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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Annamalaiyar Temple - Ashta Lingams

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.