Karthigai Deepam கார்த்திகை தீபம்
Dates in the Tamil calendar, 2025–2028 (Chennai).
Next Karthigai Deepam
Every year
| 2025 | Wednesday, 3 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, 24 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Saturday, 11 December 2027 |
| 2028 | Friday, 1 December 2028 |
About the festival
Karthigai Deepam is a Tamil festival of lights, with roots traceable to Sangam-era Tamil literature.1,2
Homes are cleaned, kolams are drawn at the entrance, doorways are hung with mango-leaf festoons, and rows of clay lamps (agal vilakku) are lit in the evening.1,2,3
Many devotees fast during the day and break the fast after sunset.2,3
At Tiruvannamalai, a large lamp (the Maha Deepam) is lit on top of the Arunachala hill and is visible from a long distance.1,3,4
When it falls: Karthigai Deepam falls in the Tamil month of Karthigai on the day of the Krittika (Karthigai) nakshatra.1,3