The temple at Tiruvannamalai is one of the biggest and grandest temples in South India. With the hill as back ground it gives the appearance of a fort to those who see it from a distance. It is unique on account of its stately towers, high rampart walls, broad quadrangles, spacious gateways, large mantapams and fine tanks. It has also much architectural importance and sculputural beauty.
Tiruvannamalai should have been under the sway of the Pallava Kings who ruled from Kancheepuram before the ninth century A.D. We do not find any inscription in the temple prior to A.D.850 and hence the present temple could not have existed then. Saint Sambandar in his Thevaram relating to this place mentions a temple. Saints Appar and Sambandar belonged to the Seventh Century, Sekkizhar, the renowned author of Periapuranam mentions that both the Saints Appar and Sambandar worshipped Arunchaleswarar in the hill Temple. The Chola Kings ruled over the country for more than four Centuries from 850 A.D. to 1280 A.D. Some earlier Kings of Vijayalaya dynasty must have begun to construct the inner shrine(Garbegraha). In the fourteenth Century the Hoysala Kings had their capital at Tiruvannamalai. Afterwards the Kings of Vijayanagar and Nayak Kings of Thanjavur ruled over this part of the Country. In the Seventeenth Century it came under the sway of the Nawabs of Carnatic. There was confusion and chaos after A.D. 1753. Muraru Raya, Krishna Raya, Mrithis Ali Khan, Burkat Ullakhan, French Soupries and Sambrinet, English Captain Stephen Smith besieged this place and had their successes and defeats. In A.D. 1790 it was captured by Tippu Sultan. During the first half of the nineteenth century it came under the British rule.
Easten Gopuram Front View
The Temple is situated east at the bottom of the hill half a mile west of the Railway Station. It faces East. It has got four stately towers on all the four sides and four high stone walls just like the rampart walls of a fort. The Eastern Tower called the Rajagopuram is the Highest. The Southern tower is called Thirumanjangopuram, that iin the west is called Peygopuram and that in the north is called Ammaniamma Gopuram. The temple occupies an extent of about 25 acres of land. The walls on the East and West measure 700 feet each. The South wall is 1479 feet long and North wall is 1590 feet. The Rajagopuram which adorns the East Gateway is 217 feet high with 11 storeys, its base measure 135 feet by 98 feet. This tower was built by King Krishna Devaraya of Vijayanagar and completed by Sevappa Nayaka of Thanjavur. Krishna Devaraya also constructed the Thousand Pillared Mantapam and dug the tank opposite to it . Ammani Ammal a Sanyasini built the North Gopuram which is called after her name.
The towers, the pillars in the Mantapams and Vimananms consist of figures of Sculptures Excellence. In the side walls of the Entrance of East Gopuram there are dance poses and figures of Bewitching Beauty. Generally stone-Idols are fixed with what is called "Ashtabandana". But in this case it is "Swarnabandana" (Gold) which is of Special Importance. There are five inner rounds. Including what is called Madavilagam running just outside the temple walls and the four car streets and the path round the Giri the temple is said to have Seven Prakaras.
Main Gate/Eastern Gate
As enjoined, one should enter the temple by the Main Gate in front of the Sanctumsanctorum. Before entering the Eastern Gate we see the Sixteen-Pillared Mantapam and the Four-Pillared Mantapam. When we pass the Eastern Tower Gate we see the Gopura Ganapathi. This deity is held in high esteem and veneration by all devotees and the first worship to Him. We first come to the fifth prakaram and see before us the Kambathilayanar Sannidhi and Gnanappai Mantapam. Here it was that God Muruga appeared in a Pillar for the sake of the King Prabudadevaraya as prayed for by saint Arunagirinathar in response to his famouns song "Athalasadanarada". To the south there is the sacred tank called Sivaganga Theertham. It has stonesteps and Thirumalapathi Mantapam on all four sides.
In the South East corner of this fifth prakaram there is the Adiyar Viduthi (Devotees rest house), Siddhi Vinayagar shrine is found in the North-West side of the tank. To the West of the tank is the Theerthawarimantapam. There is Mangalavinayagar Sannidhi in the fifth South Prakaram and Thiruvarul Vilasa Mantapam just to the West of the South tower. There is the Kothala Vinayagar shrine in the Western Prakaram. There is nothing worth seeing in the Northern Prakaram except the big banyan tree which is considered sacred. Coming again to the Eastern Side of the fifth Prakaram we see the Mathapirappu Mantappam. A festival with Sri Chandrasekara Swami is celebrated here on the first day of the Tamil Month. Then we see the Thousand Pillared Mantapam and the underground temple of Sri Pathala Linga where at Ramana Maharishi's body was eaten by ants and months in his state of Supreme Awareness. In between Sivaganga Tank and Thousand Pillared Mantapam there are the Rudrakshamantapam and the Big Nandhi Mantapam.
From the fifth Prakaram we now go to the forth prakaram passing the tower gate of Vallala Maharaja Gopuram. Saint Arunagirinathar wanted to shuffle off his mortal coil by falling from this tower. Lord Murugan appeared before him and saved his life. Hence he came to be called Gopurathillaiyanar. Along with this deity we see the image of Saint Arunagirinathar also to the North of Vallalan Gopura Ganapathi, Kalyanasundaeswarar, Keswarar and Viranmindar one of the sixty three saivite saints. On crossing this towergate we enter the forth Prakaram. To the left there are the Kala Bairava Shrine and the temple tank called Barhma Theertham with the Teerthavari Mantapam. To the right we see Puravi Mantapam and the Sakthi Vilasam in which religious discourses are held. To the north of Brahma Teertham we see the shrines of Neleswarar, Vigneswarar, Vidyadhareswara and Brahmalinga.
Connecting the fifth and fourth Prakarams there are short tower-gates (Kattai Gopuram) on the Southern, Western and Northern sides. In the South-Western corner of the fourth Prakaram there are the Amavasya Mantapam, Vinayagar Shrine and what is called Sthula-Sukshma temple. To its north there is the Tirupatha Koil. In the North Western corner of the Thirupatha Koil there is the Karthigai Mantapam and Subramanya shrine. On the new moon day Shree Chandrasekara Swami is taken to the Amavasya Mantapam and Lord Subramanya to Krithigai Mantapam on the Krithigai day.
From the forth Prakaram we now go to the further inner circle, the third Prakaram. For this we have to cross what is called the Kili Gopuram(parrot-tower) gate in the East. Before entering this tower-gate we see on both sides the shrines of yanaithiraikonda Vinayagar, Subramaniar, Bairawar. Just in front of this entrance there is a Sixteen pillared Mandapam called the Katchi Mantapam. The five deities(Panchamurthis) are brought to this mantapam during the grand annual Karthigai Festival. Facing the hill they will give dharsan to the devotees simultaneously with the lighting of the hill top that evening. It is a sight to see and a teast to the devotees heart's desire.
To the south of the Katchimantapam there are the store room, temple kitchen and pannirmantapam and in the north we see Vasanthamantapam (used as Devasthanam Office), Yagasala, and the shrines dedicated to Kalatheeswaras, Chidambraeswara, Ekambareswarar and Jumbukeswarar. Thus we have all the panchastalas in the Arunachalam temple. We have the temple of pidari also. In the third South Prakaram there are the Mahila tress sacred to this shrine, and the Tirukalyana Mantapam and Bhimeswarar and Vigneswarar Shrines. Just near the west gate connecting the third and forth Prakarams there is the shrine of Arunagiri Yogeeswarar. Lord Arunagiri Siddha's centre in the temple is here and it is a very good place for Meditation.
The separate temple for Unnamalai Nayaki or Abidhakujambal is situated in the North Western portion of the third Prakaram. In the Mahamantapam in front of the Arthamantapam of this shrine we see the image of Kalanthagar, Veenadharar, Veerabadrar, Adilakshmi, Santhanalakshmi, Gajalakshmi, Dhanalakshmi, Dhanyalakshmi, Vijayalakshmi, Ayswaryalakshmi, Veeralakshmi, Rudra Durga, Mahasakthi and Saraswathi. In the front mantapam there are also the shrines of Vijayaraghava Vinayagar, Navagrahams and Chitraputhrar. To the back of the sanetum-sanctorum we see the Parasakthiamman, Vigneswarar, Cholalingam and Cheralingam. Inside the Garbhagraha we see the charming and graceful Goddess Unnamulai Ambal, the inseperable partner of Sri Anurachaleswara. The Sanskrit name for the Goddess is Abidhakujambal.
After worshipping at Unnamulai Amman's shrine we come to the third Eastern Prakaram. Facing East at the extreme South and Extreme North there are the Shrines of Sambanda Vinayagar and Palaniandavar. On both sides of the entrance to the second Prakaram we see Ganpathi and Subramaniam and the Dwarapalakars (Gate keepers). Taking leave of Adhikara Nandikeswarar in the passage we enter into the second Prakaram. In the North we see Isanyalingam and all Utsavamurthis (festival idols) and in the South there is Indra Lingam. On all there sides of the second Prakaram there are number of deities. They are given below in detail.
SOUTHERN PRAKARAM
Janakeswarar,Janardaneswarar, Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, Manikkavasagar, Janandaneswarar, Janatkumareswarar, Kaushikeswarar, Kuthsarishiwarar, Valmikiswarar, Vamarishiswarar, Agnilingam, Naradeswarar, Kasilingam, Vaisambandaneswarar, sixty three Saivite Saints, Yamalingam, Thumbureswarar, Sapthamathas(Chamudi, Indrani, Varahi, Vaishnavi, Kaumari, Maheswar and Brahmi), Gauthamarishi and Duruvasarishi.
WESTERN PRAKARAM
Kshethralingam Vinayagar, Niruthilingam, Somaskandar, Amman, Ardanareeswarar (Utsavamurthis), Venugopalaswami with Rukmini and Satyabhama, Varunalingam, Vikrapandiswarar, Gajalakshimi, Arumugam with Valli and Deivayanai,Sahasralingam,Santhalingam,Syamalambal and Jeshtadevar.
NORTHERN PRAKARAM
Vayulingam, Annapurani utsava idols of valli, Murugan, Deivayanai, Natarajar, Bikshandavar and Chandrasekarar, Kuberalingam, Utsava idols of Sixty Three Saivite Saints, Bhakthanugraha somaskander, Viswamitreswarar, Patanjaliswarar, Vyagrapadeswarar, 108 Sivalingams, Agastheeswarar, Jureswarar, Kalasamhararar, Bairavar, Utsava idols of appar, Sambandar, Sundarar, Manikkavachagar, Natarajar and sivakami.
Sri Arunachaleswarar
After going round the three sides of the Second Prakaram we enter by the East into the First Prakaram which encloses the Garbagraha of Sri Arunachaleswarar, the main deity of the temple. He has got many names. The popular Tamil Name is Annamalaiyar. Other names are Sonachaleswarar, Arunagiriswarar, Sounadriswarar,Bhaktapasavimochakar,Vedamurthi etc.
