This journey was planned for a family of seven persons from Bengaluru. There was tight schedule of responsibilities together with age related ailments. So we thought to spend two leisure days in Tiruvannamalai together with flying visit to Vellore Golden temple and Vellore fort on return to Bengaluru.
Though Tiruvannamalai is called as town of temples but in my experience it is a town of sages and one gigantic 1200 years old Arunachaleshwara temple. All these are the pillars in carrying the cult of Hindu religion and concept of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ since ages.
This place has been the age long dwelling of Sage Ramana Maharishi, Seshadri Swamigal Maharishi and Sage Ramsurat Kumar. Their ashrams are in radius of just 1.5 KM within town.
It is town with vast spread markets, a few big hotels but still is away from hustle bustle of modern cities. The people are a bit cold to tourists, busy in their business, reluctant to visitors. Only very few standard restaurants are available. One is in front of Ramana maharishi ashram.
How to reach
Nearest airport is Chennai. Buses directly connect to it from Chennai, Puducherry and Bengaluru. Tiruvannamalai railway station is connected with Katpadi railway station from where major railways pass through. Bengaluru is 210 KM, Chennai, 170 KM, Puducherry is 88 KM.
How much time needed to visit Tiruvannamalai
Two days in town and two days sites outskirts in radius of 40 KM
Where to stay
We stayed in Tamilnadu Tourist Guest house named Hotel Tamilnadu. It is about 2 KM from Arunachaleshwar temple and 4 KM from three ashrams of the town. There are few good hotels in the town and since we are a big team of 7 tourists, preferred government guest house which are normally more spacious, cheaper and usually have good surrounding and eco.
Booking link – TTDC Online. There is very neat and clean well maintained restaurant in the campus, good garden and field for children to play, sit outside in garden enjoying the evening gusts of wind. Don’t know why so much wind blows in the town all the time. This is the only hotel with 4 bedded and 3 bedded spacious AC and Non AC rooms and good for average stay.
What to see
Within town
Ramana Maharishi, Sri Sheshadri Swamigal ashram and Ramsurat Kumar ashram – In vicinity of 1.5 KM
Virupaksh Cave – 1.4 KM inside Ramana maharishi Ashram.
Arunachaleshwar Temple – This is main temple is in heart of town
Parikrama – 14 KM road path circling the Arunachaleshwar mountain and the temple.
Can be covered by auto in 2.15 hours time who show us 8 lingas and an old temple.
Outside Town- Gingee Fort – 40 KM, Parwathamalai – 35 KM, Jawadhu Hills – 75 KM, Mamara Guhai, a tree cave, Melamalayanur and Saathanoor Dam – 30 KM
History of Tiruvannamalai
This temple was one of the prominent temples since times of Chola Empire in 9th century AD. There are a lot of inscriptions available on walls of the temple stones mentioning the periods of Cholas and Rastrakutas. Large scales of activities in the period of Kulottunga III and Rajaraja III (Chola) are indicated by a number of records in the temple in 1183- 1210 AD. The dynasties ruled in this region were Cholas, Rastrakutas, Kadavas and Hoysalas. After Hoysala the region came in hands of Vijaynagar empire, British and Mysore Wadiyars.
Deities in the temple
Lord Shiva is worshiped as Arunachaleswara or Annamalaiyar, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Agni lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Unnamalai Amman. The Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated during the day of the full moon between November and December, and a huge beacon is lit atop the hill. It can be seen from miles around and symbolizes the Shiva lingam of fire joining the sky. This is witnessed by 3 million pilgrims each year. Book your hotel in well advance in this season.
Day 1 – Arunachaleshwar temple and 14 KM parikrama
After the tastey complimentary breakfast in hotel we caught auto to reach Arunchaleshwara temple, the main temple of Tiiruvannamalai dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are 4 gopurams on each side of high walls of temple, wide corridors inside with another set of four gopurams.
So there are about 8 gopurams apart from other smaller gopurams. This is a huge temple in 25 acres area with numerous shrines of different Gods inside. There is astonishing architecture, 1000 pillar temple inside the premises which was built by late Vijaynagar empire.
After seeing the temple we came out of Rajapuram gopuram and hired one auto for Rs.600 for 14 KM parikrama. All 7 of us accommodated in auto. Good thing is that bigger autos are available in Tiruvannamalai to accommodate 7-8 persons. In parikrama the auto guy showed us the 8 lingams and one ancient temple on way in parikrama. It took about 2.15 hours to complete parikrama of 14 KM by auto.
Day 2 – Visit to 3 sage ashramas and trekking to Virupaksha cave
We reached the Ramana Maharishi ashram at 11 AM. But we were not allowed entry as it is closed from 11 AM to 2 PM. We googled and it showed two famous ashrams nearby. One was Sri Sheshadri Swamigal ashram (800 meters) and other was Ramsurat Kumar ashram (1 KM).
First we walked towards Sri Sheshadri ashram on foot and reached in 10 minutes. This is a very famous ashram here. Sheshadri was contemporary to Ramana maharishi and he took care of Ramana during his meditation. Sheshadri was also called “Golden hand” with some charismatic stories behind this. I did not see any foreign devotees here.
Still we had some time before Ramana maharishi ashram opened, so we covered Ramsurat Kumar ashram also.
Yogi Ramsurat Kumar (1918-2001) was a hidden sage who lived as a beggar on the streets of Tiruvannamalai. Ashram is good to visit as they are clean and relaxing. This one is very impressive, and you learn a lot about the guru, Yogi Ramsurat. Main hall is huge and people constantly chanting praising yogi. One can sit and meditate. We can also join to chant the mantra of yogi ram Surat Kumar.
Yogi was from Balia, UP and came to South in search of guru.
We took our lunch in a decent restaurant just in front of Ramana Maharishi Ashram and entered ashram at 2 PM. Bhagwan Ramana (1879-1950) lived in Tiruvannamalai throughout since 1895 when he developed attraction to the Arunachalam hill and land of Shiva here. Later the ashram was built here. Ashram is visited by hundreds of followers who regarded him as avatar of Lord Shiva. .
There is no entry fee in ashram and everyone can be part of prayer irrespective of religion. We can see the Virupaksha and Skandashram Cave where Ramana with his mother and brother lived from 1916 to 1922. Lot of books are written by Western and Indian authors about him.
There are a few buildings, meditation hall, samadhi hall and prayer hall inside the ashram. I see many many foreigners in ashram doing meditation, chanting and parikrama in halls. It was a heartening scene to see the people attracted to Sanatan and wisdom to find solace and truth.
Since Virupaksha cave closes at 4.30 PM we headed quickly towards the entry point of 2.5 Km steep and rough trekking that too without shoe as we were asked to take it off at Ashram entry point itself.
This is tough but one of the best steep trekking we had ever amid forest. It must be life long memorable trek for all visitors. It is tough for people above 65 years. It took about 2.5 hours to complete the trek and come back on the hill bottom.
Epilogue
Tiruvannamalai is called Kashi of South and this is a must see pilgrimage in South. Thousands of people from world daily come to the world famous Arunachaleshwar temple to worship Lord Shiva and visit Ramana Maharishi Ashram. This is a well preserved 1200 years old temple with contribution to its architecture by almost dozen of kingdoms who ruled in this region time to time. The inside architecture and corridors are gigantic and I have not seen bigger temple than this with exception of few in Thanjavur.
There is a beautiful trekking uphill of 2.5 KM through forest to Virupaksha cave from inside Ramana Maharishi ashram. There are many nearby places in radius of 40 KM.
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