Arunachaleshwarar Temple—The Fire Lingam
The town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu is a spiritual haven, home to several ascetics and monks who are on a spiritual journey. With scenic Arunachala (also called Annamalai) hill in the backdrop, the town of Thiruvannamalai is also famous for Annamalaiyar Temple. Built by the Cholas, Annamalaiyar temple is one of the oldest temples in India where Lord Shiva is worshipped as the Agni lingam (fire lingam).
Legend has it that Parvati once closed Lord Shiva’s eyes playfully in Kailasha (heaven). Instantly, the whole universe, including the Earth, was engulfed in darkness. To reverse the consequences, Parvati performed a penance. Lord Shiva then appeared as a fiery flame atop the Annamalai hill and lit up heaven and earth once again. He then merged half of his body with Parvati’s and became Ardhanarishvara, the half-female, half-male form of Lord Shiva. The Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated every year to uphold this legend, and a huge beacon of light is lit on top of the hill.
Srikalahasti Temple—The Air Lingam
Built by the Chola and the Vijaynagara kings, Sri Kalahasti temple located in Andhra Pradesh is famous for Vayu Lingam (Air Lingam). Considered Kashi of the south, Srikalahasti is where Lord Shiva is worshipped as the elemental air. Interestingly, even though the sanctum sanctorum is a completely enclosed space with no windows, the flame on the oil lamp there constantly flickers as if in the path of the wind.
According to Hindu mythology, three animals displayed intense devotion to Lord Shiva, which earned this temple its name. An elephant (Hasti) is believed to have bathed the lingam everyday as a mark of devotion. It then placed Vilva leaves. A spider (Sri) revered and protected the lingam from dust and storm by building cobwebs around it. A snake (Kala) worshipped it by placing precious gems to adorn the lord. However, the animals were unaware of each other and their unique methods of worship.
One fine day, Sri had just built a thick web around the deity when Kala came by and placed a gem upon it. A little later, Hasti arrived on the scene and seeing cobwebs on the deity, he cleaned the lingam as usual by sprinkling water. Hasti’s act annoyed the other two animals and they began fighting. Kala entered Hasti’s trunk and bit him. With the poison spreading, Hasti ran amok, hitting his trunk against the Lord Shiva’s lingam. In one blow, Hasti killed Kala and squashed Sri as well. Disturbed by this scene, Lord Shiva is said to have finally appeared and enlightened the three for their selfless devotion.
Thillai Nataraja Temple—The formless (ether) Lingam
Located in a small town called Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram Nataraja temple literally means “an atmosphere of wisdom.” Spread across 51 acres, this temple built by the Cholas is symbolically said to connect formless divinity with creative art forms. Accordingly, whereas the innermost sanctum sanctorum houses Lord Shiva as the Nataraja (the cosmic dancer), the other shrine called the Chidambara Rahasyam is an empty space with a golden roof. This space has spiritual energy about it as if the formless Shiva (representing ether) is present.
A local legend goes that Lord Shiva (in the avatar of a handsome mendicant) once strolled into the Thillai forest where a group of sages lived. The sages’ wives were enchanted by his beauty and that naturally enraged their husbands. Well-versed in rituals and mantras, the sages considered themselves superior. Therefore, to kill the mendicant, they invoked serpents through magical rituals. But Lord Shiva, being more powerful, donned them as ornaments around his neck. Further enraged, the sages invoked a tiger. But the tiger, too, was no match for Lord Shiva. He wore the tiger’s skin as a shawl around his waist. Finally, the sages gathered all their power and called upon a powerful demon. Unperturbed, Lord Shiva simply immobilised the demon and performed the Ánanda Tandava on top of him as Nataraja. That is when the sages realised the true form of the mendicant and surrendered to the superiority of the Lord.
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