Parvathamalai - A mountain full of divine mysteries

Parvathamalai is one of the most sacred and lesser-known places in whole India, where a temple for Lord Shiva which was set up by Siddhars in the hill top to meditate and attain enlightenment. Parvathamalai is situated in the outskirts of Thiruvannamalai district. The ancient name of this place is Navira Malai, as mentioned in Sangam Literature which means king of all mountains.

It is said that Parvathamalai is the spot of hidden supreme powers were lots of miracles happen. Many pilgrimages have witnessed the darshan of Siddhars in this mountain. Main deity of this temple is Lord Shiva in the name of Malligarjuna and his consort Parvathi is called Brammarambal or Akilandeshwari Amman. This Lingam was established by Sidhdhar Bogar himself and conducted ceremonies for many years. Malaipadugadam, a Sangam literature written 1800 years ago mentions this mountain as Navira Malai and Lord as “Kaariyundi Kadavul” (God who took all the poison to save devotees). It also mentions that Emperor Nannan of Sangam era worshipped here regularly. So, it is evident that the temple dates back to 2000 years.

One needs complete devotion to trek this 4500 ft mountain, as the steep is very difficult to climb. For trekking enthusiasts, Parvathamalai trek is sure to give a great experience since it contains many types of steps, boulders and odd steps to climb up the hill. One can reach the hilltop temple by two routes that combine in the half-way until the top. The two routes are the Thenmadimangalam route which is usually taken by the pilgrimages and Kadaladi route that is usually chosen by the trekkers since it is a bit tougher than the other route. There is one more route from Mambakkam that is very rarely used since it is very steep and its difficulty.

Speciality of the temple is, anybody with devotion and belief can enter the sacred sannidhi of Lord Shiva and perform poojas, abishekam, aaradhana, alankara by touching the Holy Lingam. There is no door to the temple and is never closed at any time. Many pilgrimages used to stay in the night in the hilltop as they witness many suprising miracles. Many accept that they got the darshan of Siddhars performing pooja. It is believed that the smell of camphor, ringing bells and floral smells are the signs of Siddhars performing pooja. One can witness the miracle of Goddess Brammarambals face glows in the dark night of Ammavasai (no moon day), which is one of the divine mysteries of this mountain temple.

This mountain contains many rare and beautiful flowers that bloom at night and there is a pleasant smell of the herbal flowers that heals one's mind and soul. Before one reaches the hilltop, there is a ruined fort that was built by king Nannan around 200 A.D, who was the lord of Cheyar and was the Chieftain of Chengam. This hill is steep and with different kinds of steps. One part of the hill is a path that contains rods called Kadaparai to hold and climb up the steep hill and hence this stretch of the mountain is called Kadaparai Malai (crowbar hill path). It is a natural wonder that it presents itself in different shapes from eight directions around the hill.

There is an ashram that is located near Veerabhadrar Shrine at the foot of the hill, where one can get free food and the guidance of the route to the top. On the way, before reaching the hills there are temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman, Vinayagar, Pachai Amman along with 7 Muniswarar, Vana Durga and Lord Muruga. There is a Sannidhi outside Lord Malligarjuna Shrine, where there are idols of 18 Sidhdhas sitting around Shivalinga, which gives divine feel to all devotees.

The devotees and the pilgrimages who are visiting the temple believe that the lord relieves them from all the sorrows of life and helps to walk into the path of enlightenment. The lord Shiva shows the way in each step of this mountain. Chant the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, to reach the top with power in mind to climb up and seek his blessings.