Arunachalesvara Temple

Coordinates: 12°13′53.76″N 79°4′1.92″E / 12.2316000°N 79.0672000°E / 12.2316000; 79.0672000
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Arunachalesvara Temple
Cholas
Completed9th century
Website
https://annamalaiyar.hrce.tn.gov.in/

Arunachalesvara Temple (also called Annamalaiyar Temple) is a

Pancha Bhuta Sthalams, and specifically the element of fire, or Agni
.

Shiva is worshipped as Arunachalesvara or Annamalaiyar, and is represented by the

Manikkavasagar composed the Tiruvempavai
here.

The temple complex covers 10 hectares, and is one of the largest in India.

gopurams. The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest temple towers in India built by Sevappa Nayakkar (Nayakar dynasty)[4] The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Arunachalesvara and Unnamalai Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagara period
.

The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagara rulers of the Sangama dynasty (1336–1485 CE), the Saluva dynasty and the Tuluva dynasty (1491–1570 CE). The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The

Karthikai Deepam festival is celebrated during the day of the full moon between November and December, and a huge beacon is lit atop the hill. It can be seen from miles around, and symbolizes the Shiva lingam of fire joining the sky.[5] The event is witnessed by three million pilgrims. On the day preceding each full moon, pilgrims circumnavigate the temple base and the Arunachala hills in a worship called Girivalam, a practice carried out by one million pilgrims yearly.[4][5][6]

The western world learnt of Tiruvannamalai during the mid 20th century, through the work of

Ramana Maharishi (1879–1950 CE).[2][7]

Legend

see caption
The Annamalai hills with temple towers in the foreground

In Hindu mythology, Parvati, wife of Shiva, once closed the eyes of her husband playfully in a flower garden at their abode atop Mount Kailash. Although only a moment for the gods, all light was taken from the universe, and the earth, in turn, was submerged in darkness for years. Parvati performed penance along with other devotees of Shiva.[8] Then her husband appeared as a huge column of fire at the top of Annamalai hills, returning light to the world.[9] He then merged with Parvati to form Ardhanarishvara, the half-female, half-male form of Shiva.[10] The Arunachala, or red mountain, lies behind the Arunachalesvara temple, and is associated with the temple of its namesake.[3] The hill itself is sacred and considered a lingam, or an iconic representation of Shiva.[11]

Another legend is that once, while Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source.[12][13] Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar Varaha, and sought its base.[12] The scene is called Lingodbhava, and is represented in the western wall at the sanctum of most Shiva temples.[12] Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source even.[12]

History

Gateway tower with multiple storeys
The Raja gopuram – the Eastern gateway, the tallest temple tower and a view of the tank

Ancient Tamil scholars such as Nakkirar (1st century BCE–1st century CE),

Tirupathi. The majority of the gift related inscriptions are for land endowments, followed by goods, cash endowments, cows and oil for lighting lamps.[19] The town of Tiruvannamalai was at a strategic crossroads during the Vijayanagara Empire, connecting sacred centers of pilgrimage and military routes.[21] There are inscriptions that show the area as an urban center before the precolonial period, with the city developing around the temple.[21][22]

During the 17th century CE, the temple along with the Tiruvannamalai town came under the dominion of the

HR & CE) of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[15] In 2002, the Archaeological Survey of India declared the temple a national heritage monument and took over its stewardship. Widespread protests and litigation with the Supreme Court of India, however, led the Archaeological Survey to cede the temple back to the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board.[23][24]

Architecture

Temple tower with people passing through.
View of the temple complex

Complex and towers

Towers

The temple is situated at the bottom of the Arunachala hills, and faces east, lying over 10 hectares (25 acres). The walls on the east and west measure 210 metres (700 ft), the south 451 metres (1,479 ft), and the north 480 metres (1,590 ft). The present masonry and towers date back to the 9th century CE, as seen from an inscription in the structure made by

Nandi
, the sacred bull of Shiva. Towers include the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram, or Parrot Tower.

Shrines

The main shrine of Arunachalesvara faces east, housing images of Nandi and

Palliyarai, the divine room for resting deities, is located at the first precinct around the sanctum. The shrine of his consort, Annamalai Amman, lies in the second precinct, with Amman depicted in a standing posture. Sambantha Vinayagar (Ganesha), is located to the north of the flagstaff and the Bali peeta, or platform for sacrifice.[29] To the south of the thousand-pillared hall, there is a small shrine for Subramanya (Kartikeya) and a large tank.[5] Pathala Lingam, the underground lingam, is the place where Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950 CE) is believed to have performed his penance.[30][31] The shrine of Sivagangai Vinayagar (Ganesha) is present in the northern bank of the Sivanganga tank.[29]

Halls

The View of Thousand Pillar Mahal at temple premises

There is a sixteen-pillared Deepa Darshana Mandapam, or hall of light, in the third precinct. The temple tree, Magizha, is considered sacred and medicinal, and childless couples tie small cradles to its branches in obeisance. Vedas write that the mast of the temple separated the earth and the sky during creation of the universe.[32] The Kalyana Mandapam, the marriage hall, is in the south-west of the precinct, and is built in Vijayanagara style. A stone trident is present in the outer shrine of the temple in open air, and has protective railings like a sacred tree.[33] The Vasantha Mandapam, meaning the Hall of spring, is the third precinct, and contains the temple office and Kalahateeswarar shrine.[34] The fourth precinct has an image of Nandi, Brahma Theertham, the temple tank, the Yanai Thirai Konda Vinayaga shrine, and a hall with a 1.8-metre (6 ft)-tall statue of Nandi, erected by Vallala Maharaja.[29]

Inside the doorway of the first tower and the fifth precinct, there is a thousand-pillared hall built during the late

yali, a mythological beast with body of lion and head of an elephant, a symbol of Nayak power.[36] The Arunagirinathar Mandapam is located to the right of the Kalayana Linga Sundara Eswara Mandapam, and the Gopurathilayanar shrine is to the left of a broad flight of stone stairs that lead up to the Vallala Gopuram.[34]

Worship and festivals

Temple towers ornamented with lights
Temple during Karthigai Deepam festival
Decorated sooden car of a temple drawn by devotees
Temple car procession during a festival

The temple priests perform the

purnima (full moon day) and chaturthi.[37]

The temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout the year.

Karthikai, between November and December, concluding with the celebration of Karthikai Deepam. A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron, containing three tons of ghee, at the top of the Arunachala hills during the Deepam.[5][39] To mark the occasion, the festival image of Arunachalesvara is taken around the wooden chariot around the mountain.[14] Inscriptions indicate that the festival was celebrated as early as the Chola period (from 850 CE to 1280 CE) and was expanded to ten days in the twentieth century.[28]

Temple deities in a procession.

Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Arunachalesvara by circumambulating the Arunachala hill barefoot.[5] The circumambulation covers a distance of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi), and is referred to as Girivalam.[6][40] According to Hindu legend, the walk removes sins, fulfils desires and helps achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth.[15] Offerings are made in a string of tanks, shrines, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves around the hill.[3] The circumambulation continues during the rest of the month. On the day of yearly Chitra Pournami, the full moon of the Tamil calendar, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from across the world to worship Arunachalesvara. Five temple cars, called ther, with wooden carvings, are used for the procession.[15]

Tiruvoodal is another festival celebrated during the first week of the Tamil month Thai at mid-January of every year. On the morning of Maatu Pongal, between 15 and 16 January,

Nandi is decorated with garlands made of fruits, vegetables and sweets. The festival deities of Arunachalesvara and Unnamamulai Amman are taken out of the temple to Tiruoodal street to enact the oodal (or love tiff) between the two in the evening.[15][41]

Religious significance

The Arunachalesvara temple is one of the

element: earth, water, air, sky and fire.[42] In Arunachalesvara temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself as a massive column of fire, whose crown and feet could not be found by the Hindu gods, Brahma and Vishnu. The main lingam in the shrine is referred as Agni Lingam, and represents duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and liberation through ascetic life at the end of the Agni kalpa.[43]

Aathara Stala are Shiva temples which are considered to be personifications of the Tantric chakras of human anatomy. The Arunachalesvara temple is called the Manipooraga stalam,[34] and is associated with the Manipooraga (Manipura) chakra. Manipooraga is the chakra associated with the solar plexus.[44]

Saints and literary mention

Tirugnana Sambandar, a 7th-century Tamil Saivite poet, venerated Arunachalesvara and Unnamulai Amman in ten verses in Tevaram, compiled as the First Tirumurai.[45] Appar, a contemporary of Sambandar, also venerated Arunachalesvara in 10 verses in Tevaram, compiled as the Fifth Tirumurai.[46] As the temple is revered in Tevaram, it is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon.[47]

Murugan (Kartikeya).[50] He became a staunch devotee and composed Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan, the most notable being Thirupugazh.[16][51]

The western world learnt of Tiruvannamalai during the mid 20th century, through the work of

Ramana Maharishi (1879–1950 CE).[2][7] The cave where Ramana meditated is on the lower slopes of the Arunachala hills, with the ashram further down at the foothills.[31][52] The basement of the raised hall inside the temple has the Patala Lingam, where Ramana attained supreme awareness while ants devoured his flesh.[52] The place is also called a Mukthi Sthalam, meaning place of salvation, and saints like Seshadri Swamigal, Gugai Namachivayar and Yogi Ramsuratkumar have been associated with the temple.[30]

See also

Notes

  1. ISBN 9781610690263
    . Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Singh et al. 2009, p. 418.
  3. ^ a b c Abram et al. 2011, p. 456.
  4. ^ a b c Bajwa & Kaur 2008, p. 1069.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Bradnock & Bradnock 2009, pp. 827–828.
  6. ^ a b Tiruvannamalai - Places of interest 2011.
  7. ^ a b Melton 2002.
  8. ^ V. 1974, p. 42.
  9. ^ a b c Hunter 1908, pp. 129–130.
  10. ^ Kingsbury & Phillips 1921, p. 13.
  11. ^ Goodman 2002, pp. 38–39.
  12. ^ a b c d Aiyar 1982, pp. 190–191.
  13. ^ a b c d History of Tiruvannamalai 2011.
  14. ^ a b "Arunachala, A Short History of Hill and Temple". Archived from the original on 23 January 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Arunachaleswarar Thirukoil 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d e Aiyar 1982, pp. 191–203.
  17. ^ Aiyangar 1991, p. 174.
  18. ^ Mack 2002, p. 82.
  19. ^ a b c Mack 2002, pp. 88–90.
  20. ^ Mack 2002, p. 81.
  21. ^ a b Mack 2002, pp. 71–72.
  22. ^ Tiruvannamalai - About the town 2011.
  23. ^ Gaur 2006, p. 126.
  24. ^ HR&CE website.
  25. ^ Southern Circle 1903, p. 5.
  26. ^ V. 1995, p. ii.
  27. ^ a b c V. 1995, p. 31.
  28. ^ a b c Mack 2002, pp. 72–74.
  29. ^ a b c Nārāyaṇasvāmi 1992, p. 24.
  30. ^ a b Various 2006, p. 79.
  31. ^ a b Ebert 2006, pp. 35–46.
  32. ^ Elgood 1999, p. 23.
  33. ^ Elgood 1999, p. 48.
  34. ^ a b c Kamalabaskaran 1994.
  35. ^ Aiyar 1982, p. 546.
  36. ^ Let's Go, Inc 2004, p. 615.
  37. ^ a b Arunachalesvara Temple rituals.
  38. ^ Mack 2002, pp. 72–73.
  39. ^ The Hindu & 14 December 2005.
  40. ^ Tiruvannamalai temple - Girivalam 2011.
  41. ^ Anantharaman 2006, p. 28.
  42. ^ Ramaswamy 2007, pp. 301–302.
  43. ^ Blavatsky 1892, p. 189.
  44. ^ Spear 2011.
  45. ^ Tirugnanasambadar 2004, pp. 27–28.
  46. ^ Appar 2004, pp. 8–11.
  47. ^ Muthalam Thirumurai Translation 2012.
  48. ^ Pope 2004, p. 150.
  49. ^ The Hindu & 21 June 2002.
  50. ^ V.K. 2007, p. 109.
  51. ^ Zvelebil 1975, p. 217.
  52. ^ a b Abram et al. 2011, p. 972.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arunchaleshvara Temple.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arunachalesvara_Temple&oldid=1215116058"