Karthigai Deepam 2026
Om Namah Shivaya!
Sri Ganesha Temple, Plano, invites devotees and their families to participate in the sacred Karthigai Deepam 2026 celebrations on Monday, November 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM, with the lighting of Karthika Deepam followed by special Deeparadhana.
Karthigai Deepam, also known as Karthika Deepam, is one of the most significant festivals of lights in South Indian Hindu tradition. The festival celebrates the divine light of Lord Shiva and symbolizes the victory of spiritual wisdom over ignorance. Lighting lamps during the sacred Karthika period is considered an auspicious act of devotion; the flame represents divine consciousness, purity, and the removal of darkness from the mind and heart.
Event Schedule – Monday, November 23, 2026
- 7:30 PM – Karthika Deepam, the lighting of the sacred lamps
- Followed by – Special Karthika Deeparadhana
The evening begins with the ceremonial lighting of Karthika Deepam, honoring the divine presence of Lord Shiva through the sacred offering of light. The festival recalls the manifestation of Lord Shiva as an infinite column of divine fire, the Jyoti Stambha. The lighting is followed by Deeparadhana, the ceremonial offering of light to the deity, symbolizing the removal of ignorance and the illumination of divine wisdom. Devotees seek blessings for protection, harmony, spiritual clarity, and the well-being of their families.
365 Vatulu Deepam – $21
Devotees are invited to participate in the special 365 Vatulu Deepam offering. The 365-wick lamp is a traditional devotional offering in which 365 wicks symbolize the days of the year, expressing the prayer that the light of the Divine may illuminate every day of one’s life.
Devotees participating in the 365 Vatulu Deepam offering should bring their own wicks.
The Spiritual Significance of Karthigai Deepam
Karthigai Deepam is an ancient festival of lights observed with particular devotion in Tamil Nadu and other parts of South India, closely associated with Lord Shiva as the eternal, formless divine consciousness. In Hindu philosophy, darkness is associated with avidya, or spiritual ignorance, while light represents jnana, the wisdom that reveals the true nature of existence.
According to tradition, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu sought the beginning and end of an extraordinary pillar of divine light. Vishnu took the form of a boar and searched downward, and Brahma took the form of a swan and searched upward, yet neither could find its limits. The infinite pillar of light was Lord Shiva, revealing His boundless nature. This manifestation is associated with Arunachala Hill at Tiruvannamalai, where a great flame known as the Maha Deepam is lit each year, symbolizing the infinite light of Lord Shiva.
Devotees light lamps while praying for the removal of obstacles, harmony within the family, good health, prosperity, and spiritual progress, remembering that the true light of the Divine is also present within the heart.
Join Us for Karthigai Deepam 2026
Sri Ganesha Temple, Plano, welcomes devotees and families from Plano, Dallas, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Richardson, Garland, and the greater North Texas community to participate in this sacred festival of lights.
Temple Address: 6508 K Avenue, Plano, TX 75074
May the divine light of Lord Shiva illuminate our hearts, remove ignorance and negativity, and guide all devotees toward peace, prosperity, good health, and spiritual wisdom.
Om Namah Shivaya!
