Karthika masam from 10 November: TTD’s month of homams at Tirupati’s Kapileswara temple, Rs 500 a couple; Deepotsavam on 24 November

Karthika masam begins on Tuesday, 10 November, and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will mark it with a month of homams at the Sri Kapileswara Swamy temple in Tirupati. The series opens with ankurarpanam on 10 November and ends on 8 December. A couple can take part in one day’s homam, or in either of the two Kalyanams, by paying Rs 500, TTD said.

Ashwayuja Amavasya ends at 12:32 pm on Monday, 9 November, according to the Telugu Scope panchangam for Hyderabad. Shukla Padyami holds at sunrise on Tuesday, so 10 November is the first day of Karthika by the tithi at sunrise.

Each couple that joins a homam receives an uttariyam, a ravike and anna prasadam, and traditional dress is compulsory. TTD began holding these homams collectively in 2012, since getting one performed privately is costly, and says more devotees take part every year.

The Kapileswara homam calendar

Ganapathi homam comes first and runs until 11 November. Subramanya Swamy homam follows on 12 and 13 November, then Dharma Sastha homam on 14 November, Navagraha homam on 15 November, Dakshinamurthy homam on 16 November and Kalabhairava homam on 17 November. Kamakshi Ammavari homam, also called Chandi homam, runs from 18 to 26 November, and Kapileswara Swamy homam, the Rudra homam, from 27 November to 7 December. The series closes on 8 December with Chandikeswara homam, Trisula snanam and a street procession of the Panchamurthis.

Two Kalyanams fall within the series: Valli Devasena sametha Subramanya Swamy Kalyanam on Sunday, 15 November, and Siva Parvathi Kalyanam on Monday, 7 December, which is Masa Sivaratri.

Tirumala, Tiruchanoor and Appalayagunta

In Tirumala, Lord Venkateswara will be taken out on the Pedda Sesha Vahanam on Friday, 13 November, Nagula Chavithi. The yearly Srivari Pushpayagam is on Monday, 16 November, the first Karthika Somavaram, after ankurarpanam on 15 November. Kaisika Dwadasi Asthanam and Chakra Theertha Mukkoti are on Saturday, 21 November. The Srivari temple holds Karthika Deepotsavam on Tuesday, 24 November, which the panchangam lists as Karthika Pournami.

At Tiruchanoor, Goddess Padmavathi will ride the Gaja Vahanam round the Mada streets from 6.45 pm on 15 November, the day of Uttarashada nakshatram, and the temple celebrates Karthika Deepotsavam on 24 November. At Appalayagunta, Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy’s Kalyanotsavam, with his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, is at 10.30 am on 16 November, and that temple’s Deepotsavam is also on 24 November.