 Thiruvannamalai is one of the very ancient temples of Tamil Nadu. That this shrine has been sung by the foremost saivaite savants - Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manickavasagar - adds to the glory of this ancient temple. Annamalai is considered to be Manipuraka sthalam among the six basic shrines. Of the five elements, it represents Agni, the glorious fire. The five peaks of Annamalai represent the five faces of Lord Shiva - Isanam, Tatpurusham, Agoram, Vaamadevam, and Sathiyosadham. The hill is considered to be the embodiment of the Lord, symbolised by fire. According to literature, the hill symbolised fire in the Kritha Yuga; manickam (a variety of carbuncle) in the Thretha Yuga; gold in the Dwapara Yuga and emerald in the Kali Yuga. The hill thus evidences the fact that He is the light, the all-illuminating and all-pervading glory.
Sthala Purana
 Legend has it that Brahma the creator and Vishnu the protector had a dispute over the question of superiority between them. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a huge, towering column of flame whose zenith and nadir were not to be seen. A voice from the heavens told them that the one who finds either the beginning or the end of the divine flame would be superior between the two of them. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and flew into the heavens in search of the zenith. Vishnu took the shape of a boar and penetrated through the primeval sea to reach the nadir. They could not complete the task, though hundreds of years rolled past. Vishnu returned and confessed that he could not find the feet of the Lord. Brahma came back and boasted that he reached the top and even submitted a fallen flower from the jata mudi of the Lord that he picked up on his way to the heavens. The Lord cursed Brahma for the barefaced lie as a consequence of which the Brahma the creator is not worshipped in any temple. On the request of Vishnu, the Lord assumed the form of Jyothir Linga for the benefit of the world and resides in
Annamalai.
According to the geologists this was a volcano thousands of years ago and the remains of the eruption have taken the form of the peaks. The circumference of Annamalai is 14 Kms, and it is 810 meters above sea level.
The Temple
The sprawling structure of the temple occupies over 24 acres. There are a total of seven
prakaras. The outer wall of the sixth prakara is 30 feet high, 700 feet wide from north to south and 1500 feet from east to west. There are four raja
gopurams, one on each side. The eastern raja gopuram is 217 feet high; southern, 157 feet; western 144 feet and northern 171 feet high.
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There are ten more smaller gopurams like Vallala Maharajan
gopuram, Kili gopuram, Rishi gopuram, kattai gopuram (north), kattai gopuram (west) etc.
The glorious past
 The temple was a brick structure in the 6th or 7th AD. The sanctum sanctorum was built of granite in the year 817 AD during the Chola regime. Succeeding generations of Chola kings constructed the first two prakaras. The massive Flagstaff and the Rishi gopuram were installed during the period of the Rajendra Chola I (1012-1054 AD). Veera Rajendra Chola consecrated the Kili gopuram in 1063 AD. Kulothunga Cholan built a temple for Unnamulai Amman in 1179 AD. The Pallava king Kop-perun-cingan constructed the third prakara, Palani Andavar temple and Nataraja padam in 13th century AD. Veera Vallalan, the Hoisala king (1340-1374 AD) built the raja gopurams on the north, south and west. He constructed the rest rooms and the temple tanks for the benefit of those who perform giri-valam. The kings of Vijayanagaram expanded the structure further, in the 15th and 16th centuries. Krishna Deva Raya renovated the temple. The renovation is an incessant process, which is being continued to this date by various philanthropists.
Adi Annamalai is the most important of all the temples around Annamalai. According to legend, Brahma built this temple and worshipped the Lord here. This is the shrine that was sung by Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manickavasagar as well as Arunagiri
Nathar.
Festivals
 Annamalai temple is thronged by thousands on devotees on Vinayaka Chathurthi, Kanda Sashti, Sivarathri, navarathri, Vallala Maharaja's Memorial Day rites, etc. However, Karthigai Deepam is the most important of all festivals of Annamalai. This day is celebrated as the day on which Lord Shiva turned the Tiripurams to ashes. Karthigai Deepam marks the Lord's appearance in the form of fire.
The Lord appears in his Ardhanareeshwara form on the day of Deepam, while the Deepam is lit in a large copper cauldron on the hilltop.
The shrine attracts thousands of devotees. The number of devotees on a pilgrimage to Annamalai is on the increase, every year.
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