TIRUVANNAMALAI: The tradition of lighting the huge lamp atop Tiruvannamalai hill on the occasion of the Karthigai Deepam is devoutly undertaken by the descendants of Parvatha Raja Kulam Marabeenargal family for many generations.
B Pugal (46), a member of this family, claimed that his forefather Parvatha Raja was the father- in-law of Lord Shiva. ‘Shiva gave the right of lighting the lamp on the hill on Karthigai Deepam to Parvatha Raja and from then on it has been a tradition of the male descendants to carry forward the noble act every year without fail’, he said.
Not able to recall how many forefathers had lit the lamp so far, he said that he and his cousins in a cyclic order have been lighting the lamp for the last 17 years. He lit the lamp during the deepam festival in 2008 and eagerly awaits his next turn due in 2010.
Lighting the maha lamp is not as easy as lighting the Olympic torch that could be lit with the help of a rocket.
The wick for the lamp is made of 2 km length of gada cloth which is soaked in 3,000 kg of ghee to fuel the flames for 11 days starting from December 1.
The 5 feet tall copper lamp weighing about 150 kg is brought out of the temple four days in advance of the event.