#AncientTemples #ArunachaleswaraTemple
#TheFireColumn
It’s one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams (5 sacred temples) which represent the five basic elements of life - Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Sky and is one of the most sacred Shaivite temple representing the element Fire.

Lord Shiva is worshipped here in the form of Agni Lingam. As per the Shiva Purana, there are four most holy places where one can achieve liberation or salvation. Arunachaleswara Temple at Tiruvannamalai is one among them.

It spans an area around 25 acres which makes it one of the largest in India and the eighth-largest Hindu temple in the world. The temple dates nearly thousand years. The present temple was constructed during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century.

Later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers of Sangama Dynasty in 1336–1485 CE, Saluva Dynasty and Tuluva Dynasty during 1491–1570 CE. Built in the traditional Dravidian style of architecture, the temple complex houses many halls.

There's a Thousand Pillared Mandapam and a large tank on the left side. A gateway in the front which leads to the inner sanctum where Shiva Agni Linga is worshipped.
Hymns about the deity of Arunachaleshwara here have been mentioned in the Thembakam scripts also.

The Temple houses 8 lingams known as ashtalingam which are positioned at different locations facing different directions. They are arranged in an octagonal shape.
These are:

Indralingam,
Agnilingam,
Yamalingam,
Niruthilingam, Varunalingam,
Vayulingam,
Kuberlingam, Esanyalingam.

Each lingam is installed at one of the four cardinal points (North, East, South & West) and four inter cardinal points (North East, North West, South East & South West). The guardians of the 4 cardinal points are called ‘Lokapalas’. The eight deities are called ‘Ashta Lokapalas’.

Each lingam signifies different directions of the earth and is believed to bless the devotees who undertake Girivalam, a religious ritual. This ritual is performed on every full moon and is a major reason for the tourist footfall in Tiruvannamalai.

Karthigai festival is also very famous. On Karthigai day, a huge fire lamp is lit up on the Tiruvannamalai hill, visible for several kilometers around. The fire is called Maha Deepam. Lakhs of devotees visit the place to pray and venerate Lord Shiva.

A beautiful and very old statue of Ardhnareeshwar plays a very important role in the temple rituals. Ardhnareeshwar is the ultimate divine manifestation of the masculine and feminine in the same deity. It is the combined form of Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati.

The view of the temple is best enjoyed standing atop the sacred Mount Arunachala. One can worship here with a lot of peace, though climbing the 800 m hill is tiresome with unstable rocks and the Sun draining your energy.

Every step one takes is pure enlightenment and experience, when you reach at the top of the hill. The spectacular view of the Arunachaleswara is worth all the energy you drain.

#TheLegend
A story that revolves around this temple is about Lord Shiva appearing as a column of light or fire to eliminate the ego from the face of mankind. The story begins with two most revered Hindu deities and part of the Trimurti.

Vishnu the preserver and Brahma the creator argue with each other to impose the supremacy of one self over the other. Brahma said he is supreme among the Trimurtis and he was born first. Vishnu stated that Brahma emerged from his navel only.

While both were fighting, Lord Shiva comes to the rescue. He appeared between the two in the form of a column of fire and asked both of them to find the end of the free column. He declared that the one who finds the end is the most supreme of the Trimurtis.

Vishnu as Varaha and Brahma as swan started moving toward both sides separately. Lord Brahma on the way found a Thazhambu flower and asked her to be a false witness. On returning, he asked the flower to tell Shiva that he found the end.

The flower said so to Shiva which made him so angry that he cursed Brahma that he would not have any temple worshipping him on the Earth and also cursed the flower that it would not be used for any pooja kriyas.

Vishnu after realizing there's no end to the fire column accepts defeat & bows to Shiva. This fire column is said to be represented by the Arunachala Hills, next to Arunachaleswara Temple. Legend declares the hill as a holy place, as it represents the primordial form of Shiva.

As Shiva had appeared in his real form, he was requested to be in a form which could be worshipped by people. So he took form of this hill. This legend is represented by a creative rendition of a Shivlinga with Shiva in centre of the column, a swan on top and a boar at the base.

The fire column is considered as the original symbol of the lingam, the source of creation which has no beginning and no end. It is omnipresent in the cosmos throughout the galaxies and the endless cosmic ocean.

The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals.

It’s believed that even a mere thought of this temple liberates one from the cycle of rebirth. Such is the sanctity of this temple.

"This place is not part of the set of 12 Jyotirlingas, which represent Shiva's form of fire or light. Probably as this place itself is the original pillar of fire, it is above and beyond the scope of representation as a symbolic Jyotirlinga." http://www.pragyata.com/mag/thiruvannamalai-shivas-primordial-form-and-ramana-maharshis-spiritual-energy-497