Thiruvannamalai

Thiruvannamalai – The Most Sacred Piligrimage Center Of South India
Getting Familiar With Thiruvannamalai
Thrivannamalai is a famous religious town situated at the base of the Annamalai hills in Tamil Nadu. The town is major pilgrimage centre for most Hindus in the South Indian region. This ancient city is known as great learning centre for spiritualism apart from which it is also associated with several renowned mystic saints. The most prominent of these saints is Shri Ramana Maharishi, who lived here and also attained nirvana in this town. His Ashram attracts numerous devotees to this holy city. Other renowned saints associated with the city include Shri  Seshadri Swamigal and Yogi Ram Surathkumar, whose Asrams are also among the must visit places of the town. 

Prominent Places of Tourist Interest
The Arunachaleswara Temple: This temple, which is also known as the Annamalaiyar temple, is one of the most important places in Thiruvannamaali. The presiding deity of the temple is Arunachaleshwar , which is considered to be a manifestation of fire, one of the five natural elements called Panchabhootas.  These elements in turn are considered to be among the numerous forms of Lord Shiva. The temple is spread over an area of nearly 25 acres, making it one of the largest temples in India. The temple is renowned for its magnificent architecture and its four gateway towers called Gopurams are a sight to behold. The tallest of these Gopurams has 11 stories and has a height of 217 ft, making it the tallest of tower in a temple across India. The temple complex also features numerous halls, the most prominent of which is the hall having thousand pillars, which was built during the Vijaynagar era.

Gingee Fort: The fort is also famous by the name of Chenji Fort, and is the only oldest fort in Tamil Nadu that has not been destroyed. The British were known to refer to the Fort, which is located in Villupuram district, as the ‘Troy of the East’. The original fort, constructed in the 9th century, by the rulers of the Chola Dynasty, was not really big. The current fort which is much bigger was constructed much later in the 13th century.  Even Chatrapati Shivaji referred to the fort as “one of the most impregnable fortresses of India”, and made a significant contribution towards giving it its present form.  Although the fort today is not very well preserved, it still presents a great architectural sight to visitors.

Virupaksha Cave: The cave gets this name from its unique shpe which is like an “OM”. Being located nearly 200 ft beneath the Skandahram, the Virupaksha cave features a Gopuram, which is placed in its eastern region. The cave hares its name with Virupaksha Deva, who was a famous 13th century saint. According to local legend, the saint spent a major part of his life within the cave and after he too Samadhi, his body turned into ashes inside the cave itself, which is why it was named after him.  The devotees still consider the caves auspicious and hold pujas and religious ceremonies here.

Mamara Guhai:  The literal meaning of Mamara Guhai is mango tree cave, which what this ancient cave temple located on the hilly landscape of Thiruvannamalai is known as. For six years the caves were the meditation place of Saint Ramana Maharshi. Located within the temple are the idols Lord Shiva and two incarnations of Goddesses Rajarajeswari and Annapoorna Devi. The temple is believed to be a protective sanctum for Vishwaanthar, which is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and means “Lord of the World” in local language. In addition the temple also features the Lingams of the Siddha Gurus, who are worshipped by the Siddhars present in the region.
Other important place for tourist attraction include Sathanur dam, Melmalayanur, Javadu Hills and pada Veetu

 

 Travel Mode:

Planning to go this place via Indian Rail?

 Visit www.indianrail.gov.in. /‎ for knowing specific trains going to this place. You may book your train tickets at www.irctc.co.in/‎ 

Planning to go this place via Bus?

 Visit https://www.tnstc.in  

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