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Annamalaiyar Temple is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of fire, or Agni. Shiva is worshiped as Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleswarar, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Agni lingam.
The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The presiding deity is revered in the 7th century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
History
The present temple was constructed during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers of the Sangama Dynasty in 1336–1485 CE, the Saluva Dynasty and the Tuluva Dynasty during 1491–1570 CE. However , the temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
It is a Tamil Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Sivaperuman, located at the base of Annamalai hills in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai Amman being the most prominent.
Architecture
The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagar period. And the temple complex covers atmost 10 hectares, and is one of the largest temples in India. It has four gateway towers known as Gopurams. Inside the temple premise, the tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 66 metres, making it one of the tallest temple towers in India. The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Annamalaiyar and Unnamalai Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagar Period.
South India unique are their grand structure, done beautifully in Vijaya Nagara and Dravidian styles. Like literally, you’ll find no compromised work of art anywhere in South India especially when it comes to the Hindu temples where a plethora of devotees throng from the world over. Each shrine in South India, irrespective of its location displays fine artwork not only in the interiors but also outside on the Gopurams (spire). For instance, the exquisite decor of the popular Sabarimala Sastha Temple in Sabarimala simply takes one’s breath away and how can we miss out on the colourful facade of Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, which is simply divine! The richness of South India temples does not limit to just the architecture but belief as well where millions of devotees gather to pay respect to holy figures. You can expect to witness the interesting rituals like hair offering or tonsuring to Lord Venkateswara. We can surely say that, there are no shortage of temples to tour in the South Indian states and to keep your pilgrimage holiday even better, we have compiled a list of must visit temples in South India.
