The Karthigai Deepam Chariot festival was held at Thiruparankundram in Madurai after a gap of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is one of the most important festivals in Madurai which many devotees attend.
It is a very old festival and is also celebrated in the neighboring states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This festival is very important among the Tamils.
The actual history may not be clearly stated in the scriptures but some citations have been found in the ancient writings.
One can find a reference to this festival of lights in the the age old literature of Tamils known as Ahananuru, a collection of poems.
It is one of the great books of Sangam literature that talks about the happenings between 200 BC and 300 AD. Avaiyyar, renowned woman of Sangam age also mentions about karthigai Deepam in her poems.
