Registering a footfall of over 40 lakh visitors, Maha Deepam revived the festive mood in Tiruvannamalai on Sunday. Thousands of devotees chanting ‘Arunchaleshwara’ marked the day-long puja that culminated in the lighting of the ‘Maha Deepam’ atop the Annamalai Hills at 6 p.m. on Sunday, the last day of the Karthigai Deepam festival.
The day unfurled with a puja, followed by the lighting of the ‘Bharani Deepam’ at 4 a.m. the temple.
The town witnessed a steady inflow of visitors since morning, with vehicles, including cabs, cars and buses that were parked about two kms from the temple. Apart from the 13 temporary bus termini, 54 police booths manned by three police personnel apiece were set up in view of the festival, besides the installation of 13 watchtowers at key intersections and routes.
