THIRUVANNAMALAI

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Thiruvannamalai is the agni sthalam in southern part of India.There are more saints in the path of girivalam.And also more magaans  like SRI RAMANA MAGARISHI,SHESHADRI SWAMIGAL and YOGIRAM SURATHKUMAR.And more samadhis in thiruvannamalai.In Thiruvannamalai Hills virupaksha cave and the kanthashram in the cave the people were do some meditation. AND India's largest Arunachaleswara temple in the Thiruvannamalai.

   

A Hill Comes Alive

It is a tradition that dates back centuries. Every year, come December, thousands of worshippers head to the small and ancient town of Thiruvannamalai in South India to witness an ancient rite - the lighting of the holy torch atop the Thiruvannamalai hill, which believers consider to be the earthly form of the divine Shiva Lingam.

      

Arunachala Temple

The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was built between the 9th and the 10th centuries by the Chola kings of the Tamil empire. The temple is famous for its massive gopurams. This has been determined from an inscription in the structure that was made during the reign of Chola kings who ruled in the ninth century A.D

The 11 tiered East Rajagopuram towers to a height of 217 feet, while the fortified walls pierced with 4 gopura entrances offer a formidable look to this vast temple complex . The Pei Gopuram, Tirumanjana Gopuram and Ammanaiammal gopuram are the other three. The 1000 pillared hall and the temple tank were built by Krishna Deva Rayarar of Vijayanagar. Each of the prakarams has a huge Nandi and several towers such as the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram

It is one of the panchabhoota sthalam - representing five basic elements. This is the Tejo Sthalam among the Pancha Bootha Sthalams representing Fire. The others are - Thiruvanaikaval (Appu sthalam - Water) Kanchipuram (Prithvi sthalam- Earth) Kalahasti (Vayu sthalam - Air) Chidambaram (Akasa sthalam - Space).

PRILLGRIMAGE

  

Thiruvannamalai is one of the Pancha Bootha Sthalangal representing the fire element along with Chidambaram, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and Kanchipuram representing sky, air, water and earth respectively.

Four Brahmotsavams are celebrated every year, the most famous of which is the one celebrated during the Tamil monthof Karthikai (November/December). The ten day event culminates on the day of Karthigai Deepam. On that evening, a huge lamp is lit in a cauldron with three tons of ghee at the top of the Annamalai hill.

Every full moon night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worshipShiva by circumambulating the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km. On the yearly Chitra Powrnami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across the world visit the sacred town.

Advaita Vedanta guru Ramana Maharshi lived in Thiruvannamalai for fifty three years until his death in 1950. His ashram, Sri Ramanasramam, is located at the foot of the Arunachala hill, to the west of the town. Seshadri Swamigal and Yogi RamSurat Kumar are examples of two other gurus who lived in this city.