The grand Karthigai Deepam festival, a significant annual event at the renowned Sri Arunachaleshwar temple here, commenced on Monday with the hoisting of the temple flag atop the flagmast.

The event culminating with the lighting of a maha deepam atop the Annamalai hills draws several lakhs of devotees every year. This time, the temple administration anticipates about 40 lakh devotees from various parts of Tamil Nadu and the country to participate in the ten-day festival coinciding with the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December).