Tiruvannamalai - History

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Tiruvannamalai - History

The Thiruppugazh is a devotional composition paving the way for salvation by including the devotees to become spiritual .The song commencing with the words "Muthai Tharu",in in Thiruppugazh was provided by Lord Muruga and in this sthala. Kanda Puranam, Thiruvikaiadal Puranam etc. give us glimpses of the shrines of Muruga and the piligrim route of Agastiyar, mentioning Thiruvannamalai as an important place. Thiru Arut Vallalar Ramalinga Swamigal has sung about this effulgent Thiruvannamalai.The Thiruvannamalai addenam at kunnuakudi was established by a great seer, Deivasigamani Desigar about 500 years ago. Sivapragasar a man of versatile imagination, Vanna Sarabham Thandapani Swamigal and such Great men lived here. Though this town is known by the name "Thiruvannamalai" strictly speaking it is not correct, as it is only the name of the hill.

This sthala has already attained fame by the presence of Seshadri swamigal who came here some time before Ramana Maharishi. The samadhi of Seshadri swamigal, the ashramam of Ramana,and Isanya mutt are all located here. The cave of Patala Linga, where Ramana Maharishisecured bliss is within the temple. Thiruvannamalai, is a sthala without beginning or end, shines with its own effulgence, that burns the ego afflicting human beings. The temple is big, the towers big, the tank big, the philosophic import big, the vechiles big, the deities big, the walls big, the cooridor's big; in short, everything about this temple is Big.

History of Thiruvannamalai:

The history of this town dates from the early Chola period i.e. the period of Aditya I and Parantaka I (A.D. 871-955) when the Chola empire had expanded northwards to include practically the wholes of Tondaimandalam. After Parantaka I till the reign of Rajendra I, Chola rule over this region is not attested by the Thiruvannamalai inscriptions, possibly on account of the Rashtrakuta invasions and occupation of this area by Krishna III. This is perhaps indicated by a single inscription of Kannaradeva (Krishna III) found in this temple. (475;63). the recovery of this region by the Cholas Was a slow process and reached its successful conclusion only towards the close of Rajaraja I's region i.e. AD 1014, for even Rajaraja is conspicuously absent in the inscriptions of Thiruvannamalai. While the rule of Rajeddra I and Rajadhiraja I over this area is attested by their inscriptions, once again a fairly long gap of over a hundred years is indicated by the absence of any Chola inscriptions till the beginning of Kulottunga III's region (AD 1183)

Large scales activities in the period of Kulottunga III and Rajaraja III are indicated by a number of records in the temple. Further, the frequent references to a number of Chola feudatories of this period would also show a gradual ascendancy in their power and importance till the final establishment of independence by the Kadavaraya chieftains in the second quarter of the 13th century A.D. In this connection mention may be made of an interesting inscription at Thiruvannamalai, which records the agreement entered into by a number of feudatory chieftains to support one another and swearing allegiance to the ruling Chola king (Kulottunga III-A.D. 1210), pointing to a period of great political tension under the late Cholas. (516;106).

The inscriptions of Kopperunjinga clearly show that by the second quarter of the 13th century, the Kadavarayas had established complete mastery over this region leading to the final decline of Chola power. A brief period of Pandya supremacy over this region is indicated by the inscriptions of the Pandyas of the second empire such as Jatavaraman Srivallabha and Tribhuvanachakravartin Kulasekhara in the 13th century AD (481,571 etc; 70,162 ect,). The Hoysalas under Vira Vallaladeva (Ballala III) also exercised sway over this area (459, 509; 89 and 99 - dated AD 1340) indication that the Hoysala power continued to influence Tamil politics even after the Muslim invasions of Malik kafur.

After the Hoysalas, Thiruvannamalai passed into the hands of the Vijayanagar rulers, whose southern invasions under kampana are well known and led to the establishment of Vijayanagar authority over practically the whole of Tamil Nadu. Vijayanagar inscriptions in this temple are fairly large in number and range from the period of Harihara II to the late Vijayanagar ruler Venkatapatideva Maharaya i.e. late 14th to the 17 th centuries AD Following them, their Kayak feudatories of Tanner, established their independent sway over this region and under the famous Sevvappa Nayaka, carried out large scale renovation and building activities in the temple. After Nayak rule, this region seems to have gradually passed into British hands except for a brief period of subordination to the Mysore Odeyars (AD 1816).

Tiruvannamalai - History

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