This is a temple which one comes across at the midpoint of the girivallam path near the village of Adi Annamalai.
The origins of the temple are obscure but the ancient legend tells us that Lord Brahma after the dispute with Lord Vishnu comes to this side of the Hill and installs a lingam there.
This is the Adi Annamalai deity.
Logically this temple and the deity is much older than the deity in the main Arunachaleshwara temple.
I feel very curious when I think of the Adi Annamalai temple. The temple is much smaller than the main temple in Tiruvannamalai. Who built this temple? When? Obviously this is the more older of the temples and there is a legend of a secret tunnel that links this temple wih the main temple on the other side of the Hill. The tunnel goes through Arunachala and Bhagwan is reported to have had a vision of the same tunnel where innumerable siddhas were seen by him lost in communion with Arunachala. He then ordered the tunnel to be closed so that these siddhas are not disturbed by curious people.
I wonder what Arunachala was when this temple was being buitl. What was the culture that dotted its slopes? Was there an ancient civilization much before the Adi Annamalai.
Arunachala Hill is nearly 4 billion years old. It is the ancient and most sacred deity of Jambudwipa. It is Mount Meru.
How many civilizations must have lived and perished in its shadow. How many deities must have been worshipped.
Only for the past two thousand years we associate the Hill with Arunachala temple.
Who was the deity before? Who dug the tunnel?
Hey, you belong/have touch with agasthiar ashram in ThiruAnnamalai because Sri Venkatarama siddhar disclosed and revealing many secrets, dharshans and worship procedure of Arunachala Girivalam through agasthiar ashram site and their monthly magazine 'Agasthiar Vijayam'.
ReplyDeletePiyarilal.pm@gmail.com
As i said in reply to your previous comment...I have been introduced to the darshans of Arunachala through various sources the most imp being agasthiar.org.
ReplyDeleteBut most of the darshans of the Hill in my blog are original inspirations and have to my knowledge no records elsewhere.
:)
Maybe, just maybe The Adi Annamalai Lingam represents Brahma ( like you yourself have mentioned ) and The Lingam in The Arunachaleshwar temple represents Vishnu. In fact i have read somewhere that this temple was originally a Vishnu temple. They are diagnally opposite each other in the East West direction.
ReplyDeleteBrahma and Vishnu are arguing, asserting their own importance, when suddenly Shiva ( Arunachala Mountain ) appears between them in a blazing column of Light.
Everyone knows the rest of the story.
tp,
ReplyDeletelogically and symbolically you appear to be right.