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{{Short description|Hill and holy site in Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Other uses|Arunachalam (disambiguation){{!}}Arunachalam}}
{{pp-move-dispute|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2013}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Arunachala
| other_name = Annamalai
| photo = Arunachala_morning.jpg
| photo_size =
| photo_alt = Picture of Arunachala hill taken from outside town
| photo_caption =
| elevation_m = 814
| elevation_ref =
| prominence_m =
| prominence_ref =
| listing =
| range = [[Eastern Ghats]]
| parent_peak =
| location = [[Tiruvannamalai district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| map = Tamil Nadu
| map_alt =
| map_caption = location of Arunachal in Tamil Nadu
| map_size =
| label =
| label_position =
| coordinates = {{coord|12|14|28|N|79|03|26|E|type:mountain_region:IN-TN_scale:100000|display=inline,title}}
| range_coordinates =
| topo =
| type =
| volcanic_arc/belt=
| age =
| last_eruption =
| first_ascent =
| easiest_route =
}}

'''Arunachala''' ([[IAST]]: {{IAST|Aruṇācalam}} {{IPA|hi|əɾʊˈɳaːtʃələ|}}, 'Red Mountain') is a hill in [[Tiruvannamalai district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], and one of the five main [[Shaivism|Shaiva]] holy places in South India.<ref>Lonely Planet ''South India'' 2009 Page 418 ed Sarina Singh, Amy Karafin, Anirban Mahapatra "Welcome to Tiruvannamalai. About 85 km south of Vellore and flanked by boulder-strewn Mt Arunachala, this is one of the five 'elemental' cities of Shiva; here the god is worshipped in his fire incarnation as Arunachaleswar (see boxed text, ..."</ref> The [[Arunachalesvara Temple]] to [[Shiva]] is located at the base of the hill.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tamilnadu.com/temples/thiruvannamalai-annamalaiyar-kovil.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615193916/http://tamilnadu.com/temples/thiruvannamalai-annamalaiyar-kovil.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2013 |title=Thiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Kovil |publisher=Tamilnadu.com |date=5 April 2013}}</ref> The hill is also known by the names '''Annamalai''', '''Annamalaiyar Hill''', '''Arunagiri''', '''Arunachalam''', '''Arunai''', '''Sonagiri''', and '''Sonachalam'''.

Every year in the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil month]] of [[Kartik (month)|Kārttikai]] (November–December), the ''[[Karthika Deepam|Kārttikai tīpam]]'' light is lit atop the hill.

It is also an important place for devotees of [[Ramana Maharshi]], with [[Sri Ramana Ashram]] situated at its foothills.

== References in religious texts ==
According to the legend, associated with the Temple, a dispute occurred between [[Brahma]] the creator, and [[Vishnu]] the preserver, over which of them was superior. In order to settle the argument, Lord [[Shiva]] is said to have manifested as a column of light, and then the form of Arunachala.<ref name="A. R. Natarajan">[[A.R. Natarajan|A. R. Natarajan]], Arunachala From Rigveda to Ramana Maharshi</ref> But Brahma and Vishnu forgot their highest sacred duties and competed with each other. To solve this, Lord Shiva got up to test the heavens and the earth, saying that the one who sees his head and feet is the greatest among you. Brahma and Vishnu, no matter how hard they tried, failed miserably. Following this, the Devas, who could not bear the heat, prayed to Lord Shiva for peace. Lord Shiva, in response to their request, bowed down to a mountain and a small torch appeared on top of it, and everyone worshiped. The place is also known as Thiruvannamalai, also known as Arunachalam, the site of the fire. The Karthika lamp is mounted on this hill every year during the month of Karthika. Tens of thousands of people flock to Thiruvannamalai on that day.

Creation is an action of [[Brahma]];<br>
Maintenance is done by [[Vishnu]];<br>
Destruction (Renewal) is attributed to [[Shiva]]

The Maheswara Khanda of Skanda Purana, sage Veda Vyasa describes in great detail the wonder of Arunachala.<ref>Veda Vyasa – Skanda Purana. Maheswara Khanda, Arunachala Mahatmya – Book One, Translation and Annotation by Dr. G. V. Tagare</ref>

Over the centuries, many saints and sages have been drawn to Arunachala. The [[Shaivite]] saints of 5th to 10th CE [[Appar]], [[Sambandar]], [[Sundarar]] and [[Manikkavacakar]] are four examples. In the fifteenth century, Guhai Namasivaya, Guru Namasivaya and Virupaksha Deva came from [[Karnataka]] and settled on Arunachala.<ref name="A. R. Natarajan"/> Saint Namasivaya lived in one of Arunachala's caves which is still known by his name. Virupaksha Deva lived in an [[Om|OM]]-shaped cave higher up on the Hill, and this cave too still bears his name.<ref>[http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ramana_maharshi/books/sp/sp001.html The Silent Power]</ref> Located on the south-east slope of Arunachala, this was the cave that Sri [[Ramana Maharshi]] lived in from 1899 to 1916.<ref>A. R. Natarajan, Timeless in Time, Sri Ramana Maharshi</ref>

''Arunachala Mahatmyam'' says,
:"''By seeing [[Chidambaram]], by being born in [[Tiruvarur]], by dying in [[Varanasi|Kasi]], or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation.''"

Another verse in the ''Arunachala Mahatmyam'', translated from Sanskrit into Tamil by Sri [[Ramana Maharshi]] says:

:"''Arunachala is truly the holy place. Of all holy places it is the most sacred! Know that it is the heart of the world. It is truly Siva himself! It is his heart-abode, a secret [[Tirtha and Kshetra#Kshetra|kshetra]]. In that place the Lord ever abides the hill of light named Arunachala.''"<ref>James Michael, English translation(1982) "Arunachala Mahatmyam", ''[[The Mountain Path]]'', [http://davidgodman.org/asaints/powerofa1.shtml pp. 75-84]</ref>

Asked about the special sanctity of Arunachala, [[Ramana Maharshi]] said that other holy places such as [[Mount Kailash|Kailash]], [[Varanasi]] and [[Rishikesh]] are sacred because they are the abodes of [[Lord Siva|Lord Shiva]] whereas Arunachala is Lord Shiva himself.<ref>Venkataramiah Munagala (1936) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, (Talk 143), ({{ISBN|81-88018-07-4}}) Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai [http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ramana_maharshi/books/tw/tw143.html html]</ref><ref>Venkataramiah Munagala, (1936) Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi [http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/downloads/talks_full.zip PDF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928070832/http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/downloads/talks_full.zip |date=28 September 2007 }}</ref> However, as the above verse of ''Arunachala Mahatmyam'' says, Arunachala is a secret ''[[Tirtha and Kshetra#Kshetra|kshetra]]''. It is this place that bestows ''[[jnana]]'' (Self-knowledge) and because most people have so many other desires and do not truly want ''[[jnana]]'', Arunachala has always remained comparatively little known. But to those few who seek ''jnana'', Arunachala always makes itself known through some means or other.

:"''All stones in that place Arunachala are ''[[lingam]]s''. It is indeed the abode of Lord Siva. All trees are the wish-granting trees of [[Indra]]'s heaven. Its rippling waters are the [[Ganges]], flowing through our Lord's matted locks. The food eaten there is the [[ambrosia]] of the Gods. To go round it in ''pradakshina'' is to perform ''pradakshina'' of the world. Words spoken there are holy scripture, and to fall asleep there is to be absorbed in ''samadhi'', beyond the mind's delusion. Could there be any other place which is its equal?''"
::-source: Tamil ''Arunachala Puranam'',<ref>Butler R, translator (2012) ''Arunachala Puranam'', Saiva Ellappa Navalar, available as book and .pdf @ www.lulu.com</ref><ref>Jayaraman J., ''Extract from Sri Arunachala Puranam: '', [http://www.arunachalasamudra.org/arunachalapuranam.html Vignettes]</ref>

==Girivalam==
{{main article|Girivalam (religious practice)}}
The circumambulation of Arunachala is known as ''Malai Suttru'' in Tamil. Performing pradakshina of Arunachala is considered to be beneficial in all ways.<ref>[[A.R. Natarajan|A. R. Natarajan]], Arunachala from Rigveda to Ramana Maharshi</ref> Typically, pradakshina is done in bare feet, with the Hill on the right. Sri Ramana Maharshi once explained the meaning of the word pradakshina and how it should be done by a devotee: "The letter "Pra" stands for removal of all kinds of sins; "da" stands for fulfilling the desires; "kshi" stands for freedom from future births; "na" stands for giving deliverance through jnana. If by way of Pradakshina you walk one step it gives happiness in this world, two steps, it gives happiness in heaven, three steps, it gives bliss of [[Satyaloka]] which can be attained. One should go round either in mouna (silence) or [[Dhyana in Hinduism|dhyana]] (meditation) or [[japa]] (repetition of Lord's name) or sankeertana (bhajan) and thereby think of God all the time. One should walk slowly like a woman who is in the ninth month of pregnancy."<ref>Suri Nagamma, Letters from Sri Ramanasramam</ref>

Throughout the year, pilgrims engage in a practise called ''giri valam'' (circumambulation of Annamalaiyar temple and Arunachala 14 km in circumference), considered to be a simple and effective form of ''[[yoga]]''. The circumambulation is started from the temple with bare feet and is considered a sacred act.<ref name="Melton">Melton 2008</ref> The central government of India asked the Tamil Nadu government through the supreme court to direct the path of ''girivalam'' under the provision of the proposed Tamil Nadu Heritage Conservation Act.<ref>Gaur 2006, p. 21</ref> There are eight small shrines of ''lingams'' located in the 14 km circumference of the hill, each associated with the 12 moon signs. These are collectively termed as ''Ashta Lingam'' (meaning 8 lingams) and is considered one of the rituals of worship during the ''girivalam'' (circumbulation of the hill).<ref name="goodman">Goodman 2002, pp. 38-39</ref>

== Karthigai Deepam ==
{{main|Karthika Deepam}}
[[File:Karthigai deepam Arunachala.jpg|thumb|Karthikai Deepam 2020]]
Every year, on the tenth day of the celebration of [[Tamil calendar#Celebrations|Karthikai]], devotees take embers in pots from the sacred fire lit in the [[Annamalaiyar Temple|Arunachaleswara temple]] and carry them to the top of Arunachala, along with cloth wicks. An enormous cauldron is placed on the highest of Arunachala's five peaks and filled with hundreds of gallons of ghee mixed with camphor. At precisely six o'clock, as the sun sets and the full moon rises, lights are lit on the top of the Hill, on a flagstaff in the temple, and at [[Sri Ramana Ashram|Sri Ramanasramam]], accompanied by chants of Arunachala Siva by the vast crowds.<ref name="A. R. Natarajan"/> The fire on top of Arunachala can be seen for miles around. [[Sri Ramana Maharshi]] described the meaning of this event in this way:

:"Getting rid of the 'I am the body' idea and merging the mind into the Heart to realize the Self as non-dual being and the light of all is the real significance of [[Darśana|darshan]] of the beacon of light on Annamalai, the centre of the universe."<ref>[http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ramana_maharshi/books/coll/cw011.html Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi]</ref>

==Temple==
The temple is famous for its massive [[gopuram]]s, some of which reach as high as 66 m. It is made up of three nested rectangular walls each of which was built during different periods; the innermost could have been built as early as the 7th century by Pallavas. It was later refurbished by the kings [[Chola]]s, [[Pandya]]s, [[Hoysalas]]s, and [[Vijayanagara Empire]] from 10th through the 17th century. The temple is renowned for some of the remarkable carvings on the walls. In one particular carving Lord [[Shiva]] is shown as dancing in an elephant's skin.<ref name="South India Handbook">South India Handbook By Roma Bradnock</ref>

==Reforestation==
[[File:Arunachala Vengikkal.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Arunachala during winter – view from Vengikkal]]
Arunachala is in the [[South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests]] ecoregion. The forests that once covered the mountain have been reduced by fires, [[illegal logging]], and the footfalls of thousands of pilgrims. Reforestation of Arunachala began in the 1990s by a civil society initiative called Annamalai Reforestation Society. In 2004 the Tiruvannamalai Greening Society was founded by district forest officer Pasupathy Raj and other local officials. The society registered as a non-profit trust in 2008 called The Forest Way.

The Forest Way employs full-time and part-time staff and engages volunteers to grow seedlings of native trees and plant them on the mountain. The charity operates a plant nursery, and plants 15,000-18,000 seedlings each year. The charity helped build a children's park and forest park on the site of a former dump, removes litter from the mountain, and watches for fires and creates fire breaks during the dry season.<ref>Sridhar, Lalitha (2017)."Holy hill gets its groves back". ''The Hindu'', 1 April 2017. Accessed 4 May 2020. [https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/holy-hill-gets-its-groves-back-afforestation-initiative-that-resulted-in-arunachala-hill-in-tiruvannamalai/article17752738.ece]</ref><ref>"Overview". The Forest Way. Accessed 4 May 2020.</ref>

== Arunachala in popular culture ==
"Arunachala" is the first track of the ''Pervogenesis'' album by [[The Kristet Utseende]].

== See also ==
* [[Sacred mountains#India|Sacred mountains of India]]
* [[Velliangiri Mountains]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.arunachaleswarartemple.tnhrce.in/ Arunachalam Temple]
*[http://www.arunachala-live.com Arunachala Web Cam]
*[http://www.theforestway.org The Forest Way charitable trust]
{{Hindu holy cities}}

[[Category:Hindu holy cities]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Tiruvannamalai district]]
[[Category:Sacred groves of India]]
[[Category:South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests]]
[[Category:Mountains in Hinduism]]
[[Category:Sacred mountains of India]]
[[Category:Ramana Maharshi]]

Arunachala - Revision history

Gstnit at 11:16, 7 April 2026