd levels on this page are our own estimate, not an official figure.
Is this calendar official?
No. The dates of the flag hoisting (15 November) and the Maha Deepam (24 November) agree across every calendar we checked, and the shape of the ten days matches the pattern of 2025. The detail of each day's vahanam comes from a community calendar and one private calendar that differ in places, so the page says so. The temple's own programme is the authority; we will update this page when it appears.
Sources and how this was checked
- Pattern of the ten days (2025): Oneindia, full schedule of the 2025 festival (flag hoisting on day one, Kamadhenu and Kalpavriksha on day four, silver bull on day five, silver chariot on day six, Maha Ratham on day seven, Deepam on day ten) and DT Next, 2025 (float festival on the three nights after Deepam).
- 2026 programme: a community calendar published in September 2026, and a private Tiruvannamalai calendar site whose weekday labels did not match the 2026 dates, so I used only its order of events. Neither is an official temple notice.
- Sunrise, sunset and moonrise: calculated for the town, not an official figure.
- The hill-climbing report: see the sources on the main guide.
Updated 8 November 2026. I have not seen the temple’s own 2026 programme; check the official Arunachaleswarar temple (HR&CE) notice before you travel.