Annamalaiyar Temple - a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located at the foot of a hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai Annamalai Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

His gods are Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleswara (Shiva in the form of Shiva lingam) and Unnamalaiyal (Apitakuchambal - Parvati).

 Lingam - is the main and most important form and (or) the way Shiva. It represents a vertically placed cylinder with a rounded or hemispherical apex. The most common is in the bottom of the circle, symbolizing the yoni. The image of the linga-yoni, symbolizing the Deity himself "indivisible unity of the male (Shiva) and female (Devi) started on the compound which comes life."

 This temple is one of the largest in India. Thiruvannamalai is the capital of Saivism. South Indian deity, Shiva the God of all nations. There are 275 sacred places (temples of Lord Shiva), which received high praise from Thevaram hymns and were named "Thirumurai Thalangal". Of these twenty-two seats are Nadu Naadu (part of Tamil Nadu). Annamalaiyar Temple is the most sacred of these twenty-two.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Place salvation.

                                                                                                                                                           SivaPuranam defines four sacred places for salvation.
                                                                                                                                                                        Thiruvannamalai is one of them.

The value of this place is that the mere recollection of the Lord Arunachal Eswaran in this place gives you the salvation of all souls (Ninaithale Mukti Tharum Thiruthalam). In Saivism this temple occupies a special place, being also one of the five Pancha Bhuta Sthalamov (one of the five great temples associated with the five basic elements) - is associated with the fire. The other four: Thiruvanaikaval Dzhambukeshvara (water), Chidambaram (ether), Kanchi Ekambareshvara (earth) and Kalahasti Nathar (air). For the first time the temple is mentioned in the works of the poet Nakkirar, so we can assume that he is not less than two thousand years. Apparently, while the temple could be a simple wooden building.
The current stone building and gopurams were built about 1,200 years ago. It is reported by the inscription on the building, which is made during the reign of Chola kings (IX century BC. E.).
Gopuram (or gopuram) - Gate tower in the temple enclosure of Hindu temples, a distinctive feature of the Indian medieval architecture, especially characteristic of South India. It serves as an input to the temple complex. Gopuram has the same functional value as the gopuram - monumental structure of the passage through the fence of the church.
In the 12th century in the state Pandya it becomes the dominant feature of the appearance of the temple, often eclipsing the inner sanctuary, which was hidden from view gopurams colossal proportions.
It is also superior to the inner part of the sanctuary in the richness of ornament. Many churches have more than one gopurams.
Base gopurams typically a rectangle. Below are the richly decorated doors. On top is a conical finial, which consists of several levels, decreases as the narrowing gopurams. Typically, the tower is crowned with a barrel-vaulted roof.
Gopurams exquisitely decorated with sculptures, carvings and paintings on themes from Hindu mythology, especially associated with the deity to whom the temple is dedicated, which is gopuram.