Arunachalesvara Temple

The Arunachalesvara Temple or Annamalaiyar Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and Parvati, located at the foothills of the Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is regarded as one of the significant temples in the Tamil Shaivite tradition. It is one of the Pancha Bhuta Sthalams and is associated with the element of fire (Agni) among the five natural elements. The presiding deity of the temple is Annamalaiyar (meaning "the mountain that cannot be reached"), who is worshipped as the embodiment of the hill itself, and is represented by a lingam known as the Agni Lingam, symbolizing the element of fire. Parvathi, revered as Unnamulai ammai, is represented by the yoni, with her idol referred to as the Agni Yoni.

The temple is classified as one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams, one of the 276 sacred Saivite temples glorified in medieval Tamil Shaiva literature. It is celebrated in canonical Tamil devotional works such as the Tevaram composed by the Nayanars in 7th century CE, Tiruvempavai by Manikkavacakar in 9th century CE, and Tiruppukal by Arunagirinathar in the 14th century CE.

The present structure was built during the Chola Empire in the 9th century CE, while later expansions were done during the Vijayanagara rule (13th to 15th century CE). The temple complex covers 10 hectares, and is one of the largest in India. It has four large gopurams (ornamental gateway towers), with the east tower being the tallest at 66 m (217 ft) with 11 stories. The temple has numerous shrines, dedicated to various Hindu gods, and houses severallarge halls, the notable of which is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagara rule. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The temple has six daily rituals, performed between 5:30 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals. During the Karthigai Deepam festival, celebrated during the purnima day in the Tamil month of Karthigai, and a large beacon is lit atop the Arunachala hill. The beacon, which can be seen from miles around, symbolizes the jyotirlinga form of Shiva, which extended as a pillar of fire. The event attracts million of pilgrims, who often circumambulate the hill called girivalam.