Devotees witnessed ‘Chokkapanai’ (Palm Tree) lit at Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram on the occasion of Karthigai Deepam festival on Monday.
Karthigai Deepam is celebrated on the Pournami (Purnima) Tithi of the Tamil month of Karthigai. Like Diwali, it is a festival of lights. On this day, lamps are lit with oil as a symbol of holiness in Indian culture and every household gets decorated with flowers and beautifies.
The Chokappanai burning festival is celebrated at the Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple every year on the Karthika Deepam Day to commemorate the event of Puranas.
In that sense, two shrines, the Ramaswamy Shrine and the Parivarthani Ambal Shrine were previously covered with palm trees and palm leaves.
Later the palm trees were burnt in the presence of a large number of devotees, who prayed to Lord Shiva while the burning of the Chokappanai known as the Paradise of Heaven.