Tamil Nadu · South
TiruvannamalaiTiruvaṇṇāmalai
Temple city at the foot of Annamalai hill, home to the fire-linga Annamalaiyar Temple
- Principal temple
- Arunachalesvara (Annamalaiyar) TempleShiva as Annamalaiyar (Agni Lingam), with Parvati as Unnamulai Amman
- Nearest airport
- Chennai International Airport (MAA), ~172 km
- Nearest railway station
- Tiruvannamalai railway station (TNM)
- Tradition
- Śaiva
Overview
Tiruvannamalai is a temple city and pilgrimage centre in Tamil Nadu that has grown around the Annamalaiyar (Arunachalesvara) Temple at the foot of the Annamalai (Arunachala) hill, which is itself held sacred as a lingam of Shiva. Legend holds that Shiva appeared here as a column of fire, and the temple is the Pancha Bhuta Sthalam of the fire element. Pilgrims walk the 14 km girivalam around the hill every full moon, and the Karthigai Deepam festival, when a great lamp is lit on the summit, draws very large crowds.
See sources [1–10]- Shiva as Annamalaiyar (Agni Lingam), with Parvati as Unnamulai Amman
- Shiva as Adi Annamalaiyar (Adi Arunachalesvarar), with Adi Abithakujalambal
