Annamalaiyar Temple
Encyclopedia
Annamalaiyar Temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva
, located at the foothills of the Annamalai Hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu
, India
. Shiva is worshipped as Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleswarar represented by lingam
, with
his consort, Unnamalaiyaal (Apitakuchambaal - Parvati
). The temple occupies a significant place in Saivism (sect of Shiva) realm and is regarded as one of the Pancha Bhoota Stala
s (one of the five temples associated with the five classical elements) – this temple is associated with the element fire (Agni
).
The temple complex spans 10 hectares and is one of the largest temples in India. It houses 4 gopurams (gateway towers) with the tallest being the eastern tower with 11 storeys and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest gopurams in India.
The Karthigai Deepam festival celebrated during the full moon day in November–December during which a huge beacon lit on the top of the hill. It can be seen from miles around and believed to be Shiva's lingam of fire joining the limitless skies. The event is witnessed by 3 million pilgrims. During each full moon day, the Annamalai Hill is swelled by close to 1 million pilgrims who do a girivalam (circumnavigate the base of the temple and the Annamalail hill) and worship Annamalaiyar in the temple.
The temple is revered by the Tevaram
hymns of 7th century Saiva nayanars
- Tamil
saint poets and is also classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam (temple revered by the nayanars). It is said that the 9th century Saiva saint poet Manikkavasagar
composed the Tiruvempaavai at Thiruvannamalai.
Legend has it that Shiva's consort Parvati once closed the eyes of Shiva playfully in the flower garden of Kailasha (the abode of Shiva). The whole universe was darkened for a moment and the earth was darkened for years, translating to a moment of time at Kailasha. Parvati performed penance with other worshippers and Shiva appeared as a flame of fire at the top of the Annamalai hill
to remove the darkness. He merged his half to Parvati's in the form of Ardhanarishvara - the half-female, half-male form of Shiva. The Annamalai hill
(meaning red mountain) lying behind the Annamalaiyar temple is always associated with the temple. The hill is considered sacred and considered to be a lingam (representation of Shiva) in itself.
Kings who ruled from Kanchipuram
before the 9th century A.D - the earliest inscriptions dating back to early 9th century is an indication. The 7th century nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar, have mentioned the deity in the poetic work Tevaram. Sekkizhar
, the author of the Periyapuranam mentions that both Appar and Sambandar worshipped Arunchaleswarar in the temple. The Chola Kings ruled over the country for more than four Centuries from 850 A.D. to 1280 A.D. During the 14th Century, the Hoysala Kings had their capital at Tiruvannamalai starting 1328 A.D. There are large number of inscriptions from the Sangama Dynasty
(1336-1485 A.D.) and some inscriptions from Tuluva Dynasty
(1491-1570 A.D.) that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire
indicating generous gifts to the temple from the rulers. There are inscriptions indicating Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529 A.D.), the most powerful of the Vijayanagara kings making generous contribution to the temple. During 17th century, the temple came under the sway of the Nawab of the Carnatic
. There was confusion and chaos after 1753 A.D. Muraru Raya, Krishna Raya, Mrithis Ali Khan, Burkat Ullakhan, French Soupries and Sambrinet, English Captain Stephen Smith besieged this place and had their successes and defeats. In 1790 A.D., it was captured by Tippu Sultan. During the first half of the 19th century, it came under the British rule. The temple is currently maintained by the Hindu religious and Endowment board of the Government of Tamil Nadu
.
built the north gopuram which is named after her. The literary works of Nayaks, Raghunathabhyudayam and Sangitha Sudha mentions the gopurams. The Tanjavuri Andhra Raja Charitamu mentions Krishnadevaraya building the gopuram and other prakaram
s (precincts of the temple). The temple has 5 prakarams. Each of the prakarams has a huge Nandi (sacred bull of Shiva) and several towers such as the "Vallala Maharaja Gopuram" and "Kili Gopuram" (parrot tower). Legend has it that saint Arunagirinathar attained divinity by taking the form of a parrot and the shrine is named after it. An image of the story can be found in the tower.
(the Sun) . It is the oldest of all structures in the temple. Right behind on the walls of the sanctum, there is an image of Venugopalaswamy (an incarnation of Vishnu
). Right around the sanctum, there are images of Somaskanda
r, Lingodbhavar (image of Shiva emnating from lingam), Durga
, Chandekeswarar, Gajalakshmi
, Arumugaswami, Dakshinamoorthy, Swarnabairavar
, Nataraja
and Palliyarai
(divine room meant for resting deities) - these are regular features of Shiva temples in South India
. The shrine of the consort, Unnamalai Amman lies in the second precinct of the temple - the Amman is in standing posture. Sambantha Vinayagar (elephant god) shrine is located to the north of the flag staff and Bali peeta (platform for sacrifice). To the south of the 1000-pillared hall, there is a small shrine for Subramaya and a large tank. "Pathala Lingam" (underground lingam) is the place where saint Ramanar is believed to have done his penance. The shrine of Sivagangai Vinayagar is present in the northern bank of the Sivanganga tank.
Inside the doorway of the first gopuram (or the fifth precinct), there is a 1000-pillared hall built during the late Vijayanagara
period. Krishna Devaraya constructed the hall during the late Vijayanagara period and dug the tank opposite to it. The pillars in the hall are carved with images of yali
(mythological beast with body of lion and head of an elephant), commonly used as the symbol of Nayak power. The "Arunagirinathar Mandapam" is located to the right, the "Kalayana Linga Sundara Eswara Mandapam" and Gopurathilayanar shrine to the left of the broad flight of stone stairs that lead upwards to the "Vallala gopuram".
of Karthikai (November/December). The celebration of the festival Karthikai Deepam(meaning light lit during the Tamil month of Karthikai) marks the conclusion of the ten-day brahmotsavam. A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron
with three tons of ghee
at the top of the Annamalai hill. During the festival the festival deity of Annamalaiyar circumbulates the mountain. Inscriptions indicate that the festival was celebrated during the Chola period itself, while it has been expanded to 10 days in the 20th century.
Every full moon
night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Annamalaiyar by circumambulating
the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km. The circumbulation is believed to remove sins, fulfillment of desires and freedom from cycle of birth and rebirth. Offerings are made in a string of tanks, shrines, lingams, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves along the hill. The practise is followed during normal days also and is referred as Giri Valam.
On the yearly Chitra Pournami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, lakhs of pilgrims come from across the world to worship Annamalaiyar. Five ther (temple car) with wooden carvings, are used for the procession.
Tiruvoodal (திருவூடல் திருவிழா) is another festival celebrated during the first week of Tamil month Thai (from 14 till 18 January) every year. On the morning of maatu pongal (15 and 16 January), Nandi is decorated with the garlands specially made with variety of fruits, vegetables and sweets. Annamalaiyar and his consort come out of the temple to perform the oodal ceremony in the evening. This particular event happens outside the temple on the Tiruoodal street.
- land, water, air, sky and fire. In Annamalaiyar temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself in the form of massive column of fire (Agni), 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 is believed to explain duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and finally liberation through ascetic life at the end of Agni kalpa.
The Aathara Stala are Shiva temples which are considered to be divine personifications of the Tantric chakra
s associated with human anatomy. The Annamalaiyar temple is called the Manipooraga stalam associated with the Manipooraga
chakra - the human anatomical cause for spiritual ignorance, thirst, jealousy, treachery, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness and sadness.
, the 7th century Tamil Saivite poet refers Annamalai and his consort Unnamalai in 10 verses in the first Tirumurai
. Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), a contemporary of Sambandar, refers Annamalai in 10 verses in the fifth Tirumurai. Manickavasgar is a 9th century Tamil saint poet, whose work is classified as Tiruvacakam. He has reverred the deity here with his verses and refers to the deity as "AnnAmalai".
Arunagirinathar
is a 15th century Tamil poet, who was born in Tiruvannamalai and spent his early years as a rioter and seducer of women; after having ruined his health he tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the norhtern tower, but was believed to have been saved by the grace of God Murugan
. He became a staunch devotee and started composing Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan - the notable being the Thirupugazh.
The western world learnt about Tiruvannamalai during the mid of 20th century after the advent of popular saint, Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950 A.D.). Ramanar's meditation cave is on the lower slopes of the Annamalai hill and the ashram
(hermitage) complex is on the foothills. In the basement of the raised hall inside the temple has Partha Lingam, where Ramanar is said to have attained supremen awareness while ants devoured his flesh. The place is also called a Mukthi Sthalam (place of salvation) and a lot of saints like Seshadri Swamigal, Gugai Namachivayar and Yogi Ramsuratkumar
are associated with the temple.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, located at the foothills of the Annamalai Hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Shiva is worshipped as Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleswarar represented by lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
, with
his consort, Unnamalaiyaal (Apitakuchambaal - Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
). The temple occupies a significant place in Saivism (sect of Shiva) realm and is regarded as one of the Pancha Bhoota Stala
Pancha Bhoota Stalam
Pancha Bhoota Stalam or Pancha Bhoota Stala refers to the five Shiva temples, dedicated to Shiva, a Hindu god, each representing the manifestation of the five prime elements of nature- land, water, air, sky, fire. Pancha indicates Five, Bhoota means elements and Stala means place...
s (one of the five temples associated with the five classical elements) – this temple is associated with the element fire (Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
).
The temple complex spans 10 hectares and is one of the largest temples in India. It houses 4 gopurams (gateway towers) with the tallest being the eastern tower with 11 storeys and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest gopurams in India.
The Karthigai Deepam festival celebrated during the full moon day in November–December during which a huge beacon lit on the top of the hill. It can be seen from miles around and believed to be Shiva's lingam of fire joining the limitless skies. The event is witnessed by 3 million pilgrims. During each full moon day, the Annamalai Hill is swelled by close to 1 million pilgrims who do a girivalam (circumnavigate the base of the temple and the Annamalail hill) and worship Annamalaiyar in the temple.
The temple is revered by the Tevaram
Tevaram
The Tevaram denotes the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil poets - Campantar , Appar and Cuntarar...
hymns of 7th century Saiva nayanars
Nayanars
The Nayanars or Nayanmars were Shaivite devotional poets of Tamil Nadu, active between the fifth and the tenth centuries CE...
- Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
saint poets and is also classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam (temple revered by the nayanars). It is said that the 9th century Saiva saint poet Manikkavasagar
Manikkavasagar
Manikkavacakar was a Tamil poet who wrote Tiruvacakam, a book of Shaiva hymns. Manikkavacakar was one of the poets of the Hindu bhakti revival: his work forms one volume of the Tirumurai, the key religious text of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta. A minister to the Pandya king Varagunavarman II , he lived...
composed the Tiruvempaavai at Thiruvannamalai.
Legend
Arunachala
Arunachala refers to the holy hill at Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, where the Annamalaiyar Temple, a temple of Lord Shiva is located. Every year in the Tamil month of Karthigai , the Karthigai Deepam is lit atop the hill...
to remove the darkness. He merged his half to Parvati's in the form of Ardhanarishvara - the half-female, half-male form of Shiva. The Annamalai hill
Arunachala
Arunachala refers to the holy hill at Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, where the Annamalaiyar Temple, a temple of Lord Shiva is located. Every year in the Tamil month of Karthigai , the Karthigai Deepam is lit atop the hill...
(meaning red mountain) lying behind the Annamalaiyar temple is always associated with the temple. The hill is considered sacred and considered to be a lingam (representation of Shiva) in itself.
History
The present masonry structure and gopurams date back approximately 9th century A.D. This has been determined from an inscription in the structure made during the reign of Chola kings who ruled in the 9th century A.D Tiruvannamalai should have been under the sway of the PallavaPallava
The Pallava dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which ruled the northern Tamil Nadu region and the southern Andhra Pradesh region with their capital at Kanchipuram...
Kings who ruled from Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
before the 9th century A.D - the earliest inscriptions dating back to early 9th century is an indication. The 7th century nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar, have mentioned the deity in the poetic work Tevaram. Sekkizhar
Sekkizhar
Sekkizhar was a poet and scholar of Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta, a Saiva saint contemporary with the reign of Kulothunga Chola II. He compiled and wrote the Periya Puranam , 4253 verses long,recounting the life stories of the sixty-three Shaiva Nayanars, the poets of Shiva who composed the liturgical...
, the author of the Periyapuranam mentions that both Appar and Sambandar worshipped Arunchaleswarar in the temple. The Chola Kings ruled over the country for more than four Centuries from 850 A.D. to 1280 A.D. During the 14th Century, the Hoysala Kings had their capital at Tiruvannamalai starting 1328 A.D. There are large number of inscriptions from the Sangama Dynasty
Sangama Dynasty
The Sangama Dynasty was the first dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. Founded by the brothers, Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, they were sons of Bhavana Sangama...
(1336-1485 A.D.) and some inscriptions from Tuluva Dynasty
Tuluva Dynasty
The Tuluva Dynasty was the third dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire.-History:The Tuluva were the third Hindu dynasty which ruled Vijayanagara empire. The dynasty was founded by chieftain Bunts who originally ruled southern parts of coastal Karnataka, also called Tulu Nadu...
(1491-1570 A.D.) that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
indicating generous gifts to the temple from the rulers. There are inscriptions indicating Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529 A.D.), the most powerful of the Vijayanagara kings making generous contribution to the temple. During 17th century, the temple came under the sway of the Nawab of the Carnatic
Nawab of the Carnatic
Nawabs of the Carnatic , ruled the Carnatic region of South India between about 1690 and 1801. They initially had their capital at Arcot,vellore city...
. There was confusion and chaos after 1753 A.D. Muraru Raya, Krishna Raya, Mrithis Ali Khan, Burkat Ullakhan, French Soupries and Sambrinet, English Captain Stephen Smith besieged this place and had their successes and defeats. In 1790 A.D., it was captured by Tippu Sultan. During the first half of the 19th century, it came under the British rule. The temple is currently maintained by the Hindu religious and Endowment board of the Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu
The Government of Tamil Nadu, headquartered at Chennai is the governing authority for the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at the Fort St. George...
.
Complex and Gopurams
The temple is situated at the bottom of the Annamalai hill facing East. The temple occupies an area of about 25 acres of land. The walls on the East and West measure 700 feet each while that of the south measures 1479 feet and the northern one measures 1590 feet. It has got four stately towers on all the four sides and the eastern tower being the tallest of all is called the Rajagopuram. Its base is made of granite measuring 135 feet by 98 feet. This tower was built by king Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara and completed by Sevappa Nayaka of Thanjavur. There are inscriptions that detail that the gopuram was built on the request of Sivanesa and his brother Lokanatha in 1572 A.D. The southern tower is called "Thirumanjangopuram" and the western tower is called "Pei Gopuram". Ammani Ammal, a SanyasiniSannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
built the north gopuram which is named after her. The literary works of Nayaks, Raghunathabhyudayam and Sangitha Sudha mentions the gopurams. The Tanjavuri Andhra Raja Charitamu mentions Krishnadevaraya building the gopuram and other prakaram
Prakaram
A Prakaram, also spelled Pragaram or Pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer parth around the Hindu temple sanctum. These may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the inner most prakaram....
s (precincts of the temple). The temple has 5 prakarams. Each of the prakarams has a huge Nandi (sacred bull of Shiva) and several towers such as the "Vallala Maharaja Gopuram" and "Kili Gopuram" (parrot tower). Legend has it that saint Arunagirinathar attained divinity by taking the form of a parrot and the shrine is named after it. An image of the story can be found in the tower.
Shrines
The main shrine of Annamalaiyar facing east houses images of Nandi and SuryaSurya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
(the Sun) . It is the oldest of all structures in the temple. Right behind on the walls of the sanctum, there is an image of Venugopalaswamy (an incarnation of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
). Right around the sanctum, there are images of Somaskanda
Somaskanda
Somaskanda is a particular form of representation of Shiva with his consort Uma, and Skanda as a child. This family group depiction of Shiva originated during the 6th-8th centuries during the period of the Pallava in South India. The representation shows Shiva with four arms and Uma, and between...
r, Lingodbhavar (image of Shiva emnating from lingam), Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
, Chandekeswarar, Gajalakshmi
Gajalakshmi
Gajalakshmi, that is Lakshmi with elephants, is one of the most significant Ashtalakshmi aspects of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. In this aspect, the goddess is depicted seated on a lotus, flanked on both side by an elephant . She is shown as seated in Padmasana yogic posture, and has four arms...
, Arumugaswami, Dakshinamoorthy, Swarnabairavar
Bhairava
Bhairava , sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji , Kaala Bhairavar or Vairavar , is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation...
, Nataraja
Nataraja
Nataraja or Nataraj , The Lord of Dance; Tamil: கூத்தன் ;Telugu:నటరాజ is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the cosmic dancer Koothan who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for god Brahma to start the process of creation...
and Palliyarai
Palliyarai
Palliyarai+is a Tamil word used for the Sanctum Sanctoram in Hindu temples. It generally means the place for divine resting and is considered very holy by the Hindus...
(divine room meant for resting deities) - these are regular features of Shiva temples in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. The shrine of the consort, Unnamalai Amman lies in the second precinct of the temple - the Amman is in standing posture. Sambantha Vinayagar (elephant god) shrine is located to the north of the flag staff and Bali peeta (platform for sacrifice). To the south of the 1000-pillared hall, there is a small shrine for Subramaya and a large tank. "Pathala Lingam" (underground lingam) is the place where saint Ramanar is believed to have done his penance. The shrine of Sivagangai Vinayagar is present in the northern bank of the Sivanganga tank.
Halls
In the third precicnt, the main feature is the 16 pillared "Deepa darshana mandapam" (Hall of light). The temple tree, Magizha is considered sacred and medicanal; childless couple tie small cradles in the branches as a form of worship. Vedic texts describe the temple mast separated the earth and the sky during the creation of the universe. The "Kalyana Mandapam" (Marriage Hall) is in the south-west of the precinct and 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. The "Vasantha Mandapam", the temple office and Kalahateeswarar shrine are present in the third precinct. In the fourth precinct lies an image of large Nandi, "Brahma theertham" (temple tank), "Yanai thirai konda Vinayaga" shrine and a hall with a big Nandi 6 ft tall erected by Vallala Maharaja.Inside the doorway of the first gopuram (or the fifth precinct), there is a 1000-pillared hall built during the late Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara
Vijayanagara is in Bellary District, northern Karnataka. It is the name of the now-ruined capital city "which was regarded as the second Rome" that surrounds modern-day Hampi, of the historic Vijayanagara empire which extended over the southern part of India....
period. Krishna Devaraya constructed the hall during the late Vijayanagara period and dug the tank opposite to it. The pillars in the hall are carved with images of yali
Yali
Yali may refer to:* Yalı , a water's edge house or mansion in Turkey* Yali , a Hindu mythical creature with the body of a lion and some elephant features* Yali , a Greek volcanic island...
(mythological beast with body of lion and head of an elephant), commonly used as the symbol of Nayak power. The "Arunagirinathar Mandapam" is located to the right, the "Kalayana Linga Sundara Eswara Mandapam" and Gopurathilayanar shrine to the left of the broad flight of stone stairs that lead upwards to the "Vallala gopuram".
Festivals
The temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout the year. Four Brahmotsavam (meaning prime festival) are celebrated every year, the important of which is celebrated during the Tamil monthTamil calendar
The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
of Karthikai (November/December). The celebration of the festival Karthikai Deepam(meaning light lit during the Tamil month of Karthikai) marks the conclusion of the ten-day brahmotsavam. A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
with three tons of ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
at the top of the Annamalai hill. During the festival the festival deity of Annamalaiyar circumbulates the mountain. Inscriptions indicate that the festival was celebrated during the Chola period itself, while it has been expanded to 10 days in the 20th century.
Every full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Annamalaiyar by circumambulating
Circumambulation
Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object.Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu ritual. It is also practised in Buddhism. In Islam, circumambulation is performed around the Kaaba in Mecca, in a counter-clockwise direction...
the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km. The circumbulation is believed to remove sins, fulfillment of desires and freedom from cycle of birth and rebirth. Offerings are made in a string of tanks, shrines, lingams, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves along the hill. The practise is followed during normal days also and is referred as Giri Valam.
On the yearly Chitra Pournami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, lakhs of pilgrims come from across the world to worship Annamalaiyar. Five ther (temple car) with wooden carvings, are used for the procession.
Tiruvoodal (திருவூடல் திருவிழா) is another festival celebrated during the first week of Tamil month Thai (from 14 till 18 January) every year. On the morning of maatu pongal (15 and 16 January), Nandi is decorated with the garlands specially made with variety of fruits, vegetables and sweets. Annamalaiyar and his consort come out of the temple to perform the oodal ceremony in the evening. This particular event happens outside the temple on the Tiruoodal street.
Religious Significance
The Annamalaiyar temple is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Stalas, five Shiva temples, each representing the manifestation of natural elementsMahabhuta
Mahābhūta is Sanskrit and Pāli for "great element." In Buddhism, the "four great elements" are earth, water, fire and air...
- land, water, air, sky and fire. In Annamalaiyar temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself in the form of massive column of fire (Agni), whose crown and feet could not be found by the Hindu gods, Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
and Vishnu. The main lingam in the shrine is referred as Agni Lingam and is believed to explain duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and finally liberation through ascetic life at the end of Agni kalpa.
The Aathara Stala are Shiva temples which are considered to be divine personifications of the Tantric chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
s associated with human anatomy. The Annamalaiyar temple is called the Manipooraga stalam associated with the Manipooraga
Manipura
Manipura , called "city of jewels", is the third primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Manipura is located at the spine directly behind either the navel or the solar plexus, depending on the system, while its kshetram or superficial activation point is located directly on the navel...
chakra - the human anatomical cause for spiritual ignorance, thirst, jealousy, treachery, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness and sadness.
Saint and Literary Mention
Tirugnana SambandarCampantar
Tirugnana Sampantar was a young Saiva poet-saint of Tamil Nadu who lived around the 7th century CE....
, the 7th century Tamil Saivite poet refers Annamalai and his consort Unnamalai in 10 verses in the first Tirumurai
Tirumurai
The word Thirumurai literally means the sacred book. It is a compendium of songs or hymns in the praise of Shiva in the Tamil language...
. Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), a contemporary of Sambandar, refers Annamalai in 10 verses in the fifth Tirumurai. Manickavasgar is a 9th century Tamil saint poet, whose work is classified as Tiruvacakam. He has reverred the deity here with his verses and refers to the deity as "AnnAmalai".
Arunagirinathar
Arunagirinathar
Arunagirinathar was Tamil poet who lived during the 15th century in Tamil Nadu, India. He was the creator of Tiruppugazh, a book of poems in Tamil in praise of the Hindu God Murugan. He was a member of the Isai Vellalar community....
is a 15th century Tamil poet, who was born in Tiruvannamalai and spent his early years as a rioter and seducer of women; after having ruined his health he tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the norhtern tower, but was believed to have been saved by the grace of God Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
. He became a staunch devotee and started composing Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan - the notable being the Thirupugazh.
The western world learnt about Tiruvannamalai during the mid of 20th century after the advent of popular saint, Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950 A.D.). Ramanar's meditation cave is on the lower slopes of the Annamalai hill and the ashram
Sri Ramana Ashram
Sri Ramana Ashram also known as Sri Ramanasramam is the ashram, which was home to modern sage and Advaita Vedanta philosopher, Ramana Maharishi from 1922 till his death here in 1950...
(hermitage) complex is on the foothills. In the basement of the raised hall inside the temple has Partha Lingam, where Ramanar is said to have attained supremen awareness while ants devoured his flesh. The place is also called a Mukthi Sthalam (place of salvation) and a lot of saints like Seshadri Swamigal, Gugai Namachivayar and Yogi Ramsuratkumar
Yogi Ramsuratkumar
Yogi Ramsuratkumar was an Indian saint and mystic. He was also referred to as "Visiri samiyar" and spent most of his post enlightement period in Thiruvanamalai, a small town in Tamil Nadu which is famous for attracting spiritual seekers worldwide and has had a continuous lineage...
are associated with the temple.