In the sacred town of Thiruvannamalai, at the foothills of the majestic Arunachala, stands the venerable Arunachaleswara Temple, also known as Annamalaiyar Temple, a profound homage to the Hindu deity Shiva. This architectural marvel, nestled amidst the Tiruvannamalai Hill, captivates with its timeless grandeur—a testament to enduring spiritual devotion.
It holds profound significance in Saivism, associated with the five elements and particularly revered as a Pancha Bhoota Stala for the element of fire, Agni. Arunachalesvarar, or Annamalaiyar, is the focal point of worship, with Parvati depicted as Unnamulai Amman.
This sacred site finds its roots in the 7th-century Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram, penned by revered saint poets known as the Nayanmars. The Tiruvempaavai, a composition by the 9th-century Saiva saint poet Manikkavasagar, further enriches the temple’s cultural tapestry.
Encompassing 10 hectares, the temple complex ranks among India’s largest, adorned with four gopurams, with the eastern tower standing at an impressive 66 meters, a testament to the architectural prowess of the Chola dynasty in the 9th century. Noteworthy additions, credited to the Vijayanagar rulers, include the famed thousand-pillared hall.
Temple activist TR Ramesh, who has been working towards freeing temples from government control and also taking necessary legal action when it comes to the overarching attitude of the HR&CE department has made series of serious allegations. He made a post on social media platform X on the threats that the ancient temple is facing especially since the news about the construction of a shopping complex in the vicinity of the temple started circulating.
The sanctity of this heritage site faces a threat from the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Over the past 70 years, this department, under a cloud of alleged fraud since 13 December 1951, has committed numerous heritage violations, raising concerns about its intentions.
Shockingly, plans have surfaced for a commercial shopping complex in direct violation of the temple’s aesthetic sanctity. The Tamil Nadu government, purportedly authorised by the Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department, has issued an order to allocate ₹5.99 crores from the temple funds for this endeavour. Encroachments near the temple and its ancient structures remain unaddressed, raising doubts about the department’s commitment to preservation.
Observation by UNESC after inspection of the horrible works done by @tnhrcedept in Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple Tiruvannamalai – in the report placed before Hon'ble 1st Bench of Madras High Court in 2017.
Till date none of the recommendations have been carried out by TN Govt or… pic.twitter.com/2azCyCvAj6
— trramesh (@trramesh) November 4, 2023
The department has also dismantled an ancient structure, Puravi Mandapam, replacing it with a modern luxury office, a move deemed fraudulent and in contempt of the Madras High Court’s order dated 13 December 1951. Further violations include the construction of two cottages and public toilets within the temple premises, disregarding heritage and agamic principles.
UNESCO had previously alerted the Hon’ble Madras High Court to the significant structural violations conducted by the HR&CE department at the Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai and yet no measures have been taken by the government in this regard.
The urgent need to rectify these transgressions and restore the temple to its original glory cannot be overstated. The devotees demand that the proposed shopping complex, a potential desecration of this sacred space, must be halted. Advocacy for the declaration of Arunachaleswarar Temple as a National Monument gains precedence, emphasising the imperative to safeguard this cultural and spiritual heritage from further degradation.
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