Panja Boothangal PART-2

Sri Kalahasti » Sri Kalahasti Dakshina Kailasam

                                

SriKalahasti temple is located 36 km away from Tirupathi in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradhesh, India. The inner temple is constructed around 5th century and the outer temple was constructed in the 12th Century.

According to ancient Tamil sources Sri Kalahasti has been known as the 'Kailas of the South' for slightly more than two thousand years and the small river on whose banks it sits, the 'Ganges of the South.' Kailas is perhaps India's most revered spiritual symbol. It is the abode of Shiva, from whose head, according to legend, the Ganges is said to flow. Shiva, 'that which is auspicious at all places, times and in all circumstances' is a symbol of the Self and the Ganges flowing from his head represents the spiritualized or awakened mind. A mind sourced in Spirit is a river of immeasurable power and life-giving goodness. The claim that Kalahasti is the 'Kailas of the South' simply means that the small hill near the temple is to be taken as the spiritual equivalent of the Himalayan Kailas. Likewise, the small river flowing in a northerly direction beside the temple is to be taken as the mighty Ganges.

Even the cardinal directions have assumed symbolic significance in Pauranic culture. Obviously context should be taken into account when divining the meaning of a symbol, but north, for example, is said to be the abode of the Self because from the immortal 'northern' position the Self looks out on the 'southern' world of time and death. The idiom to "head south' means to go downhill, to decay. The God Dakshinamurthy whose name means 'the one facing south' and whose idol (murthy) is installed in the Kalahasti Temple, sits in the North and faces south. East often represents the dawning of wisdom, the sun being another common Self symbol. The symbolic use of direction culminates in the idea of building temples at the point on a river where its meandering points it back to its source. The holiest city in India, Benaras, is built on a stretch of the Ganges that flows northward, the idea being that when the mind turns back toward its source, the God/Self, it realizes its innate divinity. So, the small river on whose banks the Kalahasthi temple is situated is meant to remind us of the Ganges and the wealth of spiritual associations it conjures.

The Vedas posit four ends for which human beings strive in their search for happiness: pleasure (kama), security or wealth (artha), duty (dharma) and freedom (moksha). In the temple at Kalahasti these four universal motivations, which may take any worldly form, are, according to temple literature, converted into spiritual impulses. They are represented by four deities facing in the four cardinal directions. Shiva in the form of Dakshinamoorthy represents desire, in this case the desire for liberation, although he more commonly is said to represent the feeling of wealth (dakshina) that comes when you know who you really are. At Kalahasti the Goddess Gnanaprasoonamba (the giver of knowledge or the mother of all knowledge) represents the 'wealth' i.e. freedom from limitation conferred by Self knowledge. The deity Kalahastishwara (the lord of Kalahasti) faces west and symbolizes liberation. Liberation, the death of ego upon the rediscovery of the Self, is the final stage of life just as setting is the sun's last act before it disappears over the horizon. Unfortunately the temple literature from which this information was gleaned neglected to include mention of the forth deity.

The most revered and universal symbol of the Self is the human form, 'man cast in the image of God' and its spiritual significance is difficult to overestimate. Rather than conceive of us as tainted sinful human creatures, the Upanishad tells us that we are divine. It says, "That which you worship there is this that you see here." The ineffable formless God/Self perceived by mystics is this whole world and everything in it. While Hindu deities often sport dozens of arms and animal heads their essential forms are recognizably human. Probably no other idea accounts for the astonishing fact that one billion people stuffed into a land mass one third the size of the United States undoubtedly handle their lives more confidently than their prosperous Western counterparts.

SriKalahasti got its name because in days of yore a spider (sri), serpent (kala) and elephant (hasti) elephant worshipped Shiva with great devotion. A spider lived in the inner sanctum and worshipped the Lord by weaving elaborate temples and images of Shiva. One day a breeze came up and caused the altar fire to destroy the spider's offerings. It became angry and was about to gulp down the flame, (realize the Self) endangering its (ego's) life. Appreciative of its devotion, Shiva appeared and granted the spider a boon. The spider requested moksha, release from the cycle of births and deaths. Accordingly it became one with Shiva, the Self.

A cobra worshipped Lord Shiva by offering rare gems, pearls and rubies that it brought from Nagaland, a mythical place where Nagas (serpents) dwell. Serpents are one of India's most visible symbols of the spiritual power of the Self. The spiritual power of the Self, called Kundalini, the latent electricity of Consciousness, is hidden in the dark recesses of the unconscious like a snake hidden deep within the earth. After the snake had worshipped, an elephant, fresh from its purifying bath in the nearby river, came to worship. In preparation it sprayed the altar with water from its trunk, scattering the gems. It then proceeded to decorate the altar with leaves from a holy tree. When the cobra returned it was angered to see its offerings disrespected and replaced by mere leaves. So it replaced the leaves with gems. This charade repeated itself every day until the cobra became fed up and decided to punish whomever was destroying its offerings. When the elephant returned to worship with its leaves the cobra slithered up its trunk and injected its venom. In agony the elephant dashed its head on the stone altar in an attempt to kill the snake. The snake fell out of the trunk and died from its wounds and the elephant succumbed to the poison.

Understanding that both had sacrificed their lives for the sake of their love of the Lord, Shiva resurrected them, gave them liberation and took them into his own body. At the foot of the linga one can see a spider, two elephant tusks and a five-headed (the five elements) serpent to remind the devotee of these acts of supreme devotion.

Ekambaranathar Kanchipuram

Ekambaranathar Temple

Unlike Manhattan, the skyline of Kanchipuram is not cluttered with towering steel & glass structures. Instead its the tall "Gopurams" (towers over the temple gateways) of various temples in the town that greet you, from a distance of over 3 miles, as you take the exit towards Kanchi on the Chennai-Bangalore highway.

It's one of the most revered temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, and it signifies one of the five elements, viz earth, of the Universe. This temple built, in 1509 AD, is spread over 40 acres of land and has a 172 feet tall main Gopuram as its most prized possession 

                                   

If you are tired of seeing the nearly bland facade of American skyscrappers, then these Gopurams certainly provide a different sight. The sculptures dotting the entire surface of these Gopurams tell a myriad Hindu mythological stories. Frankly, I have been more appreciative of the sculptures than the stories behind them.          
                                                                                      
"Aayiram Kaal Mandapam" or the hallway with a thousand pillars, is another attraction in the temple. And then there's this corridor with an array of 1008 Siva Lingams. Ekambaranathar temple also has the "sthala-virutcham", the famed 3500 year old ( according to Hindu mythology) mango tree whose branches give four different types of mangoes. Apparently, this tree and the silk-saree handlooms were Queen Elizabeth's favorites during her visit to Kanchi in 1997.

The Massive Nandhi (the bull) Bronze statue of Lord Shiva....I have always wanted to have one such statue at home!! It's on my buy-list.

THIRUCHITRAMBALAM ANNADHANA 

Nataraja Temple

                                                                            

Nataraja Temple (built 9th-12th centuries onward)

The Shri Shiva Nataraja temple, also called Shri Sabhanayaka temple, Chidambaram, India. Notes by Raja Deekshitar

The temple of Shiva Nataraja (Shri Sabhanayaka) of Chidambaram is one of the great temple complexes of South India. Chidambaram is situated some 250 km south of Chennai, about 10 km from the Bay of Bengal. (11�24� North and 79�43� East). The temple is the heart of the town with the complex measuring 18 hectares in total. The temple is a living religious institution, and it is therefore still developing.

The complex has a rectangular shape and is orientated on the cardinal directions. It is structured as five concentric courtyards or prakaras, four of which are accessible to the public, the fifth being only accessible to the priests as it lies within the walls of the main sanctum. The prakaras are separated by approximately 10 meter high granite walls . The two outermost walls have four entrance ways in each of the sides. But whereas the gateways and gopurams of other South Indian temples are orientated aligned into a cross, here the gopurams are placed in an asymmetrical pattern.

The fifth prakara, between the outer (fourth) wall and the third wall of enclosure, is in use for gardens. The four gopurams, pyramidal shaped temple gateways, are situated in the fourth prakara wall. Within this wall we find the main temple as well as the sacred tirtha or water place, and many subsidiary shrines and buildings.

Although the earliest historical references to the temple go back to the 6th century CE, there is now nothing within the complex that can be dated to before the 12th century with any certainty, except for the main sanctum, the Cit Sabha (Hall of Consciousness). This wooden structure on a granite base, covered with a gilded roof, is unique. Very unlike the garbhagriha (womb-house), the square sanctum sanctorum of other Hindu temples. It is rectangular and with a roof that is shaped with an unusual slant. Within the wooden walls lies the first prakara, a U shaped circumambulatory passage constructed of granite. This passage encloses the actual sanctum which houses the Shiva Nataraja Murti, the presiding deity of the temple, as well as several other divinities.

In front of the Cit Sabha we find the Kanaka Sabha (Golden Hall). This is a structure with a granite base, slightly lower than the base of the Cit Sabha, wooden doors and a copper covered wooden roof supported by granite pillars. Here many of the rituals of worship are performed, but at certain times devotees are allowed to have close darshan (viewing of, audience with) of the Nataraja in the sanctum from here. These two sabhas are at the centre of the central courtyard which is enclosed by a cloistered veranda. Around this veranda there are several shrines. A shrine to Govindaraja, the reclining form of Vishnu and one dedicated to Brahma-Chandikeshvara are also situated in this courtyard.

From this courtyard two entrances, on the East and on the South side, lead to the third prakara. Here we find the third sabha of the complex, the Nritta Sabha (Hall of Dance) a shrine in the form of a ratha or chariot; the Deva Sabha (Hall of Deities); a shrine for Mahalaksmi; the Mulasthana shrine, where Shiva is worshipped as Linga; a Kalyana Mandapa used for festivals; and a Yaga Shala where Vedic fire rituals are performed. Long hallways of high pillars capped by granite slabs turn this prakara into a cool shaded space reminiscent of a cathedral. This prakara has gates on the East and the West side to the fourth prakara. Flights of steps connect the two spaces, as the inner courtyards are as much as three meters lower then the surrounding courtyard, which has a pavement on street level.

 In the fourth prakara we find the Raja Sabha (Royal Hall), also called 1000 Pillar Hall; a Hundred Pillars Hall; the Mukkuruni Vinayaka temple; the Sivakamasundari (Amman or Goddess) temple; the Pandya Nayaka or Subrahmanya temple; a shrine dedicated to nine Lingas, worshipped by the nine planets or Navagraha; a small Ganesha shrine; and a shrine dedicated to Sundaresvara and Minakshi, the presiding deities of the temple in Madurai.

From the fourth prakara four gopuras or temple gateways lead to the fifth prakara. The wall has a fifth passage next to the East gopuram, which is used for the festival processions.

Of the buildings found in the fourth prakara the Nava Linga shrine and the Mukkuruni Vinayaka shrine are ancient shrines but have undergone renovation in the later 19th century and no longer represent ancient architecture. The pillared passages of the third prakara also belong to this period of building, as does the cloister around the central courtyard. The Mulasthana shrine possibly belongs to the same period, or to the 18th century.

The Sivakamasundari temple, the Raja Sabha, the 100 Pillars Hall and the cloister and steps surrounding the Shivaganga tirtha (sacred water place) are generally attributed to the time of the later Cholas, (late 11th to 12th century CE) on the basis of epigraphical evidence. This agrees in general with the architecture as we can see it today. The small (1 pillar mandapam) Ganesha temple by the side of the 100 Pillars Hall also was build around this time.

The Nritta Sabha is also a building from the later Cholas. The kings of this period build many of this kind of ratha (chariot) shaped halls. The Deva Sabha is known to have been covered by a copper roof in the same period, but its architecture has not been analysed. Both shrines existed in some form before this time, as is known from tradition and historical sources.

The Govindaraja shrine in its present form was (re)estabished under the kings of Vijayanagara.

Three of the four towers or gopurams recieved their present form during the last phase of the Chola empire in the 13th century. The North gopuram was either build or renovated by Krishnadevaraya, a king of Vijayanagara, in the 16th century. The gopurams have a rectangular granite base, with granite representations of various deities in the niches. While the seven tapering upper storeys are made of bricks and decorated with lime-work. The eastern gopuram maintains the original abstract structure of embedded miniature shrines while the other three have representations of deities and mythological scenes.

Although the Nataraja temple of Chidambaram is one of the most intensively studied and described temples of South India, much of its history remains undiscovered.

Sri Jambukeswarar Thiruvanaikaval 

                                 

Moolavar : Jambukeswarar Urchavar : Chandrasekharar, Somaskandar Amman / Thayar : Akhilandeswari Thala Virutcham : Ven Naval tree Theertham : Nava theertham Agamam / Pooja : Saivagama, Sri Vidya Vaideega Puja Old year : 1000-2000 years old Historical Name : Tiruvanaikaval City : Thiruvanaikaval District : Tiruchchirappalli State : Tamil Nadu

Singers: The shrine is sung by Saivite Saint Tirunavukkarasar advising devotees to pray to Lord of Tiruvanaika day in and day out for a care free life singing His glory.  This is the 60th Lord Shiva temple on the northern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.  Festival: Panguni Brahmmotsavam in March-April and Aadi Pooram and Fridays in July-August are the festivals elaborately celebrated in the temple.  Temple's Speciality: Lord Jambukeswarar is a swayambumurthy. Of the Panchabudhas-Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Space on which world exists, the temple place belongs to Water importance-Appu sthala.                                                                        Opening Time:

The temple is opened from 5.30 a.m. to 1.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Address: Sri Jambukeswarar-Akhilandeswari Temple, Tiruvanaikaval-620 005, Trichy district Phone: 91-431- 2230 257.  General Information: Mother Maha Saraswathi graces the devotees from behind the Lord’s shrine in a standing form but without Veena.  Nearby is Chandra the Moon with Karthika and Rohini.  Other important shrines are that of Lord Panchamukha Vinayaka (with five faces) and Sani Baghwan with Jeshtadevi.  Kubera Linga worshipped by Kubera is on the bank of Jambu Theertham to whom abishek is performed with three fruits-plantain, mango and jack on Aani Poornima day-full moon in June-July.

Prayers Devotees pray for unity among husband and wife, for good matches for virgins, high yield in farming and for plenty of water for living. Thanks giving: Devotees perform abishek to Lord and Mother offering vastras  Greatness Of Temple: Brahmma the Creator once loved a woman whom he created Himself, thus incurring Sthree Dosha.  He approached Lord Shiva for relief.  To help Brahmma Lord left Mount Kailas, when Mother Ambica expressed Her desire to accompany Him.  Lord told Mother that Brahmma is weak towards women and advised Her to stay back.  Mother suggested that She would come in His form with men’s dress and that Lord may follow in Her form.  Agreeing to the suggestion, both set out in disguise.  This event is described to prove the philosophy that Lord and Mother are but one.  They granted darshan and pardon to Brahmma . During the Brahmmotsavam this event is celebrated on the banks of Brahmma Theertham.  As it is time of Brahmma’s prayer to Lord and mother, no hymn music is played. Mother Ambica is praised as Akhilandeswar – Ruler and Protector of the world.  This place is one of the Shakthi Peetas.  It is said that Ambica performs puja to Lord during middays.  The priest performing puja to Mother at this time, dresses himself in sari and wears the crown of Ambica, comes to Lord’s shrine with music plays to perform the midday puja thus showing Ambica Herself praying to Lord.  He performs abishek to Lord and Gomatha (cow) and returns to Ambica shrine.  Devotees worship the priest at this time considering him as Ambica Herself. It is also said that Mother Ambica performed penance on Lord here in the month of Aadi-July-August, hence Fridays in Aadi is celebrated grandly.  On this Friday, the temple is open from 2.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. continuously.  Mother graces as Mahalakshmi in the morning, as Parvathi in the afternoon and as Saraswathi in the evening.  As Lord was a teacher-Guru and Mother a student in the place, there is more student devotees in the temple. There are no doors in the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Jambukeswara but a stone window with nine holes.  Devotees have to worship the Lord through these holes only.  The nine holes of the window represent the nine outlets in the human body which we have to keep under control while worshipping Lord Shiva. While traditionally Annabishek is performed on the full moon day in Aipasi-October-November, the ritual is followed here on the full moon day in Vaikasi-May-June.   It is also noteworthy that there is a perennial spring in Lord Shiva shrine.   There will be more water in the sanctum in the rainy season in Aipasi-October-November. As Annabishek is not possible at this time, the same is performed in Vaikasi when the floor would be just wet only.  On the Aipasi Poornima-full moon day Lord is covered with sacred ash. Lord played a miracle here too as He did many in Madurai.  A Chola king while constructing the fifth corridor-prakara of the temple, had to meet his enemy in war.  Though duty compelled him to go to war, his mind was in the temple construction and with Lord.  Lord Shiva came to the place in the guise of Vibhuti Chitthar and completed the work.  Hence, this prakara is named Vibhuti Prakara and the walls around as Tiruneetran Tirumadhil.  Sacred ash is Vibhuti in Sanskrit and Tiruneeru in Tamil and Madhil the wall in Tamil.  There is a shrine for Vibhuti Chitthar on the banks of Brahmma Theertha. In the early days, Mother Ambica was in a frurious form.  To control the fury, generally a Sri Chakra installed at the feet of the Goddess.  As an alternative, Acharya Sri Adi Sankara prepared two ear rings in which he applied the Sri Chakra power and adored Ambica.  Mother became all merciful and smiling to devotees.  He also installed Her sons Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga before Her as a Mother cannot afford to be angry towards Her kids. Of the Shiva Ganas serving Lord in Kailash, two of them, Pushpadanda and Maliavan began to fight with each other to decide their rank in the service of Lord.  At a stage, they cursed each other to be born as a spider and elephant.  Maliavan was born as spider and Pushpadanda the elephant.  Both prayed here for relief but not without fighting each other.  The spider entered into the ear of the elephant to kill it.  Lord Shiva granted salvation to elephant only and made the spider to be born again for its attempt to murder. Spider was born to Chola king Subaveda and queen Kamalavathi.  He was the Chola king then as Kochengat Chozhan.  He built Mada temples to Lord Shiva in which elephants cannot enter.  He also renovated this temple preventing entry of elephants.  There is a shrine for this king in the temple. It is also noteworthy that Wedding Festival (Tiru Kalyanam) is not celebrated in the temple.  Lord Shiva granted darshan to Ambica when She was in penance here but did not marry Her.  As such there is no Palli Arai Puja though the Palli Arai exists.  Lord Chokkanatha and Mother Meenakshi in the temple are taken to this shrine at nights.  No wedding festival is celebrated for other deities too in the temple. A Brahmin prayed to Mother Akhilandeswari to bless him to become a noted poet.  To bless him, Ambica appeared before him as an ordinary woman chewing betel leaves.  She asked him if she could spit the betel juice in his mouth as she could not spit in the temple.  The Brahmin grew angry.  Same time, another devotee, Varadhan by name came to the temple.  He was very particular about cleanliness in the temples.  Mother approached this man.  He gladly said that she can very well do it and opened his mouth.  He became a famous poet celebrated as Kalamegam in later days.  Based on this event, those ambitious of becoming scholars, offer Thamboolam (betel and nuts) as nivedhana to Mother. Lord Muruga appears furiously on the banks of Jambu Theertha with a demon under His feet.  Saint Arunagiriar prayed to Him that he should be protected from thoughts of lust etc.  Lord Muruga has thus a demon under His feet personifying lust.  This is a very rare form of Lord Muruga.

Temple History: Mother Ambica was born as a human as directed by Lord Shiva.  She made a Shiva Linga with the waters of River Cauvery.  Lord appeared on the Linga and granted darshan to Mother.  This is a miracle place.  Of the Pancha Bhudas, the place became Appu sthala-water sthala. A sage Jambu by name performed penance in this place on Lord Shiva.  Lord granted darshan to the sage and offered Naaval fruit (called blackberry) as Prasad.  While consuming the Prasad, the sage swallowed the seeds too as he thought it a sin to spit the seeds.  Reaching the stomach of the Rishi, the seeds began to grow into a tree and pierced his head thus leading to his salvation.  Naaval is called Jambu in Sanskrit.  The Water Linga created by Mother Ambica is under this tree.  As Lord granted salvation to Sage Jambu, He is praised as Jambukeswarar.

Special Features: Miracle Based: Lord is a swayambumurthy. Of the Panchabhudha sthalas, Tiruvanaika belongs to Water category.  Arunachaleswarar Tiruvannamalai ARUNACHALESWARAR TEMPLE, TIRUVANNAMALAI The world famous Arunachaleswara temple at Tiruvannamalai, 190 kms from Chennai, is one of the pancha bootha shrines of Siva. Siva is said to abide here in the form of fire. The temple has a well laid out procedure for conduct of worship to the God and Goddess. River Ganga is said to arrive symbolically in a pot carried by an elephant to cleanse the enclosures. After duly waking the Lord and his consort, six pujas are performed from dawn to night till the last puja, when the couple retire to the bedchamber. Legend: There is a beautiful story behind how Uma married Siva in Tiruvannamalai. Once Parvati or Uma closed the eyes of Siva with her hands, in a playful mood, and all the worlds were plunged into darkness. This angered Siva, and Uma had to come down to earth. She went to Kanchipuram, where Siva bade her to go to Tiruvannamalai and perform austerities. He told her that she would then take her place on the left side of his body. (This is the concept of Ardhanareeswaraa, where Siva and Sakthi are found in the same morphology). Accordingly, Uma went to Iruvannamalai, as it was then called, and did penance. She killed the demon Mahishasura and organized a big festival on the day of Karthigai. The Lord appeared as a cosmic flare on the summit of the hill and Uma joined him there as his consort. This is said to be the origin of Karthigai Deepam. This legend of the separation and subsequent union of Siva and Parvati is connected with several temples in Tamil Nadu.. The lingodhbhava legend is also associated with this shrine. This is the subject matter of dispute between followers of Siva and Vishnu. According to the Saivites, Siva wanted to prove his supremacy to Vishnu and Brahma, the two other members of the Hindu Trinity. He appeared in the form of fire and challenged both of them to find his head and feet. While Vishnu, in the form a board, dug deep into the earth and then told Siva that he could not fathom the depths, Brahma in the form of a swan, went upwards. He happened upon a piece of floral fibre and learnt that it had been floating down from Siva’s head for thousands of years. On this basis, he told Siva that he had reached the top. Siva, angered by the claim, which he knew was false, cursed Brahma that he would not have any temple dedicated to him on earth. There is another version to this legend, which is oft quoted by Vaishavites. In that, it is Vishnu, who asks Siva and Brahma to find his head and feet and both of them fail. At a metaphysical level, these legends convey that God is infinite and cannot be circumscribed. It is also said that when Siva appeared as the infinite column of fire, it was so dazzling that Brahma and Vishnu asked him to take a more benevolent and accessible form so that all beings could worship him. Siva accordingly took the form of the Arunachala Hill, declaring “As the moon derives its light from the sun, so other holy places will derive their sanctity from Arunachala. This is the only place where I have taken this form to the benefit of those who wish to worship me and obtain illumination. I will appear on the summit of this hill every year at Karthigai in the form of a peace-giving beacon” Celebrated when the constellation of Karthigai (Pleiades) is in conjunction with the full moon in November-December, a huge bonfire is built on top of the Arunachala Hill on this night each year. From a distance, it looks like a great fiery beacon. It is visible from afar and thousands of devotees gather in Tiruvannamalai to see the flame and walk around the hill along a 12km trail at tits base in a ritual walk called Girivalam. Temple Architecture: The temple is spread out on an expanse of 9 hectares at the foot of the hill. Built over centuries with each king adding to existing structures, the temple has an array of gopurams (9) and mandapams. The oldest, the kili gopuram in the third enclosure, is so called as Saint Arunagirinathar, who was adept at metempsychosis, had entered the soul of a parrot for a brief while. Meanwhile, his enemies interred his physical body. When Arunagiri saw this, he decided to live as a parrot on this gopuram, which is ahead of the main shrine. The tallest is the rajagopuram on the eastern side, 41 metres tall and 30 metres wide, and credited to Krishnadeva Raya, the Vijayanagar king. The eastern gateway has the Vallala gopuram named after the Hoysala king Ballala, who made Tiruvannamalai his capital. It is auspicious to view all the 9 gopurams at one time. This can be done from a spot in front of the Maghizham tree (sthala vriksham), which is to the right of the Sambanda Vinayaka shrine, when facing away from the shrine. The temple has 5 prakarams, which originated at various points of time, the first and second are the most ancient. While these have not been dated accurately, the third was built in the 12th century. The fourth and fifth came up in the 16th century.  There are residences in the outer prakarams, like in the temples of Chidambaram and Srirangam. In the outermost prakarams is the 1000-pillared hall with its impressive carvings and the Siva Ganga tank. The main shrine of Annamalai is in the first prakaram and the sight of the massive lingam is truly awe-inspiring. On the northern side is Siva’s consort in the form of Unnamalai Amman. There is a massive rush of devotees in front of the sanctum sanctorum. In an ambience filled with fervour and devotion and the air thick with incense and myrrh, one can feel the divine presence even in a few seconds! It is best to visit the temple on a non-festival day to appreciate the many facets of artistic and architectural beauty in the temple. Its carvings and paintings have been attributed to both Hoysala and Vijayanagara periods. Nayak kings also embellished the temple. The poet Sambandar, who lived in the 7th century A D, has sung of this temple. The temple conforms to the south Indian style of temple architecture. It is interesting to note that even the Hoysalas did not deviate from the Dravidian style of gopurams. The Ballalla gopuram does not bear any resemblance to the Hoysala structures of Belur, Halebid or Somnathpur. The temple therefore bears the stamp of Chola, Hoysalas, Vijayanagars and Nayaks. There are 106 stone edicts. One of them narrates how a man hunting deer killed a human being unintentionally. In penitence, he donated cows and oxen to support the expense of lighting a lamp in the temple. In the second prakaram is the famous Sthala Ganapathy installed by the queen of Gandaraditya Chola, under a Vakula tree. Sembian Mahadevi was renowned for her numerous benefactions to this temple and others. This temple has 22 idols of Ganapathy. He is present in various forms such as Sarvasiddhi Vinayaka, Anaithiraikonda Vinayaka and Sambanda Vinayaka (one of the largest Vinayaka idols in Tamil Nadu). There is a unique idol here, which people pray to after offering prayers to the God and Goddess (usually, Ganapathy is worshipped before one proceeds to the main shrines). This is a palm-sized Ganapathy, found in a crevice on a pillar near the Ashtalakshmi mandapam. In this temple, Ganapathy has a chariot to himself. There is a shrine of Lord Venugopala (Krishna) in another part of the temple, and many paintings depict scences from the Krishna Leela and the Ramayana. The main temple is actually the second temple to Lord Arunachaleswara in Tiruvannamalai. The original temple is some distance from the town, and it is said the second temple was constructed to make it easier for the Vijayanagara kinds to worship. The first, ancient structure is called the Adi Arunachaleswarar shrine. It is near the Girivalam circuit. The goddess here is called Abithagujambal. Outside this temple, to the right, is a Vinayaka idol under a tree. It is believed that he has the powers to restore lost children to their parents. Many a time, when children get lost during the massive crowds at a festival time, they are told to go and wait near the Vinayaka, where their parents will come and find them! Another notable Ganesh is the idukku pillayar. One has to contort one’s body to enter this shrine through one end and exit through the other. This is a recipe for physical fitness, say the locals! From this point, if one looks up at the Arunachala Hill, 5 vantage points on the hill can be seen. Arunagirinathar – Tiruvannamalai is also the place where the great Tamil poet Arunagirinathar lived and wrote his divine hymns in the 14th century. In his early years, Arunagiri, the son of a courtesan, led a dissolute life squandering all his money on women. He became so diseased that a day came when even women of loose morals shunned him. One day, he approached his sister for money. Whereupon his doting sister, penniless herself, asked him to use her own body to satisfy his lust! Arunagiri was so overcome with shame when she said this that he tried to kill himself by jumping from the Vallala gopuram of the Arunachaleswara temple. At that moment, Lord Muruga appeared in a vision and told him not to despair. He cured him and bade him sing his praise and the debauch was thus transformed into a poet. He wrote the famous Thiruppugazh, a collection of 1300 verses on Muruga’s glory. As manay of these hyms have been set to music they are a popular choice in Carnatic music concerts. Ramana Maharishi – Tiruvannamalai is also associated with the great sage Ramana Maharishi, who, as a young boy responded to an inner call to go to the Arunachala Hill and meditate. He performed penance in a cave in the hill and later in the temple of Arunachaleswara. The spot where he stayed can be seen near the Pathala Lingeshwara shrine in the temple. You have to go down a steep flight of steps to see the lingam where Ramana worshipped. During this time, it was in the midst of a forest. Ramana was guided by Seshadri Swamigal, another great saint who lived in Tiruvannamalai. Ramana Maharishi attained enlightenment to become a great and powerful preacher and people came from far and wide to listen to him. The Ramanashramam was set up and still serves as a place of retreat for devotees. The Maharishi attained Samadhi in the year 1950. In the Ramanashram, there is a shrine to Lord Mathrubhuteswarar and Goddess Yogambika. There is an image of Ramana Maharishi, installed on his Samadhi, to which pujas are done everyday. Poor feeding is carried out at the Ashram everyday. The ambience is pleasant, with a lot of greenery, amidst which peacocks move around freely. Festivals – Karthigai Deepam is what makes Tiruvannamalai so famous. Here, it marks the conclusion of the 10-day Brahmotsavam in the month of Karthigai. Bharani Deepam is lit before the Karthigai Deepam in the main shrine. Five lamps are lit to symbolize the five elemental forms of shiva. Preparations begin with a group of men carrying fire inside an earthen container to the summit of the mountain, where a large copper dish filled with ghee and a giant wick made of cloth is placed. Meanwhile at the temple, the various deities are brought out and pujas are performed. At an auspicious time in the evening, the lamp atop the hill is lit and the crowd of devotees goes berserk with devotion. People revere the flame of the lamp as none other than Siva himself. As soon as the lamp is lit, the main shrine is closed as it is held that Siva abides there as long as the flame burns till the next morning. Several other festivals are celebrated through the year. Each pournami or full moon devotees congregate in the town. On this day, devotees perform the Girivalam or walk around the Arunachala hill. Devotees walk the 12km circuit barefoot, because this ritual is said to relieve one from a million rebirths. First, devotees pray at the shrine of Irattai Pillayar just to the left of the rajagopuram, where you see 2 idols of Ganapathy seated side to side. Then begins the walk. There are 8 lingams on the route, where devotees stop to worship. They are the Indra, Agni, Yama, Varuna, Niruda, Vayu, Kubera and Eesana lingams. There is also a Surya lingam, which faces the main shrine, and is therefore called the “Thiruner lingam”. It is not part of the Girivalam circuit. There is an Unnamalai Amman shrine next to the Surya lingam. There are shrines to other deities on the route. Arudra Darsanam in Margazhi is special worship performed to Lord Siva. During the Thiruvoodal festival, a mock quarrel between Annamalaiyar and Unnamalai Amman s enacted in the presence of the idol of Sundaramoorthy Nayanar in the Tiruvoodal Street. During this quarrel, the Goddess enters the temple by herself, leaving Siva. The Lord goes around the hill in apparent anger. While doing so, he grants liberation to Rishi Bhringi. Siva’s jewels are “stolen” during the circuit. After recovering them, he enters the temple in the morning. There is also the festival in which the Lord is crowned, as the dauphin, as one of the Hoysala kings, Ballala, did not have an heir.