Thiruvannamalai District - History

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).

Thiruvannamalai is one of the major sacred places of Tamil Nadu, It is impossible to ignore this because of the great area occupied by the Siva temple, the many processing, and the frequent festivals, especially that of Kartigai, the festival of fire, which more then doubles the population. This influx of pilgrims is received in cboultries or hostels, most of which are situated in the north and south car-street.

Another aspect of the temple which has determined the physical form of the town was the construction of the fourth and fifth enclosures. This important extension caused the relocation of residences, especially of brahmins who usually live around the temple in the square formed by the four car-streets.

At Thiruvannamalai, the west car-street behind the temple has very few houses because the mountain slopes upward almost immediately. As for the east and south streets, which follow the main regional highways, they are quite naturally crowded with shops, and also hostels for pilgrims, who thus benefit from the passing processions.

Besides occupying a large area, the great temple radiates its influence throughout the whole town due to its connections with outlying tanks. The sacred bath which takes place at the close of each of the numerous temple festivals is performed either in one of the two temple tanks, or in one of the outlying tanks: Indra Tirtha, Tamarai Kulam, Agni Tirtha, and Ishanya Tirtha. The last two of these lie at the two extremities of the circumambulatory route around the mountain; that is, at the outer limits of the town, where the cremation grounds lie. For this reason they are used for ablutions after funerals. In Thiruvannamalai the Shiva temple is omnipresent and all-powerful, so that there is no Vishnu temple. Apart from three abandoned Shiva temples, there are about a hundred temples to the goddess or to Ganapati. These are street shrines or community temples, all of which relate to the great Shiva temple. During their festivals the processions from these proceed through the four car-streets of the great temple. The final bath takes place, depending on the location of the temple,either in the Ishanya Tirtha to the north or in the Agni Tirtha to the south.