1008 Lingam Temple, Ariyanoor, Salem
1008 Lingam Temple is another popular temple located in Salem. This temple is located in Ariyanoor and is under the control of a private department of the Vinayaga Mission. The main feature of this temple is the presence of 1008 Shiva Lingams, with Nandi in the ‘moolasthanam’.
The surrounding greenery, and the Sangagiri Mountains at a distance, creates an ethereal sense of serenity. The lingams are interspersed with other Sannadhis of Lord Muruga similar to those at the Aru padai Veedu, Raja Rajeswari, Anjaneya, Mahalakshmi, Venkatesa perumal among others- all magnificient, the deities beautifully sculptured and maintained extremely well despite the size and location.
A special mention is definitely required about the main deity on top of the hillock - Sri Umayambigai Sametha Sri Arunachala Sundareswara. When one beholds him, all the effort of going up the hillock vanishes. He is so huge and magnificient - a true jewel on the crown of the hillock. They say the height of the lingam is about 17 feet.
The main temple is surrounded by 107 lingams and the main linga is the 108th one amidst all these at the main temple, it is a huge linga. There are 1008 Shiva Lingams present in the temple with the holy cow Nandi in front of them all over the hill on which the temple has been built.
There is an enormous Ganesha statue at the foothill too. It is on the By - Pass, this temple is easily accessible to devotees who travel by road and on a weekend there are several devotees who come from other parts of the city and spend a quiet and serene evening here amidst nature and divinity.
Salem is a very good city of Tamilnadu. I visited many tourist places of Salem. Such as 1008 lingam temple and Kiliyur waterfall in Yercaud.
ReplyDeleteFor more Indian tourist places please visit my blog TouristBug.in . Here you will find some good places for visiting in India.