Deepam and Rain

Once it happened that my father was away; the year was 1961. I had 

been in the Ashram for one year, and in the absence of my father, I had 

to take up the responsibility of the president in making decisions and 

arrangements. The annual, ten-day Karthikai festival was on. The climax 

of the festival was the lighting of the Karthikai Deepam, a huge flame, 

from a cauldron of ghee on the summit of the holy hill, Arunachala. 

During Bhagavan‘s lifetime, Bhagavan would be seated outside the hall 

from where the Deepam could be seen. The moment the Deepam was lit 

on the hill, a lamp of ghee would be lit in front of Bhagavan. After 

Bhagavan dropped the body, it was Ashram practice to keep a picture of 

Bhagavan and light the ghee lamp in front of it as soon as the Deepam on 

the hill was lit, a tradition that continues to this day. 

 

That year, it started raining torrentially. I was agitated because we could 

not keep the picture and light the lamp outside as it was traditionally 

done. Seeing this, Chadwick came to me and said, ―Do not be agitated. 

We can take the picture inside the dining hall and light the lamp there.‖ 

I expressed my concern. Though Bhagavan was seldom interested in rituals, 

he was very particular on witnessing the Karthikai Deepam. How 

could I deviate from the Ashram tradition? My father is not here, and I 

do not want to do something that breaks it. He reassured me that during 

Bhagavan‘s lifetime, one year it had rained just like this. Since he was 

keen on seeing the Deepam, Bhagavan suggested that we go into the 

dining hall and open the big door, through which one could see the hill‘s 

summit. (Now the new dining hall has blocked this view.) I was next to 

Bhagavan. I told him, ―Bhagavan, we will not be able to see the Deepam 

because it is raining torrentially.‖ Looking through his binoculars, 

Bhagavan exhorted, ―Watch! Watch!‖ At that moment, the Deepam was 

lit on the hill. I was watching eagerly. The rain stopped, the clouds 

dispersed for a few minutes, and we got a glimpse of the Deepam as it 

was lit. Immediately Bhagavan said, ―Now light the ghee lamp. The 

Deepam has been lit. So we too will follow suit.‖ I was a little skeptical 

because it was pouring. But I followed Chadwick‘s advice. Chadwick sat 

next to me and said, ―Watch!‖ And exactly the same thing happened. At 

the time of lighting the Deepam on the hill, the rain stopped. The clouds 

dispersed. And we lit the ghee lamp in front of Bhagavan‘s picture 

inside the dining hall just before the clouds gathered again and hid the 

Deepam from our view!