Chaganti gari Pravachanamu at Koti Deepothsavam

Karthikai Deepam (கார்த்திகை தீபம்) or Karthikai Vilakkidu (கார்த்திகை விளக்கீடு) is a Festival of Lights. The festival is observed in most Tamil homes and every Tamil temple of Tamil Nadu, Sri Lankaand Kerala, and falls in the month of Kārttikai (mid-November to mid-December) as per Tamil calendar. This occurs on the day when the moon is in conjunction with the constellation Karthigai (Pleiades) and pournami. This constellation appears as a group of six stars in the firmament in the shape of a pendant from the ear. In Kerala, this festival is known as Thrikkarthika. In the rest of India, a related festival called Kartik Purnima is celebrated in a different date.