Arunachaleswarar Temple

     Arunachaleswarar Temple is one of the most famous Siva temples and as mentioned earlier, one of the five element forms of Siva. It is spread over an extent of 24 acres. Like all other temples, this Annamaliar temple too has a sanctum, Muha mandapam, corridors, and walls of enclosure.  This temple further has sports pavilions, several circumambulatory passages, subsidiary shrines; Thousands pillared mandapams, hundred pillared mandapam, sacred tanks, gopurams, etc.  The temple is dedicated to Jothi Lingam or God incarnate as fire.  It is an ancient temple.  The Cholas, Vijayanagar kings, Hoysalas and the Nayakas of Thanjavur have all done various works and extended the temple to the present magnificence.  It has imposing gopurams (portal towers) on all four sides and provides a majestic look.  It is said that there are about 100 temples here but the chief one is this. The main gopuram is 66m high and has 13 storey’s.   The work was started by Krishna Devaraya and completed by Sevappa Nayaka of Thanjavur.  As renovation occurred during several periods, the old structure has been changed a little. Yet, the sanctum retains the old pattern.  This is corroborated by inspections.  The “Kodungai” or the roof edge is formed of Yali friezes and the vimana a mortar. The numbers of Gopuram are 9 in all. Of these, four are in the midst of the walls.  Raja gopuram is the name, by which the big tower in the east is called.  It has 11 tiers with a width of 135 ft by 98 ft at the base. There are many circumambulatory corridors and two large tanks inside the temple.  There is a 1000 pillared mandap with floral paintings in its ceiling.  Inscriptions of various rulers and chieftains abound the temple walls. Legend has it that Lord Siva stood in the form of a huge pillar of fire and the attempt of Vishnu to find his feet and the attempt of Brahma to find his head were futile.  The lofty mountain is symbolic of this incident.  Every year during Karthigai Deepam (November-December) a huge bonfire atop the hill is lighted in a cauldron serving as a lamp and thousands of tons of ghee poured in it with bales of cloth for wick.  Lakhs of people from all over India throng to have a darshan of the sacred fire Annamalai deepam which is visible around for many days despite heavy rains.  The Kili Gopuram or parrot tower inside is very auspicious since saint Arunagirinathar is said to have taken the form of a parrot while attaining salvation shedding his mortal coils.  A sculptural representation of this could be seen on this gopuram.  The Pathala Lingam or underground Lingam where the Saint Ramana Maharishi did penance is a main attraction in this temple. The samadhis of Seshadri Swamigal and Ramana Maharishi on the path round the mountain attracts streams of pilgrims – graceful places of peace and serenity.  On full moon days, people throng here to walk round the mountain and reach the temple for worship.  This is known as ‘Girivalam’ or going round the mountain. The Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation runs special buses from Chennai on these days.  A few kilometers east are a hamlet where the parapets of a tank are profusely covered with erotic sculptures rivaling Kajuraho.  The legend has it that a Vijayanagar chieftain in order to enlighten his daughter who was averse to earthly pleasures, caused this to be carved on the parapets of the tank where she used to take her bath.