Thiruvannamalai is a pilgrimage town and
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
in Thiruvannamalai district in the
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n
stateIndia is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.- States and territories :...
of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai district. Thiruvannamalai is home to the
Annamalaiyar TempleAnnamalaiyar Temple is a noted Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located at the bottom of the Annamalai hill in Thiruvannamalai town in Tamilnadu, India...
located at the foot of the Annamalai hill and amongst one of the great
Shiva Temples of TamilnaduLord Shiva, the destroyer, has innumerable temples dedicated to him throughout the length and breadth of India. Probably nowhere more than the South Indian of State of Tamilnadu are the Shiva temples more profuse and among these are more than 2500 shiva temples of great importance...
. Thiruvannamalai has long been associated with many
yogiA yogi is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of spiritual practice. In contemporary English yogin is an alternative rendering for the word yogi....
s and
siddharSiddhars are saints in India, mostly of the Saivaite denomination in Tamil Nadu, who professed and practised an unorthodox type of Sadhana, or spiritual practice, to attain liberation. Yogic powers called Siddhis are acquired by constant practice of certain yogic disciplines...
s, and more recently the 20th century guru
Ramana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was an Indian sage. He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After having attained liberation at the age of 16, he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for...
. The
sanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
name for Thiruvannaamalai - Arunachala - became known worldwide mostly due to Sri Ramana.
Thiruvannamalai is one of the
Pancha Bootha SthalangalPanchabhoota Sthalam representing five basic elements.For every element a temple is created making the whole geography as human body.Thiruvannamalai Tiruvanaikavil Kanchipuram...
representing the fire element along with
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and
KanchipuramKanchipuram, Kanchi, or Kancheepuram is a city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district. In ancient times it was called Kachi and Kachiampathi....
representing sky, air, water and earth respectively.
Four
BrahmotsavamTirumala Brahmotsavam is an annual Hindu festival celebrated for nine days in the months of September and October at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The celebration attracts pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the country.- Brahmotsavam :...
s are celebrated every year, the most famous of which is the one celebrated during the
Tamil monthThe Tamil calendar is used in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry in India, and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. It is used today for cultural, religious and agricultural events, with the Gregorian calendar having largely supplanted it for official use both within and...
of Karthikai (November/December).
Thiruvannamalai is a pilgrimage town and
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
in Thiruvannamalai district in the
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n
stateIndia is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.- States and territories :...
of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai district. Thiruvannamalai is home to the
Annamalaiyar TempleAnnamalaiyar Temple is a noted Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located at the bottom of the Annamalai hill in Thiruvannamalai town in Tamilnadu, India...
located at the foot of the Annamalai hill and amongst one of the great
Shiva Temples of TamilnaduLord Shiva, the destroyer, has innumerable temples dedicated to him throughout the length and breadth of India. Probably nowhere more than the South Indian of State of Tamilnadu are the Shiva temples more profuse and among these are more than 2500 shiva temples of great importance...
. Thiruvannamalai has long been associated with many
yogiA yogi is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of spiritual practice. In contemporary English yogin is an alternative rendering for the word yogi....
s and
siddharSiddhars are saints in India, mostly of the Saivaite denomination in Tamil Nadu, who professed and practised an unorthodox type of Sadhana, or spiritual practice, to attain liberation. Yogic powers called Siddhis are acquired by constant practice of certain yogic disciplines...
s, and more recently the 20th century guru
Ramana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was an Indian sage. He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After having attained liberation at the age of 16, he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for...
. The
sanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
name for Thiruvannaamalai - Arunachala - became known worldwide mostly due to Sri Ramana.
Pilgrimage
Thiruvannamalai is one of the
Pancha Bootha SthalangalPanchabhoota Sthalam representing five basic elements.For every element a temple is created making the whole geography as human body.Thiruvannamalai Tiruvanaikavil Kanchipuram...
representing the fire element along with
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and
KanchipuramKanchipuram, Kanchi, or Kancheepuram is a city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district. In ancient times it was called Kachi and Kachiampathi....
representing sky, air, water and earth respectively.
Four
BrahmotsavamTirumala Brahmotsavam is an annual Hindu festival celebrated for nine days in the months of September and October at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The celebration attracts pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the country.- Brahmotsavam :...
s are celebrated every year, the most famous of which is the one celebrated during the
Tamil monthThe Tamil calendar is used in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry in India, and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. It is used today for cultural, religious and agricultural events, with the Gregorian calendar having largely supplanted it for official use both within and...
of Karthikai (November/December). The ten day event culminates on the day of Karthigai Deepam. On that evening, a huge lamp is lit in a
cauldronA cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.-Symbolism and mythology:...
with three tons of
gheeGhee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia, and is commonly used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine .-Preparation:Ghee is made by simmering unsalted...
at the top of the Annamalai hill.
Every
full moonFull moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun...
night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship
ShivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
by
circumambulatingCircumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object.Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu ritual. It is also practiced in Buddhism. In Islam, circumambulation is performed around the Kaaba in Mecca, in a counter-clockwise direction...
the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km.. On the yearly
Chitra Powrnami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across the world visit the town.
Advaita VedantaAdvaita Vedanta is a sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and . Advaita is a monistic system of thought...
guruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . As a principle for the development of consciousness it leads the creation from unreality to reality, from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge...
Ramana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was an Indian sage. He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After having attained liberation at the age of 16, he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for...
lived in Thiruvannamalai for fifty three years until his death in 1950. His
ashramTraditionally, an ashram is a religious hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
, Ramanasramam, is located at the foot of the Arunachala hill, to the west of the town. Seshadri Swamigal and Yogi RamSurat Kumar are examples of two other gurus who lived in this city.
Geography
Thiruvannamalai is located at . It has an average elevation of 171
metreThe metre or meter is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units . Historically, the metre was defined by the French Academy of Sciences as the length between two marks on a platinum-iridium bar, which was designed to represent one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator...
s (561 feet). Tiruvannamalai is situated 185
kmThe kilometre , symbol km is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second....
from
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
and 210 km from
BangaloreBangalore , also known as Bengaḷūru , is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.Though historical references to the city predate 900...
. Saathanoor Dam across
Thenpennai RiverThe South Pennar River is known as Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada and Thenpennai in Tamil. It is also referred as Ponnaiyar .The river originates in the Nandi Hills in the Kolar district of Karnataka and flows through Tamil Nadu before entering into the Bay of Bengal. It has a catchment area of...
is a tourist place near Thiruvannamalai. The height of the Arunachala hill is approximately 1,600 feet.
Demographics
India
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
, Thiruvannamalai had a population of 130,301. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Thiruvannamalai has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 68%. In Thiruvannamalai, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Tourism
Arunachala Temple
The temple dedicated to Lord
ShivaShiva , also known as Rudra is a major Hindu god and one aspect of Trimurti. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God...
was built between the 16th and the 17th centuries by the kings of the
VijayanagaraVijayanagara is in Bellary District, northern Karnataka. It is the name of the now-ruined capital city, located at , of the historic Vijayanagara empire which extended over the southern part of India.-Location and Surroundings:...
empire. The temple is famous for its massive gopurams.
The 11 tiered East Rajagopuram towers to a height of 217 feet, while the fortified walls pierced with 4 gopura entrances offer a formidable look to this vast temple complex . The Pei Gopuram, Tirumanjana Gopuram and Ammanaiammal gopuram are the other three. The 1000 pillared hall and the temple tank were built by Krishna Deva Rayarar of Vijayanagar. Each of the prakarams has a huge Nandi and several towers such as the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram
It is one of the
panchabhoota sthalam - representing five basic elements. This is the Tejo Sthalam among the
Pancha Bootha Sthalams representing Fire.
The others are -
Tiruvanaikavil (
Appu sthalam - Water)
KanchipuramKanchipuram, Kanchi, or Kancheepuram is a city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district. In ancient times it was called Kachi and Kachiampathi....
(
Prithvi sthalam - Earth)
Kalahasti (
Vayu sthalam - Air)
ChidambaramChidambaram is a municipality in Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. Located at , it is 11 km from the coast and 240 km south of Chennai by rail in the Kollidam River Valley...
(
Akasa sthalam - Space).
Road
Thiruvannamalai is well connected to many cities and towns in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
,
KarnatakaKarnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act...
and
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , abbreviated A.P., is a state situated on the south-eastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Hyderabad...
by road. This town lies on the junction of the
ChittoorFor the district information, see Chittoor district.Chittoor also known as Chittur, is the headquarters and the second biggest town of Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India.- District, Geography and location :...
-
CuddaloreCuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarters of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population...
state highway and the Puduchery - Bengalooru national highway (NH 66). The
TNSTCTamil Nadu State Transport Corporation is the Government public transport Bus operator of Tamil Nadu, India. It operates buses along intra and inter state bus routes. It also operates within city routes...
operates many bus services to the different towns and cities in Tamil Nadu.
Rail
A railway line between
VelloreVellore is a city and headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The 142-year old municipality was crowned as largest Corporation in Tamil Nadu on August 1st 2008. Vellore is ninth corporation converted after Tirupur and Erode. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr...
and Villupuram passes through Thiruvannamalai, where passengers can board a passenger train to Vellore (up) or Villupuram (down) (traffic in this section is now closed for gauge conversion).
The nearest major railway station is at
TindivanamTindivanam is a town and a municipality in Viluppuram District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Important roads from north to south Tamil Nadu pass through Tindivanam and similarly from west to east. It was initially known as 'Tindirivanam' where "Tindiri" means Tamarind in pure Tamil and...
(63 km).
Thiruvannaamalai need Railway line to
TindivanamTindivanam is a town and a municipality in Viluppuram District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Important roads from north to south Tamil Nadu pass through Tindivanam and similarly from west to east. It was initially known as 'Tindirivanam' where "Tindiri" means Tamarind in pure Tamil and...
It's has easily to connect state capital
ChennaiChennai , formerly known as , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai city had a population of 4.34 million in the 2001...
. As of now no direct or indirect rail connection from state capital Chennai. And also need direct railway connection to Bangalore.
Economy
In spite of being very close to the city of Chennai, there are no major industries in and around Thiruvannamalai. As a result, large number of people of this district have traditionally been looking for opportunities either in Bangalore or Chennai.
Administration and Politics
Thiruvannamalai is the headquarter of the Thiruvannamalai District. Thiruvannamalai assembly constituency is part of Tiruvannamalai (Lok Sabha constituency).. Thiru. E. V. Velu, Food Minister,
Government of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu had a bicameral legislature until 1986, when it was replaced with a unicameral legislature, like most other states in India.The 'Governor' is the Constitutional head of the state while the 'Chief minister' is the head of the government and the head of the council of ministers. The...
hails from Thiruvannamalai.
External links