Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleshwarar Temple – Inscriptions, Legend & the Sacred Fire of Arunachala

Published by Orugallu Andhalu

 

Introduction

Located in the sacred town of Tiruvannamalai, the Arunachaleshwarar Temple stands as one of the most revered Shaivite shrines in South India. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Arunachaleshwara, the embodiment of the Agni (Fire) element among the sacred Pancha Bhootha Sthalas.

Dominated by the majestic Arunachala Hill, the temple has drawn saints, poets, and seekers for centuries. Every full moon night, thousands of devotees perform Girivalam — the 14-kilometre circumambulation of the sacred hill — believing it to be an act of profound spiritual merit.

Rooted in legend, enriched by dynastic patronage, and sustained by living devotion, the Arunachaleshwarar Temple remains not merely a monument of history, but a vibrant spiritual center of India.

Historical Evolution and Architectural Grandeur

                                 

Spread across nearly 24 acres, the Arunachaleshwarar Temple stands as one of the largest temple complexes in Tamil Nadu. The structural core of the temple is generally attributed to the medieval Chola period (circa 9th–13th centuries CE), with subsequent expansions carried out by the Pandyas, the Vijayanagara rulers, and the Nayak dynasty.

The temple complex is richly adorned with over a thousand sculptural carvings and hundreds of stone inscriptions — The temple’s inscriptions span multiple dynastic periods. Early records from the Chola era document land grants and ritual endowments, while later inscriptions from the Pandya and Vijayanagara periods refer to structural expansions, gopuram constructions, and festival sponsorships. Nayak-period contributions further enriched the mandapas and temple infrastructure, reflecting continuous patronage over several centuries.

The sanctity of Tiruvannamalai is further affirmed in the hymns of the great Shaivite saints of Tamil Nadu. The temple is praised in the Tevaram by:

• Thirugnana Sambandar
• Appar
• Sundarar

and in the devotional compositions of Manikkavacakar.

Their hymns place Arunachala among the most sacred Shaivite shrines of South India.

Among its architectural highlights are:

• Nine towering gopurams
• Seven concentric prakarams
• Vast pillared halls featuring classical Dravidian ornamentation

The monumental Raja Gopuram, rising to approximately 217 feet with eleven tiers, stands among the tallest temple towers in South India and symbolizes the ascent toward the divine.

                            

The Thousand-Pillar Mandapa

One of the most impressive architectural additions to the temple complex is the grand Thousand-Pillar Mandapa, constructed during the Vijayanagara period, particularly under the patronage of Sri Krishnadevaraya (16th century CE).

This vast hall reflects the mature Dravidian architectural style of the Vijayanagara era, characterized by:

• Massive granite pillars
• Sculpted yali (mythical lion) brackets
• Intricately carved figures of deities and guardians
• A spacious open layout designed for temple festivals and ceremonial gatherings

Though called the “Thousand-Pillar” hall, as in many South Indian temples, the name symbolizes grandeur rather than an exact numerical count. The mandapa was primarily used for:

• Festival processions
• Dance and ritual performances
• Congregational worship

Its scale and ornamentation reflect the renewed royal patronage that Tiruvannamalai received during the Vijayanagara Empire.

Temple Tanks – Sacred Waters of Arunachala

The temple complex houses sacred water bodies that hold ritual and symbolic importance.

 Shivaganga Theertham

Located within the temple complex, the Shivaganga tank is one of the most important temple tanks. It was expanded and maintained by successive dynasties, especially during the Vijayanagara and Nayak periods.

Devotees believe:

• Bathing in this tank purifies sins
• The waters hold spiritual merit during festival days
• It plays a role in temple rituals and ceremonial processions

 Brahma Theertham (Associated with Arunachala Tradition)

According to legend, Lord Brahma created a sacred tank here while worshipping Shiva after witnessing the column of fire. Though associated more strongly with Aadi Annamalai traditions, the sacred water symbolism remains integral to Arunachala worship.

The Legend of the Eternal Fire

The spiritual foundation of Arunachaleshwarar Temple is rooted in a celebrated Shaivite legend recorded in the Arunachala Mahatmyam, a section of the Skanda Purana.

According to the tradition, a dispute once arose between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu regarding supremacy. To dissolve their pride, Lord Shiva manifested as an infinite column of fire — a radiant pillar without beginning or end.

Vishnu assumed the form of a boar (Varaha) and burrowed deep in search of the base, while Brahma took the form of a swan (Hamsa) and flew upward to find the summit. Neither could reach the limits of the flame.

In some versions of the legend, Brahma falsely claimed to have found the top, upon which Shiva exposed the untruth and declared that Brahma would have few temples dedicated to him. Vishnu, who admitted his inability to find the end, was blessed for his humility.

This fiery manifestation is believed, in devotional understanding, to have solidified as Arunachala Hill itself — the embodiment of Shiva as Agni, the Fire element. The temple thus enshrines the Agni Lingam, symbolizing illumination, ego-dissolution, and the infinite nature of consciousness.

 One of the Five Elements Temples — Tejo Lingam

The Arunachaleshwarar Temple is one of the revered Pancha Bhootha Sthalas — five sacred temples in South India where Lord Shiva is worshipped as manifestations of the five fundamental elements of nature.

At Tiruvannamalai, Shiva is venerated as the Agni (Fire) Lingam, also known as the Tejo Lingam. Devotees believe that Arunachala Hill itself represents the condensed form of Shiva’s primordial fire.

The five elemental temples are traditionally identified as:

Element	Temple
Fire (Agni)	Arunachaleshwarar Temple – Tiruvannamalai
Earth (Prithvi)	Ekambareswarar Temple – Kanchipuram
Water (Apas)	Jambukeswarar Temple – Tiruchirappalli
Air (Vayu)	Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple – Srikalahasti
Space (Akasha)	Nataraja Temple – Chidambaram

Epigraphical Evidence and the Chola Golden Phase

The temple of Arunachaleshwarar Temple is supported by one of the richest epigraphical records in Tamil Nadu.

According to Tiruvannamalai – A Saiva Sacred Complex of South India (P.R. Srinivasan, 1990), the temple preserves over 180 inscriptions from the Chola period alone.

Early Stone Shrine – Aditya I (c. A.D. 885)

The earliest inscription, assignable to the 14th regnal year of Aditya I (c. A.D. 885), refers to the deity as: Tiruvannāttu Mahādevar

This record confirms that a stone-built central shrine already existed in the late 9th century. It strongly suggests that the present granite structure replaced an earlier brick shrine.

This makes Tiruvannamalai one of the earliest major stone Shaiva temples in Tamil Nadu.

Parantaka I and Early Institutional Growth (10th Century)

Inscriptions of Parantaka I refer to the deity as:

Tiruvannāmalai Mahādevar

During this period, the temple economy becomes visible through records of:

• Perpetual lamps (nunta lamps)
• Donations of cows for ghee
• Land grants for ritual services
• The temple clearly functioned as an organized religious institution by the early 10th century.

Rajaraja I and Rajendra I – Expansion and Administrative Maturity

Under Rajaraja I and Rajendra I (late 10th–early 11th century), inscriptions multiply and become more detailed.

The deity’s name stabilizes as:  Tiruvannāmalai Udaiyār

Records from this era mention:

• Feeding houses (salai)
• Tax-exempt lands (iraiyili)
• Festival endowments
• Prakaram constructions
• Mandapa expansions
• Revenue officials and temple committees

By the 11th century, Tiruvannamalai had evolved into a major administrative and ritual center under imperial Chola authority.

Rajadhiraja I and Later 11th Century Developments

Inscriptions from Rajadhiraja I continue to record:

• Processional rituals
• Offerings for Karthigai festival
• Endowments for Nataraja worship
• Temple service management

This period reflects sustained royal attention and ritual formalization.

Kulottunga III – The Golden Phase (Late 12th Century)

The reign of Kulottunga III marks what scholars describe as a golden phase in the temple’s history.

Among all Chola rulers, Kulottunga III has the largest number of inscriptions at Tiruvannamalai.

These inscriptions reveal:

• Extensive structural expansions
• Mandapa enrichments
• Ritual endowments
• Consolidation of temple administration
• Reinforcement of the temple’s regional importance

The density of inscriptions from his reign demonstrates the height of Chola patronage at Tiruvannamalai.

Evolution of the Deity’s Name in Inscriptions

Across the centuries, the deity of Arunachaleshwarar Temple appears in inscriptions under different appellations:

• Tiruvannāttu Mahādevar (9th century – Aditya I)
• Tiruvannāmalai Mahādevar (10th century – Parantaka I)
• Tiruvannāmalai Ālvār / Āntar (mid–late 10th century)
• Tiruvannāmalai Udaiyār (11th century onward)

From the time of Rajendra I, the name Tiruvannāmalai Udaiyār becomes the standard epigraphical form.

The term “Udaiyār” signifies “The Lord” or “The One who possesses (the sacred place)”, emphasizing the deity as the sovereign of the hill and its sacred territory.

The now widely used Sanskritized form Arunachaleshwarar appears to be a later theological and linguistic development, while the Tamil inscriptions preserve the earlier devotional vocabulary of the region.

Continuity, Patronage, and the Growth of a Sacred Complex

The evolution of the deity’s name across inscriptions demonstrates:

•  Continuity of worship from at least the 9th century
•  Linguistic shifts in devotional terminology
• Strong and sustained Chola patronage
•  Institutional temple administration by the 11th century

The inscriptions collectively show that Tiruvannamalai was not merely a local shrine, but a fully developed sacred complex with structured governance, ritual endowments, revenue systems, and royal supervision.

The epigraphical corpus thus transforms the temple from legend into documented history.

Arunachala – The Mountain of Saints

Beyond dynasties and inscriptions, Tiruvannamalai is a living center of spiritual awakening. Arunachala Hill has drawn saints, poets, yogis, and seekers for over a millennium.

The Shaiva Nayanmars — Thirugnana Sambandar, Appar, and Sundarar — praised the glory of Arunachala in their devotional hymns (Tevaram), firmly establishing the temple within the sacred geography of Tamil Shaivism.

Later, the mystic poet Manikkavacakar composed verses of deep surrender associated with Arunachala’s spiritual energy.

In the 15th century, Arunagirinathar began composing his Tiruppugazh hymns here after a transformative spiritual experience.

In modern times, the hill became globally known through Ramana Maharshi, who attained enlightenment at Tiruvannamalai and later established his ashram at the foot of Arunachala. He regarded the hill itself as the physical form of Shiva — not merely a symbol, but the Supreme Self embodied in stone.

For seekers, Arunachala is not just geography.

It is silence made visible.

It is fire turned into stillness.

 Festivals & Girivalam Traditions of Arunachala

 Monthly Girivalam (Pournami Pradakshina)

Every Full Moon night, lakhs of devotees circumambulate the sacred Arunachala Hill.

• Distance: approximately 14 km
• Walked barefoot by many devotees
• Considered equal to worshipping Shiva directly

The hill itself is revered as the embodiment of Lord Shiva, and Girivalam is believed to dissolve karmic burdens and grant spiritual clarity.

 Karthigai Deepam – The Festival of the Eternal Flame

The grandest celebration at Arunachaleshwarar Temple is the Karthigai Deepam festival (Nov–Dec).

• A massive beacon of fire is lit atop Arunachala Hill
• Visible for miles across Tiruvannamalai
• Symbolizes Shiva’s original form as the infinite column of fire

On this day, Girivalam becomes even more powerful spiritually, as the hill itself radiates the Agni principle.

 Other Major Temple Festivals

• Maha Shivaratri
• Panguni Uthiram
• Navaratri
• Monthly Pradosham rituals

Each reflects the continuous ritual tradition preserved through centuries of Chola, Pandya, Vijayanagara, and Nayak patronage.

Conclusion

The Arunachaleshwarar Temple is not merely a monumental structure of stone — it is a continuously evolving sacred complex shaped by over a millennium of devotion, royal patronage, and institutional temple culture.

From the early Chola inscriptions of the 9th century to the expansive works of the Vijayanagara and Nayak rulers, the temple reflects uninterrupted worship, administrative sophistication, and architectural growth. The transformation of the deity’s name across centuries — from Tiruvannattu Mahadevar to Tiruvannamalai Udaiyār — preserves a living linguistic record of Tamil Saiva devotion.

As one of the Pancha Bhootha Sthalas representing Fire, and as the spiritual nucleus of Arunachala Hill, the shrine unites myth, inscriptional history, sacred geography, and philosophical symbolism into a single enduring tradition.

Arunachala is not only a hill of legend — it is a documented, living centre of South Indian sacred history.

Related Posts

•  Aadi Arunachalam Temple
• Srirangam Temple

Sources & References

Epigraphical and Archaeological Sources

• Tiruvannamalai: A Saiva Sacred Complex of South India – Inscriptions (1.1) — P. R. Srinivasan; indexes and topography by Marie-Louise Reiniche, Institut Français de Pondichéry, 1990.

Historical Research

• The Colas (Vol. II, Part II) — K. A. Nilakanta Sastri, University of Madras, 1937.
• The Gopuras of Tiruvannamalai — F. H. Gravely, Bulletin of the Madras Government Museum, Government of Tamil Nadu.

Cultural and Travel Accounts

• A Pilgrimage in South India in 1845: Tiruvannamalai — Françoise Boudignon, Kanvashrama Trust.

Institutional Sources

• About Tiruvannamalai Temple — Arunachaleswarar Temple Official Website
• Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple — Tiruvannamalai District Tourism Portal
• Arunachaleswarar Temple — Tamil Nadu Tourism

Disclaimer:
Information in this article is based on local history, folklore, temple records, and publicly available sources. Details such as timings may vary; visitors are advised to verify with temple authorities during special occasions.

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