2015 Deepam Festival. Day Nine—Night: Kailasha (Ravana) Vahanam

The below photographs are of the Alangarams of Lord Arunachaleswarar which on the Night of the 9 th Day of the 2015 Karthigai Deepam Festival will be mounted on the Kailasha (Ravana) Vahanam. 

Aarti to the Panchamoorthies at Kalayana Mandapam

Inside Temple Compound infront of the Yagasala (3rd Prakaram)

Priest adorning Lord Arunachaleswarar at the Yagasala

Kailasha (Ravana) or Ravananugraha-murti ("form showing favour to Ravana") is an aspect of Lord Siva depicted seated on his abode Mount Kailash with the Goddess Parvati while the rakshasa Ravana tries to shake the mountain. 

Ravananugraha at Arunachaleswarar Temple

The legend recorded in the Ramayana goes like this: 

The ten-headed, twenty-armed mighty King Ravana defeated and looted the city of Alaka (which belonged to his step-brother and God of wealth, Lord Kubera). After the victory, Ravana was returning to Lanka in the flying chariot stolen from Kubera, when he spotted a beautiful place which his chariot could not fly over. 
 

Ravana met Shiva's bull-faced dwarf attendant Nandikeshvara and asked the reason for his chariot's inability to pass over the place. Nandi informed Ravana that Siva and Parvati were enjoying dalliance on the mountain and no one was allowed to pass. 

Ravana mocked Siva and Nandi. Enraged by the insult to his Lord, Nandi cursed Ravana that monkeys would destroy him. In turn, Ravana decided to uproot the mountain Kailash, infuriated by Nandi's curse and his inability to proceed further. He put all his twenty arms under Kailash and started lifting. However, the omniscient Shiva realized that Ravana was behind the menace and pressed the mountain into place with his big toe, trapping Ravana beneath it. Ravana gave a loud cry in pain. Advised by his ministers, Ravana sang hymns in praise of Shiva for a thousand years. Finally, Siva forgave Ravana and granted him an invincible sword. Since Ravana cried, he was given the name "Ravana" – one who cried. 

Ravana Vahanam

The Tamil version of the legend narrates that imprisoned under Kailash, Ravana cut off one of his heads and built a veena from it. He used his tendons for the strings and began singing the praises of Siva which pleased the Lord so much that he bestowed a powerful linga to be worshipped by Ravana at Lanka. 

Taking Darshan of the Panchamoorthies on Day Nine—Night