The below series of photographs denote the completion of the 10 day festival 2014 Aani Brahmotsasvam with an immersion of the Gods in the tank at the Ayyankulam Tank which is situated in front of the third major Shiva Temple at Arunachala, i.e. Arunagirinathar Kovil.
To find out more about this beautiful Temple please visit this earlier posting here.
As mentioned in an earlier posting at this link here, the 10 day Aani Brahmotsasvam Festival commemorates Dakshinayana which marks the beginning of the sun’s movement in a southern direction.
Sorry to have missed visiting this temple! Is this the one where there is meant to be a special door for the siddhas to have darshan that Ramana Maharishi asked to be sealed off? Or is that the Adi Annamalai temple (I looked for it at that temple but couldnt find it). Your blog is a treasure trove of tiruvannamalai spiritual heritage Meenakshi! Keep it coming!
ReplyDeleteArunagirinathar Temple is one of my favourite Temples at Arunachala. The tunnel you are thinking of, (blocked off my Ramana Maharshi) is at Adi Annamalai. If you ask the head priest there he will show you where the entrance of the tunnel is believed to be.
ReplyDeleteAs to Arunagirinathar Temple, there is also a blocked off tunnel in a room there currently being used as a store room. That tunnel is meant to run underground direct to the Arunachaleswarar Temple (the Big Temple).
The Ayyankulam tank is also connected with Ramana Maharshi, as it was at this place that he Bhagavan threw away the remaining money he arrived with and became a renunciant.
Thanks for your kind words about Arunachala Grace. Nice to get positive feedback.
Wow, I searched and searched for that entrance but could not find it, truly! Perhaps we could have a blog entry about its specialness (I know the Maharishi used to rest there during girivalam, and he heard the divine chanting of the sama veda there). In particular, when and why did it stop being the main temple and is there any significance as to its location on the girivalam path?
ReplyDeleteCan you let me know what are the morning aarti times at both of these temples. I always turn up when they are closed, and don't wanna miss out next time, if I am fortunate enough to visit again! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIf you ask the priest Mahadevan at Adi Annamalai Temple, he will show you where the concealed entrance is supposed to be located. Also at Arunagirinathar Temple, the priest will show you the floor of one of the store rooms under which a tunnel is believed to run directly into the Big Temple (Arunachaleswarar Temple).
Will check re puja times at both both Adi Annamalai and Arunagirinathar Temples and post subsequently.
So many Arunachala secret tunnels . . . what wonderful mysteries.
ReplyDelete