Annamalaiyar Temple - Ashta Lingams
Arunachala is surrounded by eight lingams (Ashta
Lingams) each residing in one of the eight directions of the four cardinal
points (South – Yama, West – Varuna, North – Kubera, and East – Indra) and four
inter cardinal points (South East – Agni, South West – Niruthi, North West – Vayu
and North East – Esanya).
The guardians of the four cardinal directions are called
the Lokapalas and are the deities who rule the specific directions of space.
The name for the eight deities, four of the cardinal and four of the
intercardinal directions is 'Ashta-Dikpalas.’
By the turn of the Twentieth Century many of the
shrines, temples and Theerthams at Arunachala were in a state of neglect and
decay. In the case of the Ashta Lingams the areas around the shrines were
filled with squatters and encroachments and the Ashta Lingams shrines
themselves were unmaintained and their worship ignored.
It is believed by many that the work done by I.S.V.
Arunachala Moopanar (Moopanar Swamigal) renovating and restoring the Ashta
Lingams and their adjacent land, was responsible for helping to re-establish
the energetic power of the sacred geometry of Arunachala.
Moopanar Swami came to Arunachala from Tiruveneli around
1968 and became very well known throughout the Arunachala area. He was a
devout, spiritual man who placed great emphasis on spiritual service. When he
arrived at Arunachala, things were rather different to the present time and
what particularly distressed Moopanar Swami was the dreadful, neglected
condition of the Ashta Lingams (eight Lingams) that surround Arunachala.
Moopanar Swami used to spend a lot of time meditating and praying at the
Arunachaleswarar Temple and he eventually came to believe that his mission
directly imposed by Lord Arunachaleswarar was to renovate the Ashta Lingams.
He was convinced that the restoration of the Lingam
Shrines was essential to the revitalization of specific fields of energy and
influence surrounding the Hill. Through a combination of various social
reasons, over the last few centuries Temples and Shrines throughout India had
fallen into disuse and decay. This certainly occurred at Thiruvannamalai where
the situation had become so bad that The Ashta Lingams were even taken over by
squatters and homesteaders. It is said that Moopanar Swami would even resort to
driving the squatters off the Lingam premises with a stick.
The Hill which is octagonal in shape is surrounded by a
total of eight Lingam Temples (Ashta Lingams). Each of these Temples is located
at the four cardinal and four inter-cardinal points. This was also believed by
the ancients who originally constructed the Lingams at their eight cardinal and
inter-cardinal points to represent, characterize and vitalize certain aspects
and qualities of life.
The arrangement of the Ashta Lingams around the
octagonal perimeter of Arunachala reflects the geometry of a Cosmogram. The
octagonal shape is surrounded by a total of eight Lingam Temples (Ashta
Lingams).
Ashta Lingams
Indra
Lingam (East):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Agni
Lingam (South East):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Yama (Ema)
Lingam (South):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Niruthi
Lingam (South West):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Varuna
Lingam (West):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Vayu
Lingam (North West):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Kubera
Lingam (North):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
Esanya
Lingam (North East):
For brief details, please refer the below link;
The Lingams have the dominant Navagraha of the God to
whom they are associated. It is believed that placating a specific Lingam will
bring various benefits that are associated with the respective Navagraha.