THIRUVANNAMALAI

THIRUVANNAMALAI

     Thiruvannaamalai-Girivalam

     Sri.S.V.Varadharajan

    In India we have sixty eight famous siva temples.Thiruvannamalai is one of them and it has its own glorious past and historical importance.The mountain which we see here has its own sanctitity and mythological past.This mountains is famous for the Girivalam                  ( i.e.going round the mountain) and its beneficial results.              

     Thiruvannamalai is one of the "Panchabootha sthalas (five sacred places) Thiruvannamalai is the place where the supreme power, the Almighty created the 'Agni' or fire in this univere as one of the five prime elements of nature.The mountain here represents the fire and people worship it as a symbol of Lord Siva himself. This holy place is said to bestow 'Mukthi' to the earnest devotees. Similarly there is a saying that the holy place 'Kasi' (Benares)gives mukthi to those who are born there. Like wise at Chidambaram, a person who worships Shiva attains mukti and at Thiruvannamalai,a devotee who thinks and meditates about this place gets mukti.


  Here, Siva bearing the name of Arunachaleswra, shines not only in the form of the mountain here but also assumes the form of a yogi and preceptor to the universe. He put down the pride and ego of the celestial Lords, Brahma and Vishnu once when they were fighiting among themselves about the superior power of each one of them. The Goddess Parvathi assumes the name as Unnamalai Amman and Abithakuchambal and it is this sacred place where the Ambigai did severe penance and got seated on the left side in the body of Eswara. The mountain here is called 'kantha malai'


To be continued 


  

















   











                








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