The mountain · The great festival

Bharani Deepam 2026 at Tiruvannamalai: date & time

Before the great beacon on the summit, a lamp is lit in the dark before dawn inside the temple. Here is when the Bharani Deepam is expected in 2026, how it differs from the Maha Deepam, and how to see it.

Jump to: What it is · The day, hour by hour · How to see it · FAQ

What is Bharani Deepam?

Karthigai Deepam day at Tiruvannamalai has two great moments. The first comes in the dark before dawn, when a lamp is lit inside the Arunachaleswarar temple: the Bharani Deepam. The second comes at dusk, when the Maha Deepam, the great beacon of ghee and wick, is lit on the summit of Arunachala. Bharani is the star that comes just before Krittika (Karthigai), the star of the festival, and the early lamp takes its name from it.

Bharani Deepam 2026: date and time

Karthigai Deepam is expected on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Bharani Deepam is traditionally lit in the early hours of that same morning, at about 4 AM IST, with the Maha Deepam following at about 6 PM. Some calendars list Bharani Deepam on the day before, following the star’s timing on the calendar. At Tiruvannamalai the rite is held on the morning of the Deepam day, so plan your visit for the 24th and confirm with the temple’s own announcement, which usually comes in the days before the festival.

The day, hour by hour

By tradition the day runs like this (times approximate; confirm locally): about 4 AM, the Bharani Deepam is lit inside the temple; through the day the town fills toward the evening; in the late afternoon the sacred fire is carried in procession toward the summit; at about 6 PM the Maha Deepam is lit; and through the night lakhs of pilgrims walk the Girivalam with the flame burning above. The full sequence is in our Karthigai Deepam 2026 guide.

How to see it

The Bharani Deepam is a temple rite and the temple compound is small compared with the crowd, so access is controlled and queues start long before dawn. On festival days the authorities regulate who may enter the sanctum and, in recent years, who may climb the hill, so look for the temple and district administration announcements and do not rely on last-minute plans. If you cannot be there, the early lighting is often included in live coverage; see how to watch Karthigai Deepam live online, with the time in your time zone. If you are going, book early (where to stay for the Deepam) and take the Girivalam walking companion for the night walk.

The 24 November 2026 date and the festival timings follow current published sources and the traditional pattern of the day; the temple announces the detailed programme close to the festival, so confirm against the official Arunachaleswarar temple (HR&CE) notice. Last updated 13 October 2026.