A temple (from the Latin templum ) is a place of worship , a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice . By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temple" in English, while those of other religions are not, even though they fulfill very similar functions. The religions for which the terms are used include the great majority of ancient religions that are now extinct, such as the Ancient Egyptian religion and the Ancient Greek religion . Among religions still active: Hinduism (whose temples are called Mandir or Kovil ), Buddhism (whose temples are called Vihar ), Sikhism (whose temples are called gurudwara ), Jainism (whose temples are sometimes called derasar ), Zoroastrianism (whose temples are sometimes called Agiary ), the Baháʼí Faith (which are often simply referred to as Baháʼí House of Worship ), Taoism (which are sometimes called Daoguan ), Shinto (which are often called Jinja ), Confucianism (which are sometimes called the Temple of Confucius ).
93-607: Arunachalesvara Temple (also called Annamalaiyar Temple ), is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva and goddess Parvati . located at the base of Arunachala hill in the town of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu , India . It is significant to the Hindu sect of Shaivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhuta Sthalas , and specifically the element of fire, or Agni . Shiva
186-405: A Buddha . Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace. Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism : monasteries ( viharas ), places to venerate relics ( stupas ), and shrines or prayer halls ( chaityas , also called chaitya grihas ), which later came to be called temples in some places. The pagoda is an evolution of
279-557: A Darbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is seen and a Langar where people can eat free food. A gurdwara may also have a library, nursery, and classroom. The temple-building tradition of Mesopotamia derived from the cults of gods and deities in the Mesopotamian religion . It spanned several civilizations; from Sumerian , Akkadian , Assyrian , and Babylonian . The most common temple architecture of Mesopotamia
372-563: A Lodge. Lodges meet in a Masonic Temple (in reference to King Solomon's Temple), Masonic Center or a Masonic Hall, such as Freemasons' Hall, London . Some confusion exists as Masons usually refer to a Lodge meeting as being in Lodge . Convention sometimes allows the use of temple in some of the following cases: Nayanars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars ; Tamil : நாயன்மார் , romanized: Nāyaṉmār , lit. 'hounds of Siva', and later 'teachers of Shiva') were
465-697: A century before the advent of Reform, and many continued to do so after. In American parlance, temple is often synonymous with synagogue , but especially non-Orthodox ones. The term kenesa , from the Aramaic for 'assembly', is used to describe the places of worship of Karaite Jews . Example of such temple is the Sofia Synagogue , Bulgaria the largest synagogue in Southeastern Europe and third-largest in Europe . The word temple
558-573: A group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva . Along with the Alvars , their contemporaries who were devoted to Vishnu , they influenced the Bhakti movement in early medieval South India . The names of the Nayanars were first compiled by Sundarar . The list was expanded by Nambiyandar Nambi during his compilation of material by
651-538: A moment for the gods and goddesses, all light was taken from the universe, and the earth, in turn, was submerged in darkness for years. Parvati told Shiva to illuminate the world with their devotees. Then Shiva appeared as a column of fire at the top of the Arunachala hill, returning light to the world and saw Parvati. Shiva then merged with Parvati to form Ardhanarishvara , the half-female, half-male form of Shiva and Parvati. The Arunachala, or red mountain, lies behind
744-666: A mythological beast with body of lion and head of an elephant, a symbol of Nayak power. The Arunagirinathar Mandapam is located to the right of the Kalayana Linga Sundara Eswara Mandapam, and the Gopurathilayanar shrine is to the left of a broad flight of stone stairs that lead up to the Vallala Gopuram. The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu,
837-449: A name). The form and function of temples are thus very variable, though they are often considered by believers to be, in some sense, the "house" of one or more deities . Typically, offerings of some sort are made to the deity, and other rituals are enacted, and a special group of clergy maintain and operate the temple. The degree to which the whole population of believers can access the building varies significantly; often parts, or even
930-482: A standing posture. Sambantha Vinayagar , the elephant god shrine, is located to the north of the flagstaff and the Bali peeta , or platform for sacrifice. To the south of the thousand-pillared hall, there is a small shrine for Subramaya and a large tank. Pathala Lingam, the underground lingam , is the place where Ramana Maharshi (1879 – 1950 CE) is believed to have performed his penance. The shrine of Sivagangai Vinayagar
1023-544: Is templom , also deriving from the same Latin root. Spanish distinguishes between the temple being the physical building for religious activity, and the church being both the physical building for religious activity and also the congregation of religious followers. The principal words typically used to distinguish houses of worship in Western Christian architecture are abbey , basilica , cathedral , chapel and church . The Catholic Church has used
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#17327796254971116-432: Is tserkov , the term khram ( Храм ), 'temple', is used to refer to the church building as a temple of God ( Khram Bozhy ). The words church and temple , in this case are interchangeable; however, the term church ( Ancient Greek : ἐκκλησία ) is far more common. The term temple ( Ancient Greek : ναός ) is also commonly applied to larger churches. Some famous churches which are referred to as temples include
1209-679: Is a cartouche in Latin which reads "this temple (...) was constructed by king Oscar II." Beginning in the late eighteenth century, following the Enlightenment , some Protestant denominations in France and elsewhere began to use the word temple to distinguish these spaces from Catholic churches. Evangelical and other Protestant churches make use of a wide variety of terms to designate their worship spaces, such as church, tabernacle or temple. Additionally some breakaway Catholic churches such as
1302-480: Is also called a Mukti Sthalam , meaning a place of salvation, and saints like Seshadri Svamigal , Gugai Namashivayar, Yogi Ramsuratkumar have attained salvation within the temple. Temple Religions whose places of worship are generally not called "temples" in English include Christianity , which has churches , Islam with mosques , and Judaism with synagogues (although some of these use "temple" as
1395-611: Is an Indonesian term to refer to ancient temples. Before the rise of Islam, between the 5th to 15th centuries, Dharmic faiths (Hinduism and Buddhism) were the majority in the Indonesian archipelago, especially in Java and Sumatra . As a result, numerous Hindu temples, locally known as candi , were constructed and dominated the landscape of Java. The candi architecture follows the typical Indonesian architectural traditions based on Vastu Shastra . The temple layout, especially in
1488-694: Is associated with the Manipooraga chakra. Manipooraga is the chakra associated with the solar plexus. Sambandar , a 7th-century CE Tamil Shaivite poet, venerated Arunachalesvara and Unnamulai in ten verses in Tevaram , compiled as the First Tirumurai . Appar , a contemporary of Sambandar, also venerated Arunachalesvara in 10 verses in Tevaram , compiled as the Fifth Tirumurai . As
1581-539: Is held amidst music with nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas read by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. There are weekly rituals like somavaram and sukravaram , fortnightly rituals like pradosham and monthly festivals like amavasai (new moon day), kruttika , purnima (full moon day) and chaturthi . The temple celebrates dozens of festivals throughout
1674-561: Is known as Nambiyanna in Kannada literature . Sundarar's original list of Nayanars did not follow any sequence with regards to chronology or importance. However, some groups have since followed an order for arranging their Nayanar temple images according to Sundarar's poem as well as the information from Nambi and Sekkizhar. Saiddhantika Non - Saiddhantika Born in Aadhi month, Swathi nakshathiram The 9th-century poet Manikkavacakar
1767-576: Is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu . The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The Karthika Deepam festival is celebrated during the day of the full moon between November and December, and a huge beacon is lit atop the hill. It can be seen from miles around, and symbolizes
1860-471: Is present in the northern bank of the Sivanganga tank. There is a sixteen pillared Deepa Darshana Mandapam, or hall of light, in the third precinct. The temple tree, Magizha, is considered sacred and medicinal, and childless couples tie small cradles to its branches in obeisance. Vedas write that the mast of the temple separated the earth and the sky during creation of the universe. The Kalyana Mandapam,
1953-511: Is referred as Girivalam . According to Hindu legend, the walk removes sins, fulfils desires and helps achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Offerings are made in a string of tanks , shrines, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves around the hill. The circumambulation continues during the rest of the month. On the day of yearly Chitra Pournami , the full moon of the Tamil calendar, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come from across
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#17327796254972046-488: Is situated at the bottom of the Arunachala hills, and faces east, lying over 25 acres. The walls on the east and west measure 700 ft (210 m), the south 1,479 ft (451 m), and the north 1,590 ft (480 m). 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
2139-469: Is taken around the wooden chariot around the mountain. Inscriptions indicate that the festival was celebrated as early as the Chola period (from 850 CE to 1280 CE) and was expanded to ten days in the twentieth century. Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Arunachalesvara by circumambulating the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi), and
2232-470: Is the structure of sun-baked bricks called a ziggurat , having the form of a terraced step pyramid with a flat upper terrace where the shrine or temple stood. Ancient Egyptian temples were meant as places for the deities to reside on earth. Indeed, the term the Egyptians most commonly used to describe the temple building, ḥwt-nṯr , means 'mansion (or enclosure) of a god'. A god's presence in
2325-607: Is used frequently in the tradition of Eastern Christianity ; particularly the Eastern Orthodox Church , where the principal words used for houses of worship are temple and church . The use of the word temple comes from the need to distinguish a building of the church vs. the church seen as the Body of Christ. In the Russian language (similar to other Slavic languages ), while the general-purpose word for 'church'
2418-414: Is worshiped as Arunachalesvara or Annamalaiyar, and is represented by the lingam , with his idol being referred to as Agni lingam . Parvati is worshipped as Unnamalai or Apitakuchambal, and is represented by the yoni , with her idol being referred to as Agni yoni . The two presiding deities is revered in the 7th century CE Tamil Saiva canonical work, the Tevaram , written by Tamil saint poets known as
2511-636: The Ajanta Caves and the Ellora Caves ( Maharashtra ). The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar is another well-known example. As Buddhism spread, Buddhist architecture diverged in style, reflecting the similar trends in Buddhist art. Building form was also influenced to some extent by the different forms of Buddhism in the northern countries, practising Mahayana Buddhism in the main and in
2604-597: The Central Java period, incorporated mandala temple plan arrangements and also the typical high towering spires of Hindu temples. The candi was designed to mimic Meru , the holy mountain and the abode of the gods. In contemporary Indonesian Buddhist perspective, candi refers to a shrine, either ancient or new. Several contemporary viharas in Indonesia, for example, contain an actual-size replica or reconstruction of famous Buddhist temples, such as
2697-615: The Dome of the Rock ( c. 690 CE ). The Greek word synagogue came into use to describe Jewish (and Samaritan ) places of worship during Hellenistic times and it, along with the Yiddish term shul , and the original Hebrew term Beit Knesset ('House of meeting') are the terms in most universal usage. Since the 18th century, Jews in Western and Central Europe began to apply
2790-595: The Dravidian style of the south and the Nagara style of the north, with other regional styles. The basic elements of the Hindu temple remain the same across all periods and styles. The most essential feature is the inner sanctuary, the garbhagriha or womb-chamber, where the primary murti or cult image of a deity is housed in a simple bare cell. Around this chamber there are often other structures and buildings, in
2883-833: The Hagia Sophia , Saint Basil's Cathedral , Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia , the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade , Serbia . The word temple has traditionally been rarely used in the English-speaking Western Christian tradition . In Irish , some pre-schism churches use the word teampall . The usual word for church in the Hungarian language
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2976-693: The Mariavite Church in Poland have chosen to also designate their central church building as a temple, as in the case of the Temple of Mercy and Charity in Płock . According to Latter Day Saints , in 1832, Joseph Smith received a revelation to restore the practice of temple worship , in a "house of the Lord". The Kirtland Temple was the first temple of the Latter-day Saint movement and
3069-724: The Nayanars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam . The 9th century CE Shaiva saint poet Manikkavacakar composed the Tiruvempavai here. The temple complex covers 10 hectares, and is one of the largest in India. It houses four gateway towers known as gopurams . The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of 66 metres (217 ft), making it one of the tallest temple towers in India built by Sevappa Nayakar ( Madurai Nayakar dynasty ) The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Arunachalesvara and Unnamalai being
3162-811: The Tanakh Beit YHWH , which translates literally as ' YHWH 's House'. In English "temple" is the normal term for them. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the site where the First Temple of Solomon and the Second Temple were built. At the center of the structure was the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest could enter. The Temple Mount is now the site of the Islamic edifice,
3255-620: The Tirumurai called Periya Puranam in which he expands further on the stories of each of 63 Nayanars. The Nayanars were from various backgrounds, including Nadar , Vanniyar , Vellalas , Idayars , Kurumbars , Thevars , oilmongers, Brahmins , Vannar , and Dalits . Along with the twelve Vaishnava Alvars , they are regarded as the important Hindu saints from South India . Many Kannada works, such has Nambiyannana Ragale and Tiru Nilakanta Devara Ragale , are written on Nayanars by Kannada poet Harihara . Sundara Murthy nayanar
3348-675: The 9th century, Tiruvannamalai was under the Pallava Kings, who ruled from Kanchipuram . It has four gateway towers, the gopuram , on its four sides. The eastern tower, the Rajagopuram , is the tallest in the temple. The base of the Rajagopuram is made of granite, measuring 135 ft (41 m) by 98 ft (30 m). It was begun by king Krishnadevaraya (1509–29 CE) of the Vijayanagara dynasty, and completed by Sevappa Nayaka (1532–80 CE). The inscriptions indicate that
3441-487: The Arunachalesvara temple, and is associated with the temple of its namesake. The hill itself is sacred and considered a lingam , or iconic representation of Shiva. Another legend is that once, while Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source. Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became
3534-676: 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 temple
3627-568: The Hindu gods, Brahma and Vishnu . The main lingam in the shrine is referred as Agni Lingam , and represents duty, virtue, self-sacrifice and liberation through ascetic life at the end of the Agni kalpa . Aathara Stala are Shiva temples which are considered to be personifications of the Tantric chakras of human anatomy. The Arunachalesvara temple is called the Manipooraga stalam , and
3720-512: The Indian stupas. The initial function of a stupa was the veneration and safe-guarding of the relics of Gautama Buddha . The earliest archaeologically known example of a stupa is the relic stupa located in Vaishali , Bihar in India. In accordance with changes in religious practice, stupas were gradually incorporated into chaitya-grihas (prayer halls). These are exemplified by the complexes of
3813-639: The Indian subcontinent ( India , Bangladesh and Nepal ), Hindu temples have been built in various countries around the world . Either following the historic diffusion of Hinduism across Asia (e.g. ancient stone temples of Cambodia and Indonesia ), or following the migration of the Indian Hindus' diaspora , to Western Europe (esp. Great Britain ), North America (the United States and Canada ), as well as Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, Mauritius and South Africa . Buddhist temples include
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3906-733: The Jain temples in South India, which in turn are quite different from Jain temples in West India. Additionally, a manastambha (literally 'column of honor') is a pillar that is often constructed in front of Jain temples. A Sikh temple is called a gurdwara, literally the "doorway to the Guru". Its most essential element is the presence of the Guru, Guru Granth Sahib . The gurdwara has an entrance from all sides, signifying that they are open to all without any distinction whatsoever. The gurdwara has
3999-615: 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, Tiruvannamalai was attacked by French Soupries, Sambrinet, and the English Captain Stephen Smith. While some were repelled, others were victorious. The French occupied
4092-411: The Nayanar saints up to Karaikkal Ammaiyar , and refers to himself as "the servant of servants". The list did not go into the detail of the lives of the saints, which were described in detail in works such as Tevaram . In the 10th century, king Raja Raja Chola I collected the volumes of Tevaram after hearing excerpts of the hymns in his court. His priest Nambiyandar Nambi began compiling
4185-452: The Shiva lingam of fire joining the sky. The event is witnessed by three million pilgrims. On the day preceding each full moon, pilgrims circumnavigate the temple base and the Arunachala hills in a worship called Girivalam , a practice carried out by one million pilgrims yearly. In Hindu mythology , Parvati , wife of Shiva , once closed the eyes of her husband playfully in a flower garden at their palace atop Mount Kailash . Although only
4278-814: The ancient Americas by a group of people called the Nephites . Though Book of Mormon authors are not explicit about the practices in these Nephite temples, they were patterned "after the manner of the temple of Solomon" ( ) and served as gathering places for significant religious and political events (e.g. Mosiah 1–6; 3rd Nephi 11–26). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a prolific builder of temples. The LDS Church has 367 temples in various phases, which includes 201 dedicated temples (192 operating and 9 previously-dedicated, but closed for renovation ), 3 scheduled for dedication , 48 under construction , 1 scheduled for groundbreaking , and 114 others announced (not yet under construction). Latter-day Saint temples are reserved for performing and undertaking only
4371-497: The ancient Roman religion. In some cases it is hard to determine whether a temple was a building or an outdoor shrine. For temple buildings of the Germanic peoples , the Old Norse term hof is often used. A Zoroastrian temple may also be called a Dar-e-mehr and an Atashkadeh . A fire temple in Zoroastrianism is the place of worship for Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians revere fire in any form, and their temples contains an eternal flame , with Atash Behram (Fire of Victory) as
4464-729: The base constructed from an elevated platform of earth and stones, most parts of Chinese temples are made of timber carpentry, with parts of brick masonry and glazed ceramics for roofs and tile decorations. Typical Chinese temples have curved overhanging eaves and complicated carpentry of stacked roof construction. Chinese temples are known for their vivid colour and rich decorations. Their roofs are often decorated with mythical beasts, such as Chinese dragons and qilins , and sometimes also Chinese deities. Chinese temples can be found throughout Mainland China and Taiwan , and also where Chinese expatriate communities have settled abroad; thus Chinese temples can be found in Chinatowns worldwide. Candi
4557-502: The boar Varaha , and sought its base. The scene is called lingothbava , and is represented in the western wall at the sanctum of most Shiva temples. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source even though it had existed because they got tired, and while Vishnu revealed that he could not find the end, Brahma lied and said he had found the pinnacle in order to defeat Vishnu. In punishment, Shiva cut off Brahma's fifth head. The 7th century Nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar wrote of
4650-401: The building that was marked out on the ground by the augur. Hindu temples are known by many different names, varying on region and language, including Alayam, Mandir , Mandira , Ambalam , Gudi , Kavu , Koil , Kovil , Déul , Raul , Devasthana , Devalaya , Devayatan , Devakula , Devagiriha , Degul , Deva Mandiraya , and Devalayam . Hindu temple architecture is mainly divided into
4743-415: The dynasty. The Hoysala kings used Tiruvannamalai as their capital beginning in 1328 CE. 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 Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529 CE),
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#17327796254974836-402: The earth for liquid libations of animal sacrifices, milk, honey, and wine. The building which housed the cult statue or agalma in its cella was located in the center of the temple in Greek architecture, while in Rome, the cella was in the back. Greek temple architecture had a profound influence on ancient architectural traditions. Greco-Roman temples were built facing eastward, utilizing
4929-451: The empires expanded, the temples grew to monumental size, made out of materials such as stone and marble on raised platforms. While the color has long since faded, The columns would have been painted in white, blue, red, and black. Above the columns would have been a sculpted or painted depiction of a myth or battle, with freestanding sculptures in the pediment triangles. The roofs were tiled and had sculptures of mythical animals or deities on
5022-442: The feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl or Mesoamerican creation myths , written in the form of hieroglyphs on the rises of the steps of the pyramids, on the walls, and on the sculptures contained within. Notable example include Aztec Acatitlan and Mayan Chichen Itza , Uxmal and Tikal . In Judaism , the ancient Hebrew texts refer to a "sanctuary", "palace" or "hall" for each of the two ancient temples in Jerusalem , called in
5115-423: The founding deity of the city, but also served as civic and social centers. The Temple of Saturn even held the state treasury and treasury offices in its basement. The Romans usually referred to a holy place of a pagan religion as fanum ; in some cases this referred to a sacred grove, in others to a temple. Medieval Latin writers also sometimes used the word templum , previously reserved for temples of
5208-459: The hearth fire raised to a new solemnity". Chinese temples refer to temples in accordance with Chinese culture , which serve as a house of worship for Chinese faiths, namely Confucianism , Taoism , Buddhism and Chinese folk religion . Chinese temples were born from the age-old religion and tradition of Chinese people since the ancient era of imperial China , thus they are usually built in typical classical Chinese architecture . Other than
5301-408: The highest grade of all, as it combines 16 different types of fire gathered in elaborate rituals. In the Zoroastrian religion, fire ( Atar ), together with clean water ( Aban ), are agents of ritual purity. Clean, white "ash for the purification ceremonies is regarded as the basis of ritual life," which, "are essentially the rites proper to the tending of a domestic fire, for the temple fire is that of
5394-401: The hymns into a series of volumes called the Tirumurai . He arranged the hymns of three saint poets Sambandar , Appar and Sundarar as the first seven books which he called the Tevaram . He compiled Manikkavasakar 's Tirukovayar and Tiruvasakam as the eighth book, the 28 hymns of nine other saints as the ninth book, the Tirumandiram of Tirumular and 40 hymns by 12 other poets as
5487-409: The largest cases covering several acres. On the exterior, the garbhagriha is crowned by a tower-like shikhara , also called the vimana in the south. The shrine building may include an ambulatory for parikrama ( circumambulation ), one or more mandapas or congregation halls, and sometimes an antarala antechamber and porch between garbhagriha and mandapa. A Hindu temple is a symbolic house,
5580-409: The marriage hall, is in the south-west of the precinct, and is built in Vijayanagara style. A stone trident is present in the outer shrine of the temple in open air, and has protective railings like a sacred tree. The Vasantha Mandapam, meaning the Hall of spring, is the third precinct, and contains the temple office and Kalahateeswarar shrine. The fourth precinct has an image of Nandi, Brahma Theertham,
5673-460: The mid 20th century CE, through the work of Ramana Maharishi (1879 CE–1950 CE). The cave where Ramana meditated is on the lower slopes of the Arunachala hills, with the Sri Ramana Ashrama further down at the foothills. The basement of the raised hall inside the temple has the Patala Lingam shrine underground in the temple, where Ramana attained supreme awareness while ants tried to eat his muscles and failed in it and went away from him. The place
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#17327796254975766-415: The most holy and sacred of covenants and special of ordinances . They are distinct from meeting houses and chapels where weekly worship services are held. The temples are built and kept under strict sacredness and are not to be defiled. Thus, strict rules apply for entrance, including church membership and regular attendance. During the open-house period after its construction and before its dedication,
5859-541: 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 Tiruvannamalai
5952-412: The most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the Vijayanagara dynasty . The present masonry structure was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century CE, while later expansions are attributed to Vijayanagara rulers of the Sangama Dynasty (1336–1485 CE), the Saluva Dynasty and the Tuluva Dynasty (1491–1570 CE). The temple
6045-420: The name temple , borrowed from the French where it was used to denote all non-Catholic prayer houses, to synagogues. The term became strongly associated with Reform institutions, in some of which both congregants and outsiders associated it with the elimination of the prayers for the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple, though this was not the original meaning—traditional synagogues named themselves "temple" over
6138-426: The only one completed in Smith's lifetime, although the Nauvoo Temple was partially complete at the time of his death . The schisms stemming from a succession crisis have led to differing views about the role and use of temples between various groups with competing succession claims. The Book of Mormon , which Latter Day Saints believe is a companion book of scripture with the Bible, refers to temple building in
6231-404: The poets for the Tirumurai collection, and would include Sundarar himself and Sundarar's parents. The Nalvar ( lit. ' The Four ' ) are the three foremost Nayanars Appar , Sundarar , Sambandar along with Manikkavacakar . The list of the Nayanars was initially compiled by Sundarar (Sundararmurthi). In his poem Tiruthonda Thogai he sings, in eleven verses, the names of
6324-532: The priests belong to the Shaivaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed by pandit six times a day; Ushatkalam at 5:30 a.m., Kalashanti at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 10:00 a.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 8:00 p.m. and Arddha Jamam at 10:00 p.m. Each ritual comprises four steps: abhishekam (sacred bath), alankaram (decoration), naivedyam (food offering) and deepa aradhanai (waving of lamps) for both Arunachaleshvara and Unnamulai Amman. The worship
6417-434: The replica of Pawon and Plaosan 's perwara (small) temples. According to local beliefs, the Java valley had thousands of Hindu temples that co-existed with Buddhist temples, most of which were buried in the massive eruption of Mount Merapi in 1006 CE. Temples of the Mesoamerican civilization usually took the shape of stepped pyramids with temples or shrines on top of the massive structure. They are more akin to
6510-446: The rising sun in morning rituals. The location each temple was built also depended on many factors such as environment, myth, function, and divine experience. Most were built on sites associated with myths or a place a god had been believed to have performed a feat, or founded a town or city. Many Roman temples had close associations with important events in Roman history, such as military victories. Temples in cities were often dedicated to
6603-429: The sanctum, there are images of Somaskandar , Durga , Chandekeswarar , Gajalakshmi , Arumugaswami , Dakshinamoorthy , Swarnabairavar , Nataraja , and Lingodbhavar —the last an image of Shiva emanating from lingam . The Palliyarai , the divine room for resting deities, is located at the first precinct around the sanctum. The shrine of his consort, Annamalai Amman, lies in the second precinct, with Amman depicted in
6696-557: The seat and dwelling of Hindu gods . It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together according to Hindu faith . Inside its garbhagriha innermost sanctum, a Hindu temple contains a murti or Hindu god's image. Hindu temples are large and magnificent with a rich history. There is evidence of the use of sacred ground as far back as the Bronze Age and later during the Indus Valley civilization . Outside of
6789-470: The south where Theravada Buddhism prevailed. A Jain temple, called a Derasar , is the place of worship for Jains , the followers of Jainism . Some famous Jain temples are Shikharji , Palitana temples , Ranakpur Jain temple , Shravan Belgola , Dilwara Temples and Lal Mandir . Jain temples are built with various architectural designs. Jain temples in North India are completely different from
6882-474: The structures called stupa , wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. A Buddhist temple might contain a meditation hall hosting Buddharupa , or the image of Buddha , as the object of concentration and veneration during a meditation. The stupa domed structures are also used in a circumambulation ritual called Pradakshina . Temples in Buddhism represent the pure land or pure environment of
6975-486: The temple in their poetic work, Tevaram . Sekkizhar , the author of the Periyapuranam wrote that both Appar and Sambandar worshiped Arunachalesvara 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
7068-484: The temple is open to the public for tours. Various sects in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith have temples. Freemasonry is a fraternal organization with its origins in the eighteenth century whose membership is held together by a shared set of moral and metaphysical ideals based on short role play narratives concerning the construction of King Solomon's Temple. Freemasons meet as
7161-475: The temple is revered in Tevaram , it is classified as a Paadal Petra Sthalam , one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Shaiva canon. Manikkavacakar , a 9th-century CE Tamil saint and poet, revered Arunachalesvara and Unnamalai in his writings, describing the two deities as "Annamalai" and "Apitakuchambal". He composed the Tiruvempavai in the Tamil month of Margali at the temple. Arunagirinathar
7254-488: The temple linked the human and divine realms and allowed humans to interact with the god through ritual. These rituals, it was believed, sustained the god and allowed it to continue to play its proper role in nature. They were, therefore, a key part of the maintenance of maat , the ideal order of nature and of human society in Egyptian belief. Maintaining maat was the entire purpose of Egyptian religion , and thus it
7347-489: The temple tank, the Yanai Thirai Konda Vinayaga shrine, and a hall with a six-foot-tall statue of Nandi, erected by Vallala Maharaja. Inside the doorway of the first tower and the fifth precinct, there is a thousand-pillared hall built during the late Vijayanagara period. Krishnadevaraya constructed the hall and dug the tank opposite to it. The pillars in the hall are carved with images of yali ,
7440-484: The temple to Tiruoodal street to enact the oodal (or love tiff) between the two in the evening. The Arunachalesvara temple is one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalams , or five Shiva temples, with each a manifestation of a natural element : earth, water, air, sky and fire. In Arunachalesvara temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself as a massive column of fire, whose crown and feet could not be found by
7533-519: The temple. The temple has a total of five precincts, each of which holds a huge Nandi , the sacred bull of Shiva. Towers include the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram, or Parrot Tower. The main shrine of Arunachalesvara faces east, housing images of Nandi and Surya , and is the oldest structure in the temple. Behind the walls of the sanctum, there is an image of Venugopalaswamy ( Krishna ), an incarnation of Vishnu . Around
7626-491: The tenth book. In the eleventh book, he created the Tirutontanar Tiruvanthathi (also known as Tirutoṇṭar Antādi , lit. Necklace of Verses on the Lord's Servants), which consisted of 89 verses, with a verse devoted to each of the saints. With the addition of Sundarar and his parents to the sequence, this became the canonical list of the 63 saints. In the 12th century, Sekkizhar added a twelfth volume to
7719-413: The tops or corners. Greek temples also had several standard floor plans with very distinct column placement. Located in the front of the temple were altars intended for sacrifices or offerings. Ouranic altars were usually square, lined with a metal pan for burnt offerings, and a flat top which was necessary for the ouranic gods to receive offerings. Chthonic altars, called bothros , were pits dug into
7812-411: The tower was built at the behest of Sivanesa and his brother Lokanatha in 1572 CE. The south tower is called Thirumanjangopuram, and the west tower is called Pe Gopuram. Ammani Amman gourami in the north. Raghunathabhyudayam and Sangitha Sudha , both Nayak scriptures, also describe the towers. The Tanjavuri Andhra Raja Charitamu mentions that Krishnadevaraya built the tower and the outer precincts of
7905-461: The town in 1757, and the temple along with the town came under control of the British in 1760. In 1790 CE, Tiruvannamalai 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
7998-416: The whole main building, can only be accessed by the clergy. Temples typically have a main building and a larger precinct , which may contain many other buildings or may be a dome-shaped structure, much like an igloo. The word comes from Ancient Rome , where a templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur . It has the same root as the word "template", a plan in preparation for
8091-1011: The word temple in reference of a place of worship on rare occasions. An example is the Roman Catholic Sagrada Familia Temple in Barcelona, Spain and the Roman Catholic Basilique du Sacré-Cœur Temple in Paris, France. Another example is the Temple or Our Lady of the Pillar, a church in Guadalajara , Mexico . Some Protestant churches use this term; above main entrance of the Lutheran Gustav Vasa church in Stockholm , Sweden
8184-460: The world to worship Arunachalesvara. Five temple cars, called ther , with wooden carvings, are used for the procession. Tiruvoodal is another festival celebrated during the first week of the Tamil month Thai at mid-January of every year. On the morning of Maatu Pongal , between 15 and 16 January, Nandi is decorated with garlands made of fruits, vegetables and sweets. The festival deities of Arunachalesvara and Unnamamulai Amman are taken out of
8277-592: The year. Four prime festivals, the Brahmotsavam , are celebrated yearly. The most important of these lasts ten days during the Tamil month of Karthikai , between November and December, concluding with the celebration of Karthikai Deepam. A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron , containing three tons of ghee , at the top of the Arunachala hills during the Deepam. To mark the occasion, the festival image of Arunachalesvara
8370-465: The ziggurats of Mesopotamia than to Egyptian ones. A single or several flight(s) of steep steps from the base lead to the temple that stood on the plateau on top of the pyramid. The stone temple might be a square or a rounded structure with a door opening leading to a cella or inner sanctum. The plateau on top of the pyramid in front of the temple is where the ritualistic sacrifice took place. Some classic Mesoamerican pyramids are adorned with stories about
8463-481: Was a 15th-century CE Tamil poet born in Tiruvannamalai. He spent his early years as a rioter and seducer of women. After ruining his health, he tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the northern tower, but was saved by the god Kartikeya . He became a staunch devotee and composed Tamil hymns glorifying Kartikeya, the most notable being Tiruppukal . The western world learnt of Tiruvannamalai during
8556-659: 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 precolonial period, with the city developing around the temple. During the 17th century CE, the temple along with the Tiruvannamalai town came under the dominion of the Nawab of the Carnatic . As the Mughal empire came to an end,
8649-625: Was the purpose of a temple as well. Ancient Egyptian temples were also of economic significance to Egyptian society. The temples stored and redistributed grain and came to own large portions of the nation's arable land (some estimate as much as 33% by the New Kingdom period). In addition, many of these Egyptian temples utilized the Tripartite Floor Plan in order to draw visitors to the center room. Greek and Roman temples were originally built out of wood and mud bricks, but as
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