Tiruvannamalai is one of the greatest Saivite shrines in Tamil Nadu,India, on a sprawling 24 acre temple campus, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every full moon. The hill here is considered to be a manifestation of Shiva. Tiruvannamalai is one of the Panchabhoota Stalams signifying the 5 elements of wind (Kalahasti), water (Tiruvanaikka), fire (Tiruvannamalai), earth (Kanchipuram) and space (Chidambaram). Kartikai Deepam festival here is of great significance. Manikkavacakar composed his Tiruvempavai here.The Paatala Linga shrine is connected with the spritual savant Ramana Maharishi. Arunagiri Nathar began composing his Tiruppukazh here at this temple.
ThiruvannamalaiThe temple has 9 towers and seven parakrams.
The main tower (Rajagopuram) is 217 feet high with eleven stories, and is the
second largest tower in South India.
History
In Thiruvannamalai, Lord Shiva took the form of a column of fire which had no beginning or end. This was done to destroy the ego of Lord Vishnu and Brahma. Lord Shiva in ardhanarashwari with one half being Goddess Umadevi is said to have given dharshan to his devotees. This temple was expanded by Chera, Chola, Pandiya and Nayak rulers.
Auspicious Day
Pournami (Full Moon) Day. and also yearly once karthigai deepam
An air of mysticism wraps one unmistakably as one sets his
feet in Thiruvannamalai. The place where serenity sings a silent tune imposing
itself strongly on all who embarked on a spiritual journey there. A place where
religion, rituals and spirituality are available respectively to discerning
aspirants.
The Legend
Thiruvannamalai is one of the Panchabootha Sthalams or the temple representing fire of the five elements. The place houses one of the largest temple in India for Lord Shiva. Shiva over here is not only enshrined within the sanctum of the temple as Arunachaleshwara, but also also appears as the mighty mystic hill called 'Annamalai' amidst the hustle bustle of the small yet the sleepy town. The holy hill is said to have stood the passage of time rather yugas. It was a Mount of fire in the Krutha Yuga, Mount of ruby in Thredha Yuga, Mount Of gold in Dwapara Yuga and the present rocky hill during this Kali Yuga. Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Unnamulai Amman or Apeethakuchambal.
Legend has its say that the aspect of Lingodbhava, a form of Shiva who represents a column of fire originated here. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu over an argument of their supremacy tried to in vain to find the beginning and the end of the column of fire assumed by Lord Shiva thereby submitting to His cosmic pervasiveness. The column of fire (Lord Shiva) is said to have then taken a form of a hill to be ever present to the longing eyes of the devotees. A beacon is lit on the hill on every Karthigai Deepam day to commemorate the age old legend.
A most noteworthy aspect of the legend is that Goddess Parvati is claimed to have occupied the right half of the Lord's body here. Hence the form of Ardhanareeshwara.
The story of Vallala Maharaja in association with Lord Arunachaleshwara is heart rending. The king, an ardent devotee of the Lord prayed fervently to be blessed by a son as he was childless. The Lord pleased with His prayers assured that He himself would be His son. True to His words the lord is said to have performed the last rites of the Maharaja on his death; a event that is still followed on Masi Makha, the death anniversary of this king in this temple.
Symbolic Representation
The Lord is said to have manifested with thousand legs and arms, bearing His Pinaka bow, clothed in the hide of an elephant, with the sun, moon and fire as his three eyes and bearing His trishul when Lord Brahma and Vishnu prayed to Him after realizing the futility in trying to find His origin and end. The Lord is said to have explained the emergence of the both the deities from His form and that they were separated individually in three different forms of the divine, yet the essence being the same.
The above mentioned words of Lord Shiva is in fact a reminder of one's emergence or manifestation from the all perversive supreme consciousness yet bearing the essence of the same though different in form. The realization of the fact leads one to enlightenment. The foresaid form of Shiva represents the Lord's omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence.
Spiritual Potency Of ThiruvannamalaiThe Legend
Thiruvannamalai is one of the Panchabootha Sthalams or the temple representing fire of the five elements. The place houses one of the largest temple in India for Lord Shiva. Shiva over here is not only enshrined within the sanctum of the temple as Arunachaleshwara, but also also appears as the mighty mystic hill called 'Annamalai' amidst the hustle bustle of the small yet the sleepy town. The holy hill is said to have stood the passage of time rather yugas. It was a Mount of fire in the Krutha Yuga, Mount of ruby in Thredha Yuga, Mount Of gold in Dwapara Yuga and the present rocky hill during this Kali Yuga. Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Unnamulai Amman or Apeethakuchambal.
Legend has its say that the aspect of Lingodbhava, a form of Shiva who represents a column of fire originated here. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu over an argument of their supremacy tried to in vain to find the beginning and the end of the column of fire assumed by Lord Shiva thereby submitting to His cosmic pervasiveness. The column of fire (Lord Shiva) is said to have then taken a form of a hill to be ever present to the longing eyes of the devotees. A beacon is lit on the hill on every Karthigai Deepam day to commemorate the age old legend.
A most noteworthy aspect of the legend is that Goddess Parvati is claimed to have occupied the right half of the Lord's body here. Hence the form of Ardhanareeshwara.
The story of Vallala Maharaja in association with Lord Arunachaleshwara is heart rending. The king, an ardent devotee of the Lord prayed fervently to be blessed by a son as he was childless. The Lord pleased with His prayers assured that He himself would be His son. True to His words the lord is said to have performed the last rites of the Maharaja on his death; a event that is still followed on Masi Makha, the death anniversary of this king in this temple.
Symbolic Representation
The Lord is said to have manifested with thousand legs and arms, bearing His Pinaka bow, clothed in the hide of an elephant, with the sun, moon and fire as his three eyes and bearing His trishul when Lord Brahma and Vishnu prayed to Him after realizing the futility in trying to find His origin and end. The Lord is said to have explained the emergence of the both the deities from His form and that they were separated individually in three different forms of the divine, yet the essence being the same.
The above mentioned words of Lord Shiva is in fact a reminder of one's emergence or manifestation from the all perversive supreme consciousness yet bearing the essence of the same though different in form. The realization of the fact leads one to enlightenment. The foresaid form of Shiva represents the Lord's omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence.
Thiruvannamalai is highly potent with spiritual vibrations. Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi called affirmed it as the spiritual centre of the world. Paramahamsa Nithyananda calls it the spiritual incubator of the world with the unusual lineage of enlightened masters to this day. The place is said to have and is constantly attracting a lot of saints, Yogis and Siddhars. The most popular saints who were attratced by the magnetic pull of Arunachaleshwara are Idaikadar, Arunagirinathar, Guhai Namashivayar, Seshadri Swamigal, Ramana Maharshi, Yogi Ram Surat Kumar etc of the many who did not disclose their presence.
Many other saints are said to live on the holy hill in their subtle forms. It is a unmistakable truth that the Annamalai hill has a mysterious, mystic and magnetic pull that draws people over and again to its feet. Thiruvannamalai is also noted as one of the 'Moksha Puris' or the liberating shrines of Lord Shiva. The spiritual potency is such that it is said to bestow liberation by just tuning one's mind towards it.
Ashtalingam
The Ashtalingsm or the eight lingams dot the Girivalam path surrounding the hill. They are the Indra Lingam, Agni Lingam, Vayu Lingam, Varuna Lingam, Niruthi Lingam, Yama Lingam, Kubera Lingam and the Isaanya Lingam.
Girivalam
Girivalam or the circumambulation of the hill is considered very auspicious when carried out on a full moon day as well as on all days. It is said to uplift one both materially and spiritually.
Festivals
All the important festivals in association with Lord Shiva are celebrated in Thiruvannamalai, with the Karthigai Jyothi or the Deepam festival being the most important one.
Lets thus pray to the cosmic dancer, Shiva to sport in our minds kicking way the multifarious facets of thoughts in each single beautiful step to merge with Him, the impenetrable and imperturbable silent serenity.
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