SHAKTI - Red is The Colour

Red all about it!!
Swarming around the Big Temple in Tiruvannamalai are countless busloads
of devotees in every hue of crimson, burgundy, cadmium red with the odd
splash of shocking pink and acid yellow. They make quite a picture!

It is quite bad form to photograph hordes of pilgrims intent

on pooja but I found the odd stray devotee who was up for a snap!

I have asked many times about
the significance of the red colour attire and get one word in response: SHAKTI.

Here Shiva is worshipped as fire and the holy mountain Arunachala, said
to be Shiva himself, means 'Hill of Fire'. That would seem the simplest
explanation but all these devotees are coming mostly from  Chennai and on coach tours
pilgrimages around the state. It is the Shakti presence in the temple that is the main draw.

Further enquiries about the stipulation on red dress also meet the same response: SHAKTI.
I doubt the meaning has been lost in tradition, it's just my grasp of Tamil language is
probably worse than your Hungarian.
But why waste your words. When I see these red pilgrims i will think of just one word.
You guessed it.............