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One of the divine and powerful temples of Lord Shiva is Tiruvannamalai, known among devotees for its religious significance and greatness. This article is very special to me, this temple is not just temple. It’s a place where my spiritual journey started. It is like Gurukul (Spirituality learning school) to me, the Lord Arunachaleswarar is my Guru.
This place is not just famous for pilgrimage, it is home to many ashrams and saints. If you roam around a bit in Tiruvannamalai, you can find numerous ashrams. Many great saints meditated and went to Samadhi in this scared place.
Panchabhuta Lingas
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As we all know there are 14 jyotirlingas, similar to that there are Panchabhuta Linga temples in South India. All these five temples represent one element in the Pancha Bhutas- Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and Sky, whereas Tiruvannamalai temple represents the Agni Linga (Fire).
My Spiritual Journey
In the year 2017 around the month of August, my spouse and I went on a trip to Tiruvannamalai to enroll myself in the vedic science learning program. They said I need to stay in ashram and do the course there is no online learning course available with them. I returned from there with a heavy heart. Later that day, we went to Temple and had good Darashan of Lord Arunachaleswarar.
After visiting the temple in search of life and answers, he gave me his blessings and showed me the path which I was searching from many years. If your prayers are sincere and your desire is selfless, and it is genuine, he will help you. To know my spiritual journey, go to books page or click on the spirituality page and have a look at the blogs and videos.
Legends of Tiruvannamalai
Once there was a fight between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma for superiority, they both seeks the help of Lord Shiva. To resolve this problem Lord Shiva takes a magnificent fire pillar form. Then he asks Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma to search for beginning and end of the pillar. Whoever finds first is superior to other. Lord Vishnu takes Wild boar form and dives deep into the cosmos, whereas Lord Brahma takes his vehicle Swan and go in search of top of the fire pillar.
Lord Vishnu couldn’t find the end of the fire pillar and return back accepting his defeat where as Lord brahma lies by saying he found the top of the pillar, which angers Lord shiva. As a result, he curses Lord Brahma that nobody on Earth will worship him.
As per the request of Lord Vishnu and Brahma. Lord who appeared as fire pillar without any being and end, manifest himself as Agni linga and stationed near the base of Arunachala hills which also referred as Red Hills.
Another legend goes like this, once Maa Parvathi playfully closes Lord Shiva’s eyes and the entire universe including Earth goes into darkness. Even though Devi closes Lord’s eyes for few minutes, Earth witnessed darkness for many years. Devi who witnesses the state of Earth request Lord to bring back light.
Lord comes in the form of fire pillar on the Arunachala hills, who happen to see Maa Parvathi there and unites with her and form Ardhanarisha form.
Arunachala hills
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After Lord Vishnu and Brahma couldn’t find the fire pillar beginning and end. Lord Vishnu and Brahma along with devas were not able to bare the heat, prays to Lord shiva to calm down. Then lord take the mountain form with a fire on top of it which is nothing but present-day Arunachala hills. On top of the hill there is a huge ghee Lamp which will be lit every year during Karthiga Deepam festival day. The entire mountain is considered as Lord Shiva himself, the whole mountain sacred and divine similar to the Shiva linga present in the temple sanctum.
Girivalam
Every month during full moon day, devotees do Giri Pradakshina(circumambulation) with bare foot, it is believed the person who do circumambulation of the hill which is 14 kms radius will absolve one’s sins and is free them from diseases and get liberated.
While circumambulating the hill devotees will come across 8 small lord shiva shrines which represents 12 moon signs. Also, one can see the renowned saint Ramana Maharishis ashram there. Many devotees visit the great sage’s ashram and get his divine blessing along with Arunachaleswarar’s.
Visit this divine place and get the blessing of Lord Shiva who is present in the form of Agni linga as Arunachaleswarar and Maa Parvathi in Unnamalai Amman.
!! Om Nama Shivya !!
