Story of Arunachalam
The origins of the Arulmigu Arunachalam Temple are steeped in ancient mythology. According to legend, a dispute arose between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu over who was the greatest. To resolve this, Lord Shiva transformed himself into a colossal column of fire, challenging both to find his crown and feet. While Vishnu, in the form of Varaha (a wild boar), delved deep into the earth, Brahma took the form of a swan and soared to the skies. However, neither could find the ends of Shiva’s fiery form. Brahma, in a moment of deceit, claimed victory with the help of a Thazhambu flower, which falsely testified that he had seen Shiva’s crown. Enraged by this lie, Lord Shiva cursed Brahma that he would not be worshipped in temples, and the Thazhambu flower would never be used in his worship.
The site where Lord Shiva manifested as the fiery column is Thiruvannamalai, and it is here that the Annamalai Hill, representing fire, stands tall. This sacred hill is believed to have taken various forms across different yugas—Agni (fire) during Krithayugam, Manikkam (emerald) during Threthayugam, Pon (gold) during Dwaparayugam, and rock during Kaliyugam. The temple, situated at the foot of this hill, houses the Agni Lingam, symbolizing Lord Shiva as the element of fire.