{"id":30019,"date":"2015-12-23T10:11:53","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T09:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/no-problem-mam.com\/?p=30019"},"modified":"2020-12-09T08:03:11","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T07:03:11","slug":"tiruvannamalai-tamil-nadu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/en\/tiruvannamalai-tamil-nadu\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiruvannamalai & Arunachala, Shiva’s hill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A stop at Tiruvannamalai is a mystical moment. The town takes its name from Annamalaiyar temple around which it grew, and Shiva worship is a key activity for the town. For Hindus, Arunachala Hill overlooking the town represents Shiva himself and is an object of special devotion. The town is full of hermitages and ashrams that bear witness to its powerful spiritual charge.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Legends about<\/strong> the Arunachala Hill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Shiva Nataraja dancing in the center of Arunachala hill | Painting of Chidambaram temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A legend tells us that one day Shiva’s consort Parvati put her hands over his eyes, for fun.<\/strong> It lasted a mere fraction of a second in godly terms, but it meant that the earth was shrouded in darkness for years. Parvati had to perform many austerities to regain Shiva’s confidence. She started her austerities in the Himalayas and finished them in the south, on Arunachala Hill. And there Shiva appeared in a luminous column, and light was restored to the world. Shiva merged with Parvati to form Ardhanarishvara, a being who is half male, half female, and who has lived in the hill ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ardhanarishvara<\/em> : half-shiva, half-parvati<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Siva Mahapurana, an ancient mythological and religious scripture, tells of a quarrel between Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver.<\/strong> Each claimed to be the Supreme Lord and a terrible battle ensued, plunging the universe in confusion and causing great distress to living creatures. Shiva was moved by compassion and manifested in a blazing pillar of light, challenging Brahma and Vishnu to find the base and top of the pillar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brahma took the form of a sign and vanished into the sky, hoping to see the top of the pillar. Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug down into the earth to find its base.<\/strong> Neither could find what they were looking for. They came back exhausted and disoriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that moment, the central part of the pillar opened up and Shiva was revealed in all his glory.<\/strong> Brahma and Vishnu realised they were wrong and acknowledged Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shiva changed the blinding light of the column into a sacred mountain called Arunachala<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shiva appearing in the column of light | Detail of Thirukokarnam temple<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Karthigai<\/strong> Deepam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Every year on the tenth day of the Karthikai Deepam festival a sacred fire is lit in Arunachaleswarar temple.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The big fire on Arunachala hill during Kartikai Deepam | Photo : <\/em>arunachalagrace.blogspot.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Devotees fill pots with embers from the fire and carry them to the top of Arunachala Hill. There, at sunset, an enormous barrel containing hundreds of litres of ghee (clarified butter) is set alight. The fire on Arunachala can be seen for miles around as a reminder of when Shiva appeared as a column of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day before each full moon, pilgrims perform Giri Valam, a circumambulation round the foot of the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[ Kartikai Deepam 2018 ]<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n