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Tiruvannamalai

Population: 120,000; Area Code: 04175

There are over 100 temples in this town. The most famous temple is the Arunachaleswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Siva and Parvati. This town is 85km south of Vellore.

Also located here, about 2km southwest of town, is the Ashram of Guru Ramana Maharishi, who died in 1950.

You can change money at the State Bank of India, Kosamadam St.

Mt Arunachala
Mt Arunachala is considered to be a linga of Lord Siva. It is traditional to circumambulate the mountain, which is 13km around. You can get a map at the Ramanashram that describes the holy places in the area of the mountain. The inner path, which begins near the Annamalai Ashram, is more pleasant than the main road that goes around the mountain. It is traditional to do the walk barefooted.

Arunachaleswara Temple
It is at the foot of Mt Arunachala and is one of the largest temples in all of India. It has a 60m (198 ft), 13-storey high, beautifully sculptured gopuram and a thousand-pillar hall. The Vijayanagar ruler Krishnadeva Raya (1502-29) built most of the temple, but the inner part of the temple dates back to the 11th century. The temple has four enclosures.

In this temple is one of the five xe "element linga" element lingas, the fire-linga. There are also temples dedicated to Subrahmanya and Parvati on the premises. There is an intertwined neem and bodhi tree on the north side of the temple, which devotees circumambulate and then make an offering to have a happy marriage and healthy children.

If you enter the temple from the eastern gate, on your right is a thousand-pillared hall, which is where the temple elephant usually hangs out. On your left are the large Sivaganga tank and a Subrahmanya shrine. Just before you enter the next enclosure, on your right is the Parthalia-linga.
Within the next enclosure is a shrine dedicated to the consort of Lord Siva and a Nandi bull facing the temple of Lord Siva. Within the enclosure are deities on the walls, such as Siva, Parvati, Subrahmanya, Ganesh, Venugopala (Krishna) and Lakshmi. The inner shrine dedicated to Lord Siva is open for non-Hindus.

Thousands of visitors come during the 10-day Kartika Deepam (Karttigai) celebration in November/December, during which, a huge bonfire is lit on top of the hill. This fire represents Lord Siva. The fire burns for many days and can be seen for kilometres.
The temple is located about 2km from the railway station and bus stand.

Ramanashram
This is the ashram (23292; fax 22491) where Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) lived for the last 20 years of his life. He stayed in Tiruvannamalai for almost 50 years. The ashram is located at the base of Mt Arunachala about 2km southwest of town.

It is possible to stay in the ashram, but it is best to reserve a room in advance during the winter as it is often full at this time. You are supposed to write in two months in advance for reservations and then you will be sent a confirmation letter. Those who stay at the ashram can also take good meals there. Write Sri Ramanashram, Ramanashram PO Tiruvannamalai 606603. It has a web site: www.rtanet.com/ramana.

Virupaksha & Skandasraman Caves
If you follow a path near the northwest corner of the temple, behind the ashram, for 20 minutes you come to the Virupaksha cave. Ramana Maharishi stayed here from 1899 to 1916. There is a Siva-linga inside the cave and a bench outside the cave which was built by him.

Ramana Maharishi later moved to the Skandasraman cave, a few minutes more up the hill, where he lived from 1916 to 1922. The Ramanashram Ashram looks after these caves.

Where to Stay
Aruna Lodge (323-291), 82 Kosamadam St, is a basic place, about 200m east of the temple entrance. There is a good view of the temple from the roof. It is the best budget place in town.
Udipi Brindhavan Hotel (22693), 57 Anna Salai, has very basic rooms with bath for Rs 80/100 and A/C rooms for Rs 325. It has a good, cheap thali restaurant.
Park Hotel is a clean place with basic rooms for Rs 80/100. Rooms have big windows with a view of the temple.
Hotel Trishul (22219), 6 Kanakaraya Mudai, 3 minutes from the temple, has rooms for Rs 450/550 and Rs 650/750 with A/C. It has a good A/C rooftop restaurant, with a good view of the temple.

Travel
Tiruvannamalai is over 100km south of Kanchipuram and 185km southwest of Chennai. It takes about two or three hours to get here by train from Vellore, which is due north. The train station, about half a km from the temple, is on the line between Madurai and Tirupati, and there is a daily train in each direction. The Madurai-Tirupati Exp #6800 departs daily to Tirupati (10.55 pm, 6 hr). The Tirupati-Madurai Exp #6799 goes to Madurai (9.25 pm, 13 hr) via Chidambaram, Thanjavur, and Trichy.

The bus stand is about 2km north of the temple. There are frequent buses to Gingee and regular buses to Pondicherry (3½ hr) and Chennai (5 hr).

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