Arunachalesvara Temple facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arunachalesvara Temple |
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View of the Arunachalesvara temple towers from the Arunachala hill
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| Location | |
| Country: | India |
| State: | Tamil Nadu |
| District: | Tiruvannamalai district |
| Locale: | Thiruvannamalai |
| Coordinates: | 12°13′53.76″N 79°4′1.92″E / 12.2316000°N 79.0672000°E |
| Architecture and culture | |
| Architectural styles: | Dravidian architecture |
| History | |
| Creator: | Cholas |
| Website: | https://annamalaiyar.hrce.tn.gov.in/ |
The Arunachalesvara Temple (also known as Annamalaiyar Temple) is a famous Hindu temple in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. It's located at the base of the Arunachala hill. This temple is special because it's dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
It's one of the five important Shiva temples called the Pancha Bhoota Stalas. Each of these temples represents one of the five natural elements. The Arunachalesvara Temple represents the element of fire, or Agni.
Shiva is worshipped here as Arunachalesvara or Annamalaiyar. He is shown as a lingam, which is a symbol of Shiva. This particular lingam is called the Agni lingam (fire lingam). Shiva's wife, Parvati, is worshipped as Unnamalai Amman or Apithakucha Ambal.
This temple is very old! It's mentioned in a 7th-century Tamil religious book called the Tevaram. Famous Tamil saint poets, known as the nayanars, wrote about it. Another saint poet, Manikkavasagar, wrote his Tiruvempaavai here in the 9th century.
The temple complex is huge, covering about 10 hectares (that's like 25 football fields!). It has four tall gateway towers called gopurams. The tallest one is the eastern tower, which has 11 stories and is about 66 meters (217 feet) high. This makes it one of the tallest temple towers in India.
Inside, there are many smaller shrines. The most important ones are for Arunachalesvara and Unnamalai Amman. The temple also has many large halls. The most famous is the thousand-pillared hall, built a long time ago during the Vijayanagara Empire.
The main stone structure of the temple was built by the Chola dynasty in the 9th century. Later, rulers from the Vijayanagara Empire added more parts to it. Today, the temple is looked after by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The temple has six daily prayer times, from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. It also has twelve yearly festivals. The biggest festival is Karthigai Deepam, celebrated in November or December. During this festival, a giant beacon (a huge lamp) is lit on top of the Arunachala hill. You can see it from many miles away! It represents Shiva as a lingam of fire reaching the sky. Millions of people come to see this event.
On the day before every full moon, many pilgrims walk around the base of the temple and the Arunachala hills. This walk is called Girivalam, and about a million pilgrims do it every year.
Contents
Amazing Legends of the Temple
Hindu stories tell us why this temple is so special.
The Fire Column Story
Once, Parvati, Shiva's wife, playfully covered her husband's eyes on Mount Kailash. Even though it was just a moment for the gods, the whole universe went dark for years! Earth was covered in darkness. Parvati and other devotees prayed to Shiva.
Then, Shiva appeared as a giant column of fire on top of the Annamalai hills. This brought light back to the world! After that, he joined with Parvati to become Ardhanarishvara, a form that is half-male and half-female. The Arunachala hill, which is a red mountain, is right behind the temple and is considered sacred. It's even seen as a lingam itself!
The Contest of Gods
Another story says that once, the gods Vishnu and Brahma argued about who was more powerful. Shiva appeared as a huge flame and challenged them to find where the flame began or ended. Brahma turned into a swan and flew up to find the top. Vishnu became a boar named Varaha and dug down to find the bottom.
This scene is called Lingodbhava. You can often see it carved on the walls of Shiva temples. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the end or beginning of Shiva's fiery form. This showed them Shiva's endless power.
A Look at History
The Arunachalesvara Temple has a very long history. Ancient Tamil scholars from over 2,000 years ago mentioned this shrine and its deity. The 7th-century Nayanar saints, Sambandar and Appar, wrote poems about the temple in their work, Tevaram.
The Chola dynasty kings ruled this area for more than 400 years, starting from 850 CE. They were big supporters of the temple, giving gifts like land, animals, and oil. Later, kings from the Vijayanagara Empire also gave many gifts to the temple. Most of their messages were written in Tamil.
For a while, in the 17th century, the temple and town were controlled by different rulers, including the Nawab of the Carnatic. There were even times when French and English forces attacked the town. Eventually, in the 19th century, the temple came under British rule.
Since 1951, the temple has been managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Amazing Temple Architecture
Temple Layout and Towers
The temple is at the foot of the Arunachala hills and faces east. It covers a huge area of over 25 acres. The walls on the east and west are about 700 feet long!
The main stone buildings and towers were built around the 9th century CE by the Chola dynasty. Before that, the Pallava Kings ruled this area.
The temple has four large gateway towers, called gopurams, on each side. The eastern tower, called the Rajagopuram, is the tallest. It has a base made of granite, measuring about 135 feet by 98 feet. King Krishnadevaraya started building it, and Sevappa Nayaka finished it in 1572 CE. Other towers include the Thirumanjangopuram (south), Pe Gopuram (west), and Ammani Amman Gopuram (north).
The temple has five main areas, called precincts. Each one has a huge statue of Nandi, the sacred bull of Shiva. There are also other towers like the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram (Parrot Tower).
Important Shrines
The main shrine for Arunachalesvara faces east. It's the oldest part of the temple. Inside, you'll find statues of Nandi and Surya (the sun god). Around the main shrine, there are images of other gods like Durga, Ganesha, Kartikeya, and Lingodbhava (Shiva coming out of a lingam).
The shrine for Shiva's wife, Annamalai Amman, is in the second precinct. She is shown standing. A shrine for Sambantha Vinayagar (Ganesha) is near the flagstaff.
There's also a special place called Pathala Lingam, which is an underground lingam. It's believed that Ramana Maharshi (a famous saint) meditated here. Another shrine for Sivagangai Vinayagar is by the Sivanganga tank.
Grand Halls
The temple has many impressive halls. In the third precinct, there's the sixteen-pillared Deepa Darshana Mandapam, or hall of light. The temple also has a sacred tree called Magizha. People believe it has healing powers, and childless couples tie small cradles to its branches.
The Kalyana Mandapam, or marriage hall, is built in the beautiful Vijayanagara style. There's also the Vasantha Mandapam, or Hall of Spring.
One of the most amazing parts is the thousand-pillared hall, built during the late Vijayanagara period. King Krishnadevaraya built this hall and dug the tank opposite it. The pillars in this hall are carved with images of yali, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant. These carvings show the power of the Nayak rulers.
Worship and Exciting Festivals
Temple priests perform pooja (rituals) every day and during festivals. These rituals happen six times a day, starting from 5:30 a.m. Each ritual includes a sacred bath for the deities, decorations, food offerings, and waving of lamps. Music is played with traditional instruments like nagaswaram and tavil.
The temple celebrates many festivals throughout the year. Four major festivals, called Brahmotsavam, happen every year. The most important one is the Karthigai Deepam festival, which lasts ten days in November or December.
During Karthigai Deepam, a huge lamp is lit in a giant pot on top of the Arunachala hills. It uses three tons of ghee (clarified butter)! To celebrate, a special image of Arunachalesvara is carried around the mountain in a wooden chariot. This festival has been celebrated since the Chola period, hundreds of years ago.
Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims walk barefoot around the Arunachala hill. This walk is about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) long and is called Girivalam. People believe this walk helps remove sins and fulfill wishes. They make offerings at various shrines and tanks around the hill. On the day of Chitra Pournami, a special full moon day, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from all over the world. Five temple cars, called ther, with beautiful wooden carvings, are used in a procession.
Another festival is Tiruvoodal, celebrated in mid-January. On the morning of Maatu Pongal, the sacred bull Nandi is decorated with garlands of fruits, vegetables, and sweets. In the evening, the deities of Arunachalesvara and Unnamalai Amman are taken out to a street to act out a playful "love tiff" between them.
Why This Temple is Important
The Arunachalesvara temple is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Stalams. These are Shiva temples where Shiva is believed to have appeared as a natural element. Here, Shiva showed himself as a huge column of fire. The main lingam in the temple is called the Agni Lingam, representing fire. It stands for duty, self-sacrifice, and finding freedom in life.
The temple is also considered a Aathara Stala. This means it's linked to the Manipooraga (Manipura) chakra, which is an energy center in the human body, specifically the solar plexus.
Saints and Famous Writings
Many famous saints and poets have written about the Arunachalesvara Temple.
- Tirugnana Sambandar, a 7th-century Tamil poet, praised Arunachalesvara and Unnamulai Amman in his poems.
- Appar, another poet from the same time, also wrote about the temple.
- Because the temple is mentioned in Tevaram, it's one of the 276 temples known as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
- Manickavasagar, a 9th-century saint, wrote about the deity as "AnnAmalai" and composed his Thiruvempavai here.
- Arunagirinathar, a 15th-century poet born in Tiruvannamalai, became a strong devotee and wrote hymns praising Murugan, especially Thirupugazh.
The Western world learned about Tiruvannamalai in the mid-20th century because of Ramana Maharishi (1879–1950 CE). The cave where Ramana meditated is on the lower slopes of the Arunachala hills. The basement of a hall inside the temple has the Patala Lingam, where Ramana is said to have reached a high level of awareness. This place is also called a Mukthi Sthalam, meaning a place of salvation. Many other saints have also been connected to this temple.
See Also
In Spanish: Annamalaiyar para niños
- List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
