Temple Museum

A museum featuring various aspects of the history of the Arunachaleswarar Temple will be set up in the Thousand Pillar Hall of the Temple. As well as the historical aspect, it is hoped that the museum will give an opportunity to the devotee and visitor to view the unique sculpture of the Hall.

The foyer, situated near the Raja Gopuram of the Temple, which houses the Thousand Pillars with their wonderful sculptures was once used as warehouse by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supply Corporation and for a long time was filled with bags of rice that were said to harbour a large infestation of rats! When the Government vacated the warehouse it was turned into a resting shed for Temple elephant Rukku. A few years ago Rukku moved to a Hall near Thirumanjana Gopuram.

Traditionally there are only two occasions in the year when one was able to enter the Thousand Pillar Hall, i.e. Ani Thirumanjanam and the Arudhra darshan Festival. Due to the influence of art lovers and concerned parties the Government decided last year to establish a Museum in this Mandapam. At that time the Temple administration sent a letter to the Commissioner of Museums seeking suggestions on the setting up of a Museum. Acting on this request the Commissioner visited the Mandapam and thereafter sent detailed recommendations to the Temple authorities.

Subsequently engineers were consulted and the task of setting up the first phase of the Museum was handed over to the District Building Centre. According to Temple authorities 8,000 square feet in the western side of the Mandapam is to be utilized for the first phase. In this phase pillars will be stone varnished and separate enclosed rows devoted to different themes i.e.; paintings, portraits, wood carvings and stone sculptures. In this respect a section of 108 portraits representing different dance postures of Lord Shiva will be on display.

It is proposed that unprotected objects of antique value found in other Temples in Tamil Nadu will be diverted to the Arunachaleswarar Temple Museum. The first phase of this work is estimated at Rs.15 Lakh. Temple authorities have assured devotees that the Museum will be opened as soon as possible.

Temple Museum

The Thousand Pillar Hall in Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar Temple, kept closed throughout the year despite its sculptural richness, will now house a Museum which will feature various aspects and information about the Temple.

The Thousand Pillar Hall, situated near the Raja Gopuram of the Arunachaleswarar Temple, possesses carved stone pillars, and once served as a rice warehouse for the Tamil Nadu Civil Supply Corporation. After that use was abandoned the Hall was then used to house the Temple elephant. Since the time the elephant was given other housing, the Thousand Pillar Hall has remained locked and used only during the annual 'Arudhra Darshan' festival, when it was opened for the murti of Lord Nataraja to give 'darshan' to thousands of devotees, waiting outside the Hall.

As interested parties were worried about the plight of the Thousand Pillar Hall which is believed to have been constructed during the Krishnadevaraya period, (early 16th Century) the Government proposed to establish a Museum in the Mandapam. The Temple administration has sought suggestions on the setting up of the museum from the Commissioner of Museums, and as a consequence detailed recommendations have been given to the Temple authorities.

In the report, it has been recommended, that the proposed Museum should be set up utilising 12,700 sq ft (nearly half) of the Hall featuring hundreds of bronze, metallic and wooden objects, small stone sculptures, portraits collected by the Temple administration and a model of the temple. Also a sculpture garden could be set up in 8,400 sq ft land near the Hall, in which old stone-carved Temple works could be exhibited.

The proposed Museum work would need funding of about Rs.50 Lakhs.