Annamalaiyar Temple – History
The present masonry and towers date back to the 9th
century CE, as seen from an inscription in the structure made by Chola kings who ruled at that time. Further
inscriptions indicate that before the 9th century, Thiruvannamalai was under
the Pallava Kings, who ruled from Kanchipuram. The 7th century Nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar wrote of the temple in their poetic work, Tevaram. Sekkizhar, the author of the Periyapuranam wrote that both
Appar and Sambandar worshiped Annamalaiyar in the temple.
The Chola Kings ruled over the region for more
than four centuries, from 850 CE to 1280 CE, and were temple patrons. The
inscriptions from the Chola king record various gifts like land, sheep, cow and
oil to the temple commemorating various victories of the
dynasty. The Hoysala kings used Thiruvannamalai as their capital
beginning in 1328 CE.
Ellappa Nayanar, Tamil scholar, recorded extensively
about Thiruvannamalai town in his ‘Arunachala Puranam’ and has recorded the
City architecture and the legendary stories about King Vallalan of the Hoysala
Empire. This work is based on the ‘Arunachala Mahathmiyam’, written several
centuries before in Sanskrit, but the chapters dealing with King Vallalan and
his exploits in Thiruvannamalai are found only in the Tamil version. King
Vallalan’s devotion and piety are described in the 7th chapter of the
Arunachala Puranam. King Vallala is credited with spreading the benefit
of Girivalam and Arunachaleswara temple.
The Hoysala
King Vallala succeeded his father Narasimha; later, he expanded his
territory up to Thiruvannamalai by taking over his uncle’s kingdom in1292. King
Vallala was ruling the entire South India with Dwarasamdura (now, Halebidu) as capital. The richness of
Hoysala architecture and its unique style, distinguished by finer details and
embellishments, can be seen in the remains of the city of Halebidu even today.
He was thirty years old when he was crowned as the King. Later he lost most of
his ruling territory to Delhi
Sultan Ala-u-din Khilji; he moved south and made Thiruvannamalai as his
capital. Since then the Grace of Arunachala spread all over India and
Thiruvannamalai become a vital spot for spiritual pilgrimage. King Vallalan founded the present
Thiruvannamalai Town.
There are 48 inscriptions from the Sangama
Dynasty (1336–1485 CE), 2
inscriptions from Saluva
Dynasty, and 55 inscriptions
from Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1570 CE) of the Vijayanagara Empire reflecting gifts
to the temple from their rulers. There are also inscriptions from the rule
of Krishnadevaraya (1509–1529 CE), the most powerful Vijayanagara king
indicating further patronage. Most of the Vijayanagara inscriptions were
written in Tamil, with some in Kannada and Sanskrit. The inscriptions in temple from the Vijayanagara
kings indicate emphasis on administrative matters and local concerns, which
contrasts the inscriptions of the same rulers in other temples like Tirupathi. The majority of the gift related inscriptions are for
land endowments, followed by goods, cash endowments, cows and oil for lighting
lamps.
The town of Thiruvannamalai was at a strategic
crossroads during the Vijayanagara Empire, connecting sacred centers of
pilgrimage and military routes. There are inscriptions that show the area
as an urban center before the pre-colonial period, with the city developing
around the temple, similar to the Nayak ruled cities like Madurai.
During the 17th century CE, the temple along with the Thiruvannamalai
town came under the dominion of the Nawab of the Carnatic. As the Mughal
Empire came to an end, the
Nawab lost control of the town, with confusion and chaos ensuing after
1753. Subsequently, there were periods of both Hindu and Muslim
stewardship of the temple, with Muraru Raya, Krishna Raya, Mrithis Ali Khan,
and Burkat Ullakhan besieging the temple in succession. As European incursions
progressed, Thiruvannamalai was attacked by French Soupries, Sambrinet, and the English Captain Stephen Smith. While some were repelled, others
were victorious. The French occupied the town in 1757, and the temple along
with the town came under control of the British in 1760.
In 1790 CE, Thiruvannamalai town was captured by Tippu
Sultan, who ruled from 1750–99
CE. During the first half of the 19th century, the town along with the temple
came under British rule. From 1951, under the provision of the Hindu
Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, the temple has been maintained by the
Hindu Religious and Endowment Board (HR &CE) of the Government of Tamil Nadu. In 2002, the Archaeological Survey of India declared the temple a national heritage monument
and took over its stewardship. Widespread protests and litigation with
the Supreme Court of India, however, led the Archaeological Survey to cede the
temple back to the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board.
The Rajagopuram which adorns the East Gateway is 217
feet high with 11 storeys, its base measure 135 feet by 98 feet. This tower was
built by King Krishna Devaraya of Vijayanagar and completed by Sevappa Nayaka
of Thanjavur. Krishna Devaraya also constructed the Thousand Pillared Mantapam
and dug the tank opposite to it. Ammani Ammal a Sanyasin built the North
Gopuram which is called after her name.
