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The power of prayer is well known over centuries and in all different religious beliefs. According to Buddhism, the world in which we live and all that happens to us is a result of our past actions. Past harmful actions create unhappy results and skillful actions create happy results. One way to purify obstacles we experience due to our past harmful action is through prayers and pujas. A puja is a special ceremony in which prayers are offered to the Buddhas to request their blessings or invoke their help.

Thiruvanaikoil temple is one of the Panchabhoota Stalams (signifying the 5 natural elements) and represents water ('Neer'). The other four temples are Kalahasti for wind ('Kaatru'), Tiruvannamalai for fire ('Neruppu'), Kanchipuram for earth ('Mann', 'Bhoomi') and Chidambaram for space (?Aagayam?). As this temple represents water this is also called as 'Appu sthalam' and the Shivalinga ('Swami') here is called as 'Appu Linga'. Even today you can see water oozing out near the Shivalinga idol in the temple. The goddess of this temple is 'Akilandeswari' ('Amman'). The Amman is also called as Akilandanyaki. Akilandeswari is pronounced as 'Akilam - Aanda ? Eswari' (Akilam ? Universe, Aanda ? Ruler, Eswari ? Goddess).