Arunachala
Encyclopedia
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 (October–November), the Karthigai Deepam (Light) is lit atop the hill. This place is also known by the names Arunagiri, Annamalai Hill, Arunachalam, Arunai, Sonagiri and Sonachalam. It is the most important holy place for people practicing Atma vichara (self enquiry) and one of the 5 main shaivite holy places in South India. The ashram
of Sri Ramana Maharishi, Sri Ramana Ashram
is also situated at its foothills.
Throughout the year, pilgrims engage in a practise called giri valam(circumbulation of Annamalaiyar temple and Annamalai hill 14 km in circumference), considered to be a simple and effective form of yoga
. The circumbulation is started from the temple with barefoot and is considered a sacrilege. The central government of India asked the Tamil Nadu government through the supreme court to direct the path of girivalam under the provision of the proposed Tamil Nadu Hertiage Conservation Act. There are 8 small shrines of lingams located in the 14 km circumference of the hill, each one associated with the 12 moon signs. These are collectively termed as Ashta Lingam(meaning 8 lingams) and is considered one of the ritual of worship during the girivalam(circumbulation of the hill).
s, some of which reach as high as 66m. It is made up of three nested rectangular walls each of which was built during different periods; the innermost could have been built as early as the 11th century. It was later refurbished by the kings of the Vijayanagara
empire from 14th through the 17th century. The temple is renowned for some of the remarkable carvings on the walls. In one particular carving Lord Shiva
is shown as dancing in an elephant's skin.
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...
, where the Annamalaiyar Temple, a temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
of Lord 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...
is located. Every year in the Tamil
Tamil 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...
month of Karthigai (October–November), the Karthigai Deepam (Light) is lit atop the hill. This place is also known by the names Arunagiri, Annamalai Hill, Arunachalam, Arunai, Sonagiri and Sonachalam. It is the most important holy place for people practicing Atma vichara (self enquiry) and one of the 5 main shaivite holy places in South India. The ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
of Sri Ramana Maharishi, Sri Ramana 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...
is also situated at its foothills.
Giri Pradakshina/Giri Valam
The circumambulation of Arunachala is known as Giri Pradakshina in Sanskrit and Giri Valam in Tamil. Performing pradakshina of Arunachala is considered to be beneficial in all ways. Typically, pradakshina is done in bare feet, with the Hill on the right. Sri Ramana Maharshi once explained the meaning of the word pradakshina and how it should be done by a devotee: "The letter "Pra" stands for removal of all kinds of sins; "da" stands for fulfilling the desires; "kshi" stands for freedom from future births; "na" stands for giving deliverance through jnana. If by way of Pradakshina you walk one step it gives happiness in this world, two steps, it gives happiness in heaven, three steps, it gives bliss of Satyaloka which can be attained. One should go round either in mouna (silence) or dhyana (meditation) or japa (repetition of Lord's name) or sankeertana (bhajan) and thereby think of God all the time. One should walk slowly like a woman who is in the ninth month of pregnancy."Throughout the year, pilgrims engage in a practise called giri valam(circumbulation of Annamalaiyar temple and Annamalai hill 14 km in circumference), considered to be a simple and effective form of yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
. The circumbulation is started from the temple with barefoot and is considered a sacrilege. The central government of India asked the Tamil Nadu government through the supreme court to direct the path of girivalam under the provision of the proposed Tamil Nadu Hertiage Conservation Act. There are 8 small shrines of lingams located in the 14 km circumference of the hill, each one associated with the 12 moon signs. These are collectively termed as Ashta Lingam(meaning 8 lingams) and is considered one of the ritual of worship during the girivalam(circumbulation of the hill).
| Lingam | Moon Sign |
| Indra Lingam | Vrishaba Vrishaba (astrology) Vrishaba is the second sign of Indian Astrology. Vrishaba is equivalent to the sign of Taurus in the Tropical Zodiac.-External links:**... ,Tula(Taurus Taurus (astrology) Taurus is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 30th and 59th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between April 21 to May 21 each year... , Libra Libra (astrology) Libra is the seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Libra. In astrology, Libra is considered a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered an air sign and is one of four cardinal signs... ) |
| Agni Lingam | Simha Simha Simha could be:* The name Singh.*Simha , a 2010 Telugu movie featuring Nandamuri Bala Krishna*Simha a mumbai based fusion group composed of Harold Fernandes, Shyamala Sajnani and Prasad Ruparel performing a fusion of carnatic, jazz, rock and Hindustani classical... (Leo Leo (astrology) Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. In astrology, Leo is considered to be a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered a fire sign and is one of four fixed signs ruled by the Sun.Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are... ) |
| Yama Lingam | Vrichiga(Scorpio Scorpio (astrology) |Infobox align="right" style="border:3px solid white;"||style="text-align: center;"|Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 210th and 239th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between 24 October and... ) |
| Niruthi Lingam | Mesha Mesha King Mesha of Moab was a king of Moabites around the 9th century BC, known most famous for writing the Mesha stela.The books of Samuel record that Moab was conquered by David and retained in the territories of his son Solomon . Later, King Omri of Israel reconquered Moab after Moab was lost... (Aries Aries (astrology) Aries is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the zero degree and the 29th degree of celestial longitude. The Sun enters Aries when it reaches the northern vernal equinox, which is usually on March 21 each year, and remains in this sign until around April 20... ) |
| Varuna Lingam | Magara Magara Mağara is a village in the Gadabay Rayon of Azerbaijan.... , Kumba Kumba Kumba is a city in Southwest Province, western Cameroon also known around Cameroon as K town. It had a population of 144,268 . The N8 and N16 highways meet at Kumba.- History :... (Capricorn), Aquarius) |
| Vayu Lingam | Kadaga Kadaga Kadaga is a village in Ādaži Municipality in the historical region of Vidzeme, and the Riga Planning Region in Latvia.-References:... (Cancer Cancer (astrology) Cancer is the fourth astrological sign in the Zodiac. It is considered a water sign and one of four cardinal signs. Cancer is ruled by the Moon. Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are considered Cancerian individuals... ) |
| Kubera Lingam | Dhanush Dhanush Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja , better known by his stage name Dhanush , is an Indian film actor, occasional playback singer and lyricist, working in the Tamil film industry... Meena Meena Meena Durairaj, mononymously known as Meena, born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is a South Indian film and television actress. Meena debuted as a child artist in Telugu and Tamil films and has later starred in films produced by various regional industries. She is one of the most established... (Sagittarius Sagittarius (astrology) Sagittarius is the ninth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 240th and 269th degree of celestial longitude... , Pisces) |
| Eesaniya Lingam | Mithuna, Kanni Kanni The Kanni, which means maiden, is a rare indigenous South Indian dog breed found in the state of Tamil Nadu. The breed is a further extension of the Caravan or Mudhol Hound, and is also a descendant of the Saluki. It is used mainly for hunting.... (Gemini Gemini (astrology) Gemini is the third astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the Zodiac between the 60th and 89th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between May 21 to June 20 each year... , Virgo Virgo (astrology) Virgo is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 150th and 179th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between August 23 to September 22 each year... ) |
Karthigai Deepam
Every year, on the tenth day of the celebration of Karthikai, devotees take embers in pots from the sacred fire lit in the Arunachaleswara temple and carry them to the top of Arunachala, along with cloth wicks. An enormous cauldron is placed on the highest of Arunachala's five peaks and filled with hundreds of gallons of ghee mixed with camphor. At precisely six o'clock, as the sun sets and the full moon rises, lights are lit on the top of the Hill, on a flagstaff in the temple, and at Sri Ramanasramam, accompanied by chants of Arunachala Siva by the vast crowds. The fire on top of Arunachala can be seen for miles around. Sri Ramana Maharshi described the meaning of this event in this way:- "Getting rid of the `I am the body' idea and merging the mind into the Heart to realize the Self as non-dual being and the light of all is the real significance of darshan of the beacon of light on Annamalai, the centre of the universe.""
Temple
The temple is famous for its massive gopuramGopuram
A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial...
s, some of which reach as high as 66m. It is made up of three nested rectangular walls each of which was built during different periods; the innermost could have been built as early as the 11th century. It was later refurbished by the kings of the 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....
empire from 14th through the 17th century. The temple is renowned for some of the remarkable carvings on the walls. In one particular carving Lord 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...
is shown as dancing in an elephant's skin.