The Arunachaleshwara temple, also known as the Annamalaiyar temple, is a historic and massive temple complex. It is located in Tiruvannamalai, at the base of an ancient hill called Arunachala. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, and the Shiva linga represented in the temple is said to be an Agni Linga or a linga of fire. This temple is a part of the Pancha Bhutha Sthalams or part of the 5 temples of the elements located around the different parts of Tamil Nadu, with this temple representing fire. The temple covers an area of about 10 hectares and is one of the largest temples by size in India. Many popular Tamil works, ancient in nature, such as the Tiruvempavai, composed by Tamil saint Manikkavasagar in the 9th century, were composed in this temple.
5 Aspects Of Arunachaleshwara Temple
Before visiting Arunachaleshwara Temple and seeking blessing, there are some interesting facts that you must know. These facts will surely add an extra dose of bliss to your trip. Here are these facts:
1. Legend Of Arunachaleshwara Mandir
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The primary legend associated with this temple is that Brahma, the god of creation, and Vishnu, the god of preservation, both contested who had more superior powers. Shiva, the god of destruction was called to referee amongst the two contesting gods. Shiva took the form of a large column of fire and light extending to infinity to the heavens and down below the earth. Brahma was tasked with finding the top of the column, and Vishnu found the bottom. Brahma took the form of a swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug the earth to go downwards, each searching for the top and the bottom of the flame of fire respectively. Although neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the top or the base of the column, Brahma met a flower falling from the top.
Brahma accosted the flower and asked the flower to describe the top of the column so that he may go back to Shiva and lie that he had, in fact, seen the top. Vishnu, unable to find the bottom of the linga, gave up and confessed to Shiva that he could not find the base of the column. When Brahma lied and saw the top of the column of flame, Shiva knew he was lying and cursed Brahma to lose one of his heads. Shiva declared Vishnu as the more powerful among the two gods and the contest winner. This flame column is said to be represented by the hill Arunachala. The temple was built to recognize the greatness of this legend and the hill and to capture the event. Since the column was of a flame, the Shiva linga in the temple is also an Agni Linga or a linga of fire. This entire representation of Shiva is called Ligodbhava and can be found in the western part of the Arunachaleshwara temple.
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2. Architecture Of The Arunachaleshwara Temple
The Arunachaleshwara temple faces east and occupies about 10 hectares of land. The towers and masonry date well back into the 9th century BC, as proved by an ancient inscription written by the Chola dynasty, which ruled and patronized the temple during that period. The temple is flanked by four towers in the north, south, east, and western directions, with the eastern tower, the RajaGopuram, being the tallest.
3. Arunachaleshwara Temple History
The Chola kings ruled over this temple for four centuries, as did other kingdoms like the Hoysalas. They made Tiruvannamalai their capital, the Vijayanagara, under Krishnadeva Raya. Before the Cholas, the town was under the rule of the Pallava dynasty. The Rajagopuram’s base was made of granite, and Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagar Empire started the work there. The five outer precincts of the temple were built by Krishnadevaraya, including the huge statues of the bull Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva, found in the five outer precincts.
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4. Worshipping Timing
The priests in the Arunachaleshwara temple are Shaivite, Brahmin case priests. It follows most Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu. Pujas and rituals are performed at 5:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Rituals such as Abhishek, (ritual sacred bath), Alankara (decoration with cloth, flowers, and jewellery), Naivedya (offering of sacred food), and DeepAradhana (waving of holy lamps) are all carried out for both the Arunachaeshwara Agni Linga as well as his consort Unnamalai Amman, Goddess Parvati. The priests read musical instruments traditional to Tamil Nadu, such as the nagaswaram and the tail, along with religious chants from the Vedas, such as Sri Rudram and Chamakam.
5. Festivals Celebrated At The Temple
Festivals like Sivaratri, Pradosha Puja and Amavasai Puja (new moon day), Kruttika Nakshatra Puja (full moon day), Purnima and Chathurthi are also carried out. The temple also celebrates many other festivals throughout the year. The Brahmotsavams, or the four primary festivals are celebrated every year. The most significant Brahmotsavam festival falls in the Tamil month Karthikai, between November and December every year.
This festival usually concludes the celebration of the Tamil Festival Karthikai Deepam. In this festival, a large lamp is lit on a huge container, typically with tonnes of ghee, at the top of the Arunachala hill to create a lamp or ‘deepam’. This light can be seen from kilometres away from the hills. Inscriptions in the temple indicate that this festival has been celebrated right from the early Chola age, (about 850 CE), and this festival expanded to 10 days in the 20th Century.
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6. Full moon at Arunachaleshwara Temple
Full moon nights are considered significant for worshipping Shiva at the Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai. Hundreds of devotees throng the temple to see the Shiva linga during these nights. During these nights, devotees also circumambulate the holy hill of Arunachala, called Girivalam. According to legends, even the gods and goddesses, angels, holy saints, and sages perform the girivalam or the circumambulation of the holy hill on full moon nights, which gives devotees a chance to get blessings from these deities travelling in their astral forms.
Tiruvannamalai is so popular across the world that you will not only find Indians, but you will also see hundreds of people from all over the world participating in the circumambulation of the holy mountain, from countries such as the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and more. During the circumambulation around the mountain, devotees pray at the different Shiva temples around the mountain and offer their prayers at the various water temple tanks along the way.
7. Saints And Literary Works
The Tevaram has a total of 10 verses written by the saint and Saivite poets, Tirugnana Sambandhar, compiled with the First Tirumurai, which propitiates Arunachaleshwara and his consort Unnamulaiar Amman. Another contemporary Shaivite saint of Thirgnana Sambandhar, Appar, propitiated Arunachaleshwara in another 10 verses in the Tevaram, which compiled as the Fifth Tirumurai. The Arunachaleshwara temple is venerated in the Tevaram and is hence called a Paadal Petra Sthalam, as part of the 276 temples mentioned in Saiva literature.
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Now that you have all the information you need on the Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, make sure you add it to your temple itinerary program when planning your trip to Tamil Nadu. A visit to the Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai, followed by a circumambulation of the Arunachala hills, is a must-do for anyone visiting temples and religious places in the South of India.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Arunachaleshwarar Temple In Tiruvannamalai
Who were the chief patrons of the Arunachaleshwara Temple?
The chief patrons of the Arunachaleshwara temple were the Chola Dynasty, and they administered and made many donations to the temple for four entire centuries.
Who were the famous Tamil poets who wrote about the Arunachaleshwara temple?
Some famous Tamil poets who wrote about the Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai include Manikkavasagar, Appar, Arunagirinathar and Thirugnanasambandhar.
How big is the Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai?
The Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai is amongst the largest in India, located across a sprawling area of 10 hectares of land.
Who manages the Arunachaleshwara temple in Tiruvannamalai?
The temple has been managed by the HR and CE departments of the Government of Tamil Nadu since 1951. Briefly in between it was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India. However, following the verdict of a Supreme Court case, the temple is now again being run by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
What are the temple timings for the Arunachaleshwara Temple in Tiruvannamalai?
Arunachaleshwara temple timings: 5:30 AM - 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM - 9:30 PM. All the important pujas and activities happen within this timeframe.
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