November
Karthigai Deepam
Full moon of the Tamil month of Karthigai, when the moon occupies the Krittika (Pleiades) nakshatra. Typically late November to mid-December.
On the night of Karthigai Deepam, homes across Pondicherry are lined with rows of agal vilakku, small clay oil lamps. The streets of the Tamil quarter and the White Town glow with a soft, pre-electric light that is entirely unlike Diwali.
Karthigai Deepam requires the conjunction of the Tamil solar month of Karthigai AND the moon's occupation of the Krittika nakshatra on the full moon day. The Tamil month of Karthigai runs approximately from mid-November to mid-December. The exact date shifts each year. Confirm with the Tamil panchangam.
The mythology
Karthigai Deepam is rooted in one of the oldest stories in South Indian tradition: the moment Lord Shiva appeared as an infinite column of fire to resolve an argument between Vishnu and Brahma about who was superior. Neither god could find the beginning or end of Shiva's flame, proving his supremacy. Shiva then manifested as the sacred hill at Thiruvannamalai, 100 kilometres west of Pondicherry. Every year on Karthigai Deepam night, a great beacon fire is lit on Arunachala Hill and is visible for kilometres in every direction. Many devotees in Pondicherry travel to Thiruvannamalai for the festival; others observe it at home.
The lamps
In Pondicherry, Karthigai Deepam is primarily a domestic festival. Families light rows of agal vilakku (small clay lamps) along compound walls, balcony railings, and doorsteps after sunset. The specific lamp forms have traditional names: the Lakshmi Vilakku (a lamp shaped as a woman with folded hands), the Kuthu Vilakku (a tall brass standing lamp in the shape of a five-petal flower), and the Gajalakshmi Vilakku (an elephant lamp). The effect across the Tamil quarter and the White Town on Karthigai Deepam night is genuinely beautiful: quieter and older than Diwali, entirely without firecrackers.
The food
The festival's traditional sweet is Pori Urundai, balls of puffed rice bound with jaggery. Sweet Pongal and appam are also prepared. Families observe a partial fast during the day, breaking it after sunset when the lamps are lit.
Finding the date
The exact Gregorian date shifts each year with the nakshatra and full moon alignment. For the current year's date, check the Tamil panchangam or contact Pondicherry Tourism at pondytourism@gmail.com.
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