点评:Arunachala hill is about 800 meters high raising alone from the plain at the western edge of Tiruvannamalai. It is believed that one of the oldest rock formation on earth. To the millions of people who come here, it is not a hill that represents Shiva, they believe that it is lord Shiva taken the form of a mountain.
Interesting facts about Arunachala Hill:
1. Generally devotees who all comes here do Giri valayam, walking the fourteen kilometres road that circles the base of Arunachala, clock wise, with the hill always on the right. It is generally done barefoot. The full circuit takes most people three to five hours at an normal pace.
2. Within the 14 km circumference of the hill, there are eight small lingam shrines, each associated with the 12 moon signs. These are called ashta lingam's and considered one of the rituals of worship during the Giri valayam.
3. Annamalai means that which cannot be approached or reached. The mountain got this name from the puranic story of gods Brahma and Vishnu being unable to see the summit or the bottom of this mountain.
4. Arunachal Hill is a Brahmanda lingam, which is the biggest Shiva lingam in the world. It is the Vishwa Rupa form of the lord Shiva.
5. There are about 96 shrines around the hill. Main important points are Arunachala temple, Ashta lingams, Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram, Scandashram, Virupaksha Cave.
6. Arunachala is considered to be the very embodiment of compassion and knowledge among saints, sages, and devotees.
翻译:阿鲁纳查拉山高约800米,孤零零地矗立在蒂鲁瓦纳马莱西侧的平原上。据信它是地球上最古老的岩石构造之一。对于成千上万前来朝圣的人来说,它并非仅仅是一座象征湿婆神的山丘,他们坚信这就是湿婆大神以山岳之形显现出来的化身。
关于阿鲁纳查拉山的趣闻:
1. 通常,所有前来朝拜的信徒都会进行“吉里·瓦拉亚姆”仪式,即沿着环绕山麓的14公里长道路徒步行走。顺时针方向行走,山始终在右侧。通常人们是赤脚完成这一行程的。以正常速度行走的话,完成整个环山路线需要三到五个小时。
2. 在这座山14公里的环绕范围内,有八座小型林伽神龛,每一座都与十二星座相对应。这些被称为“阿什塔林伽”,被认为是吉里瓦拉亚姆仪式中的重要礼拜环节之一。
3. “安纳马拉伊”意为“无法接近或抵达之物”。这座山之所以得名,是因为在往世书的故事中,众神梵天和毗湿奴都无法看到这座山的山顶或山底。
4. 阿鲁纳恰尔山是一块“梵天林伽”,也是世界上最大的湿婆林伽。它代表着湿婆神的“宇宙之形”。
5. 山周围约有96座神庙。主要景点包括阿鲁纳恰拉神庙、八林伽、斯里·拉玛纳·马哈希静修处、斯坎达什拉姆以及维鲁帕克沙洞穴。
6.在圣者、贤人和虔信者心中,阿鲁纳查拉被视为慈悲与智慧的化身。