Arunachalam Temple

Arunachalam Temple is one among most sacred Pancha Bootha Sthal. which indirectly means Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Space. This temple is locally referred as Annamalai Temple and is located in Thiruvannamalai of Tamil Nadu State in India.

1.  
Swamirara 
                                                           
Arunachalam   Temple   –   Pancha   Bootha   Sthalam 
ArunachalamtemplelocallyreferredasAnnamalaitempleislocatedInThiruvannamalaiofTamilNadu.                      
ThetempleissituatedonthepiedmontofAnnamalaihill,locatedinthegreenlusheverywhere.This                        
templeisregardedasoneofthetemplesthatisdedicatedtolordShivarepresen?nghimasthesupreme                        
authorityofPanchaBootham(Fire,water,Air,Earth,Space).Thereforeallofthesetempleswere                        
collec?vely   known   as   "   Pancha   Bootha   Sthalams   ". 
Pancha   Bootha   Sthalams   –   South   India 
1)Kanchipuram   –   Ekambeshwara   Temple   –   Prithvi   Lingam   (Earth) 
2)Thiruvanaikaval   –   Jambukeswara   Temple   –   Appu   Lingam   (   Water) 
3)Thiruvannamalai   –   Arunachaleswar   temple   –   Agni   Lingam   (Fire) 
4)Kalahasthi   –   Shri   Kalahastheeshwara   Temple   –   Vayu   Lingam   (Air) 
5)Chidambaram   –   Thillai   Natarajar   Temple   –   Agaya   Lingam   (Space) 
LordShivaisworshippedherewiththelocalnameArunachaleswarandissaidtobetheresemblanceof                      
Agni. 
Legends   of   Arunachalam   Temple 
Therearemanygreatstoriesexis?ngonthehistoryof Arunachalamtemple .Accordingtooneofthe                        
sources,atussletookplacebetweenLordBrahmaandLordShiva,regardingtheirstrengths.Inorderto                       
solvethis,LordShivatooktheformofagigan?cglaringflamewithnoedgesinnearvicinity.Shiva                         
challengedBrahmaandVishnu"Whoevertraversesthelengthofthisflamewillbedeclaredasthemight                          
power".VishnuandBrahmaforge?ngtheen?reuniverserestsinShiva,theyacceptedthechallenge.At                         
first,VishnutooktheformofaBoarandstartedtravellingtowardstheinterioroftheEarth.Allofhis                          
energydrainedoutandhegaveupthechallenge.Ontheotherhand,Brahma,whoisintheformof                         
Swan,begantotraveltowardstheupperpor?onoftheEarth.Onhisway,hefoundKetakiflower.Hetoo                             
failedinexploringtheen?relengthofflame.So,herequestedKetakiflowertolietoShiva,thathe                           
 
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2.  
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reachedtheupperpor?onoftheEarth.AerreturningBrahmalamentedabouthisstrengthsand                       
success.Atthisinstance,LordShivaappearedinhisfullglory.Thereforeonthisoccasion,Shivaratriis                       
celebrated.LordShivatoldthemthat,"BothofyouaswellasRudraandMaheswarawereoutofme,we                       
areinseparableandrepresents5divinelifeaspects".AndthenShivacursedBrahma,thathewillnotbe                         
worshippedbyhumansonthisearth,thisisconsideredtobethereasonforamerenumberofBrahma                         
templesinIndia.ShivaalsocursedKetakiflowerforlyingtohim,thatitwon'tbeusedtoworshipgod                          
anymore. 
Accordingtoanotherlegend,LordParvathibelovedwifeofShivaclosedhiseyeswhentheywereina                        
happymood.Thisledtothewholecrea?ontogointhedark.ThereforeParvathiobservedstrictpenance                         
atThirumunvallaihills.Onge?ngpleasedShivaappearedthereasaflame,Parvathiaccompaniedhim                      
and   eventually,   they   became   idols   on   the   top   of   the   hill. 
 
 
The   Arunachalam   Temple   and   Fes?vals 
ThistemplewasconstructedbyKingVijayalaChozanwhobelongstoCholakingdom.Besides                      
MahabaleswaramTemple, Arunachalamtempleresemblesthear?s?cexcellenceofCholas.Massive                   
gopuramsofthistemplearesoimpressive.Fourgopuramscanbeseenonfoursidesofthetemple.This                       
temple   was   later   reconstructed   and   rejuvenated   by   Vijayanagara   rulers   as   well   as   Hoysala   kings. 
MahaShivaratriiscelebratedwithpompandgloryhere.Insideandthepremisesoftemplewillbe                        
 
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3.  
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echoedwiththechan?ngof"OmNamaShivaya".UnlikerestofthetemplesinIndia,herethisfes?val                          
wascelebratedduringnight?me.Thefes?valsofLights,Kar?gaiDeepamwillalsobecelebratedhere.                       
Par?cularly   for   this   fes?val   people   from   all   parts   of   the   state   visit   this   temple. 
Arunachalam   Temple   –   The   Jnana   Kshetra 
Thisshrineisconsideredtobetheeternalplaceofknowledge.One,whowishestofindtheul?mate                         
truthofhislife,willleadhiswaytowardthistemple.ItissaidthatmanygreatsaintslikeAppar,                          
Sambandar,andVirupakshaDevagotenlightenedhere.ThegreatsageRamanaMaharshialsolivedhere                   
from1899‐1916.OnecanevenfindthepicturesofRamanaMaharshiinthistemple.Hetranslated                      
‘ArunachalaMahatyam'fromSanskrittoTamil.Thefollowingverserevealsthegreatnessofthis                      
sanctum‐ 
"Onvisi?ngChidambaram,leavingtheworldatKasi,bybeingbornatThiruvarur,orbymerelyu?ering                          
Arunachala   one   can   achieve   libera?on   " 
 
Thousand   Pillar   Mandapam   at   Arunachalam   Temple 
ThousandpillarMandapamstandsasates?monytotheoutstandingworkofthosear?sansand                       
sculptors,whoconstructedthistemple.ItwasconstructedbyBhallalakingofHoyasala.Itisbelieved                      
that   Arunagiranadh   remained   within   this   mandapam   in   the   form   of   a   Parrot. 
 
 
 
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Giri   Pradakshana   at   Arunachalam   Temple 
GiriPradakshanaorcircumferencingtheAnnamalaiisconsideredtobethemostpiousthing.Bydoingso                       
onecanbefreedfromallkindsofsins,his/herwisheswillbefulfilled,onewillberelievedofKarmaand                          
finallya?ainjnana.Whilecircumambula?ngthehilloneshouldpraytotheAshtaLingamsrepresen?ng                       
the   different   phases   of   Moon   ‐  
Indra   Lingam 
Agni   Lingam 
Yama   Lingam 
Niruthi   Lingam 
Varuna   Lingam 
Vayu   Lingam  
Kubera   Lingam 
Easanya   Lingam 
 
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