Braving incessant rains, an estimated 25–30 lakh devotees from across the country witnessed the lighting of the Karthigai Maha Deepam atop the 2,668-foot Tiruvannamalai Hills last Evening.This year’s festival was held under heightened vigilance, coming a year after a tragic landslip on December 1, 2024, triggered by Cyclone Fengal, in which seven people, including children, lost their lives.
Forest personnel from neighbouring divisions such as Vellore and Tirupattur were deployed to support local teams and prevent devotees from climbing the hills.
Following tradition, the district administration declared a local holiday to mark the occasion.