Festival calendar

Upcoming major dates

How to read the labels:

• Official announced by the temple, HR&CE or district administration.
• Published calendars agree independent published calendars agree; no official notice yet.
• Calculated worked out from calendar rules; not yet announced.
• Sources differ sources disagree, and both dates are shown.

Festival guides

• Karthigai DeepamKarthigai Deepam at Tiruvannamalai: the Bharani and Maha Deepam, the ten-day Brahmotsavam, its history, and planning for crowds, stay and viewing.
• Karthigai Deepam 2026Karthigai Deepam 2026 at Tiruvannamalai is on Tuesday 24 November, with the Brahmotsavam from 15 November. Key timings, countdown, crowds, stay and travel advice.
• Maha ShivaratriMaha Shivaratri at Arunachaleswarar Temple: the 2027 date (6 March), the night-long worship and midnight Lingodbhava pooja, night Girivalam, and practical planning.
• Pournami & night GirivalamWhat Pournami Girivalam is like: when to start within the full-moon tithi, crowds and road closures, walking at night safely, and the busiest full moons of the year.

Through the Tamil year

Tamil months run from mid-month to mid-month, so each covers parts of two English months.

Tamil month	Approx.	Festival	Guide
Chithirai	Apr–May	Chithirai Pournami, one of the busiest Girivalam nights	Pournami
Aadi	Jul–Aug	Aadi Pooram, festival of the goddess Unnamulai Amman
Karthigai	Nov–Dec	Karthigai Deepam: ten-day Brahmotsavam, Bharani Deepam and Maha Deepam	Karthigai Deepam
Thai	Jan	Thiruvoodal, around Thai Pongal
Maasi	Feb–Mar	Maha Shivaratri: night-long worship, midnight Lingodbhava pooja	Maha Shivaratri
Panguni	Mar–Apr	Panguni Uthiram: celestial wedding of Shiva and Parvati

Thiruvoodal (Thai)

Celebrated around Thai Pongal in January, Thiruvoodal enacts a lovers’ quarrel (oodal) between Shiva and Parvati and their reconciliation. The processional deities are brought to Thiruvoodal Street, and locals follow the ritual quarrel with great affection.

Other Brahmotsavams

Besides the Karthigai festival, the temple holds other Brahmotsavams, ten-day festivals with daily processions, at other points in the year. The official website publishes each year’s schedule.

Every month

• Pournami (full moon): Girivalam around Arunachala. See the Pournami calendar.
• Pradosham (twice a month): evening abhishekam to Nandi and Shiva.
• Karthigai nakshatram (monthly): special worship, especially of Murugan.
• Monthly Sivaratri: the 14th night of the waning moon.

The district administration also notes that pilgrims do Girivalam on the first day of each Tamil month and on Tamil New Year (Chithirai 1).

Year view

The calendar brings Pournami windows and festival dates together for each year.