Are you a spiritual pursuer? Or a curious traveler looking to discover different epic places of India? Well, no matter who you are, this guide is sure to attract your sight with all the essential details about the famous Arunachalam Temple.
Arunachalam Mandir is one of the ancient temples devoted to Lord Shiva. Situated in Tiruvannamalai, one of the most scenic destinations in Tamil Nadu, the temple is one of the five Shiva temples, or Pancha Bhoota Stalam, that are dedicated to nature’s five elements. Lord Shiva resides here in the form of a fire element, popularly known as Agni Lingam.
Through this piece of information, we shall give you a brief introduction about the temple, its timings, and every possible detail that would help you reach there effortlessly. So, let’s begin this divine journey.
Where is Arunachalam Temple?
This beautiful and ancient temple is located in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. The temple is around 185 km from Chennai and is situated at the base of Arunachala Hill. Again, apart from the spiritual ambiance, there are many alluring scenes around the temple that adds to the beautiful environment and scenarios of the temple.
Arunachalam Temple History:
As per Hindu Mythology, there are two stories associated with this place. According to the first story, Goddess Parvati once closed the eyes of Lord Shiva lightheartedly. And when she did so, the entire universe got lurched into darkness. As soon as she realized her mistake, she started penance, and Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a fire pillar also known as Agni Lingam. The hill on which he manifested himself was named Tiruvannamalai.
Another story says that once Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu started competing against each other for deciding who among them is the greatest. To come to a final conclusion, they requested Lord Shiva to become the judge. For deciding the greatest, Lord Shiva set a challenge and took the form of a fire pillar declaring that the one who reaches his crown and feet first would be declared the winner. On hearing this, Lord Vishnu immediately took the incarnation of Varaha and started digging the earth to reach the feet of Lord Shiva. On the other hand, Lord Brahma took the incarnation of a swan and flew upwards to reach the crown of Lord Shiva.
On his way upwards, Lord Brahma saw the Thazhampu, a flower fallen from Lord Shiva’s crown. He asked the flower how high is the crown. The flower replied it has been thousand years since it was falling, yet it hasn’t reached the ground. Lord Brahma then manipulates and conspires the flower and arrives back to Lord Shiva. He claims that he has reached the crown and brought the flower from there to which the flower agrees. Lord Shiva comes to know about the truth and curses both the flower and Lord Brahma. Ever since then, there are no temples of Lord Brahma, and the Thazhampu flower isn’t used for worshipping. This entire episode took place at Tiruvannamalai.
The Arunachaleswarar temple was constructed thousands of years ago, however, the Chola dynasty reconstructed it again in the 9th century.
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Arunachalam Temple Timings:
Here are the temple timings for offering prayers to the Thiruvannamalai temple God, Lord Shiva.
- Morning Darshan from 5.00 AM to 12.30 PM
- Evening Darshan from 3.30 AM to 9.30 PM
Apart from this, several poojas are conducted in this temple at a particular time. Let’s have a brief idea of the timings of different poojas.
- The Gomatha Pooja is carried out from 5.30 AM to 6.00 AM
- The Afternoon Pooja is carried out from 11.00 AM to 11.30 AM
- The Arthajama Pooja is carried out from 9.00 PM to 9.30 PM
Some other Poojas performed here include Ushakala Pooja which is carried out from 6.00 AM to 6.30 AM, the Early Sathi Pooja which is performed from 8.30 AM to 9.00 AM, the Noon Pooja is done from 11 AM to 11.30 AM, while the Sayaratchai Pooja is performed from 6 PM to 6.30 PM. The second Kalam Pooja is performed from 7.30 PM to 8.00 PM.
Even certain fortnightly rituals and monthly rituals are carried out like Pradosham, Amavasya Pooja, Kiruthigai, Pournima, and Sathurthi.
Significance of Arunachalam Temple:
- It is counted among the largest temples dedicated to Lord Shiva
- People visiting here also perform the Giri Pradakshina of the hill as it is counted as an essential spiritual activity, as the one who performs it would be relieved from the sins along with the cycle of birth and rebirth
The best time to visit the Arunachalam temple is during Shivratri or Karthigai Deepam. The destination is capable enough to grab the sight of the visitors for celebrations, yet the right time to visit other destinations is during the Winter season as it would give you pleasant surroundings in Nature’s laps.
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