CHENNAI: As devotees are thronging Tiruvannamalai ahead of the Karthigai Deepam festival,12 thousand policemen and five layers of security have been arranged there to increase security under the leadership of North Zone IG Kannan.

The culmination of the festival is the lighting of the Maha Deepam in the evening. A special pooja was performed on Monday before the lamp pot used for Maha Deepam was taken to the hill and also 4,500 liters of ghee and gada cloths for the lamp were taken to the mountain.

Deepam will be lit at 6 pm today at the top of the Annamalaiyar hill behind the 2,668 feet high temple. A large number of devotees are expected to visit the temple to witness the Maha Deepam.

Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments PK Sekar Babu attended and had darshan at the temple.

The festival concludes with the 3-day Theppam Utsavam and the Chandikeswarar Utsavam on December 10th.

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