Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tiruvannamalai ?47, two hours, every 15 minutes
TRAIN
Vellore's main station is 5km north at Katpadi. There are at least 20 daily superfast or ex-
press trains to/from Chennai Central (2nd class/AC chair ?64/226, 2¼ to 3¾ hours), most
with a big choice of classes, and 10 trains to/from Bangalore City station. Bus 192 shuttles
between the station and town.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Tiruvannamalai
04175 / POP 144,683
There are temple towns, there are mountain towns, and there are temple-mountain towns
where God appears as a phallus of fire. Welcome to Tiruvannamalai. Set below boulder-
strewn Mt Arunachala, this is one of South India's five 'elemental' cities of Shiva; here
the god is worshipped in his fire incarnation as Arunachaleshwar. At every full moon
'Tiru' swells with thousands of pilgrims who come to circumnavigate the base of Arun-
achala in a purifying ritual known as Girivalam, but at any time you'll see Shaivite priests,
sadhus (holy people) and devotees gathered around the big Arunachaleshwar Temple. The
area's reputation for strong spiritual energies has engendered numerous ashrams, and
Tiruvannamalai is attracting growing numbers of spiritual-minded travellers. Around the
main cluster of ashrams, on and near Chengam Rd about 2km southwest of the centre,
you'll find a few congenial cafes and sleeping options.
THE LINGAM OF FIRE
Legend has it Shiva appeared as the original lingam of fire on Mt Arunachala to restore light to the world after his
consort Parvati had playfully plunged everything into darkness by closing Shiva's eyes. Each November/Decem-
ber full moon, the Karthikai Deepam Festival (statewide; Nov/Dec) celebrates this legend throughout India
but becomes particularly significant at Tiruvannamalai. The lighting of a huge fire atop Mt Arunachala on the full
moon night, from a 30m wick immersed in 3 tonnes of ghee, culminates a 10-day festival with nightly proces-
sions for which many hundreds of thousands of people converge on Tiruvannamalai. Huge crowds scale the
mountain or circumnavigate its base. On the upward path, steps quickly give way to jagged, unstable rocks. The
sun is relentless and the journey must be undertaken barefoot - none of which deters the thousands of pilgrims
who joyfully make their way to the top and the abode of their deity.
Sights & Activities
 
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