Arunachaleswara Temple which is located in Tiruvannamalai is dedicated to Lord Siva and it is one of the largest temples in India. Arunachaleswara temple is one among the “Panch Boodha Sthalams” and it is “Agni” Sthalam. It has also the significance as “Padal Petra Sthalam”. Which means that the four famous ‘Saiva Saints and Poets’ such Appar, Sundarar, Manichkavasakar and Thirugnana Sambandar made several poems on Lord Arunachaleswara.If one observes the general structure of the temple it is noticed that there are five small gopurams on the inner boundary and four big gopurams on the outer boundary. The inner gopurams are also known as Kitti gopurams. There are two gopurams in the East and one gopuram each for the other three directions. The first of the two Eastern gopurams is called Kili gopuram. These are indications that the temple was built in the 11th century. The gopurams built during this period have no more than five storeys. The Kili gopuram was built by Veera Rajendra Chozhan around 1063 A.D. He is also referred to as Maharaja Thiribuvana Chakravarthigal in the inscription.This name was also given to the gopuram. The Kitti (smaller) gopurams, except the top of the western one, were built by the Hoysala King Vallala Maharaja III. His name is given to the biggest Kitti gopuram which is in the East. About the outer gopurams, historians say the western gopuram is the oldest among all. The base for this was built by Vallala Maharaja.
The top of this particular gopuram belongs to a later style. Inscriptions attribute this to Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagar. This king had undertaken the important construction work in this temple. It is said that he built the base of the other three gopurams. But the architectural style of the base of the Western gopuram was constructed first and then those of the South, East and North. Though the Eastern gopuram, known as the Rajagopuram looks older, it was built after the Western one. This was constructed by Krishna Deva Raya and renovated by king Sevappa Naicker of Tanjore Travel Guides in Tamil Nadu. There is another view that this was completely built by Sevappa Naicker. Tamil and Sanskrit inscriptions on the Western gopuram dated 1690 A.D. bear witness to this. Krishna Deva Rayer of Vijayanagar also constructed the hundred pillared and thousand pillared halls in the temple. He dug the Sivagangai Thirtham in front of the thousand pillared hall. As mentioned earlier, he built the base of the three gopurams and either began or finished the Eastern Rajagopuram with eleven storeys.
Time to Visit
Annually there are innumerable festivals which are carried out in the temple. The most favorable festival is “Karthigai Deepam” celebrated in the month of November to December for ten consecutive days. During this famous festival every day in the morning and night Lord Arunachaleswara is taken out for a procession through the streets. Arunachaleswarar Temple is a Awesome Place For Vacations. Daily pujas are performed here at the temple to LordArunachaleswara six times from early mornings to late evenings. The Pujas are performed in the very traditional way. Devotees are seen queuing in large numbers to offer puja to their Lord.