Karthik Poornima/Karthigai

Karthik Month is the most significant of all the months. People get up early in the brahmamuhoort- 4-6 AM ,have bath, clean the house they perform puja. Karthik somavara(monday) is very special for Shiva. People go to lord shiva's temple in the evening and lite lamp.
In south India throughout Karthik Month two lamps are kept outside on either side of the main door. The poornima(full moon day) is celebrated as Karthigai deepam. Sisters celebrate this for the welfare of their family and Brother. Brothers send money or some gift for the sisters. Ladies take oil bath in the morning and prepare Payasam and Vadai as offering for the god. For the evening puja, adai(thick form of dosa) is made. 1 cup of rice with equal amount of three pulses,(chana dal half cup. toor dal little bit more than half and rest with urad dal ).this is the consistency .combine all the pulses and rice together and soak in the water for one to two hours, grind it coarsely with two red and two green chilli's salt and hing , kadi patha. make it like dosa in the tava.put a hole in between and pour oil nicely.turn it and cook. take it out. this is very important.two adai's with jagerry keep it with puffed rice ball and appam is prepared. Rangoli is drawn. All the lamps at home are cleaned and prepared to be lit in the evening. lord muruga, devine light of lord shiva took his form during this month .
In the evening all the lamps are lit, offerings are made to god. The rangoli is decorated with lamps. All the rooms windows and balconies are lit and crackers are bursted. On the next day new rangoli is made. Fewer lamps are kept on the rangoli. Fruit are offered to the god.
There is a place in south india called Thiruvanamalai. People bring oil and cotton to lite the lamp there. In the evening elaborate abhishakam is held for god and goddess. After alankaram diety is brought outside . On this day the god's alankaram is known as Ardha Nareeshwarar and he is brought outside only for fraction of a second.The Beacon Being Lit During Karthikai Deepam then only lamps are lit at home . this is observed as a tradition.
story behind celebrating karthigai deepam:
lord shiva emeged as a huge pillar of fire to stop the conflict of supremecy between brahma and vishnu.because of the radiance of fire, they stopped the fight and tried to find the begining and end of the fire.they could not and they realized that this is lord shiva himself. to worship the huge fire chokka panai is burnt in the shiva temples.
During this month Gurunanak Jayanthi is also celebrated. It is believed that Lord Vishnu took Mathsya Avatar(fish) today. This day is also celebrated as Gajendra Moksha. When the elephant came to take bath in the river, a crocodile got hold of the elephant's legs. The elephant called Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu came and killed the crocodile and saved the elephant.
Karthik month is celebrated in a grand manner throughout India.