Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arunachaleshwar Temple
(Annamalaiyar Temple;
http://arunachaleswarar.org
;
5am-12.30pm & 3.30-9.30pm)
During festivals the
Arunachaleshwar is awash in golden flames and the roasting scent of burning ghee, as be-
fits the fire incarnation of the Destroyer of the Universe. This 10-hectare temple is one of
the largest in India. Its oldest parts date back to the 9th century and the site was a place of
worship long before that. Four large unpainted
gopurams
mark the entrances, with the
main, eastern one rising 13 storeys and an astonishing 66m. Inside the complex are five
more
gopurams
, two tanks and a profusion of sub-temples and shrines (the interactive
map at
www.arunachaleswarar.com/earunastructure.html
is a help). To reach the inner-
most sanctum, with its huge lingam, worshippers must pass through five surrounding
prakarams
(compounds). The temple elephant gives blessings inside the second
gopuram
coming from the east.
HINDU TEMPLE
Mt Arunachala
This 800m-high extinct volcano dominates Tiruvannamalai and local conceptions of the
element of fire, which supposedly finds its sacred abode in Arunachala's heart. Devout
barefoot pilgrims, especially on full-moon and festival days, make the 14km circumambu-
lation of the mountain, stopping at eight famous linga along the route. If you're not quite
that devoted, buy a Giripradakshina map (?15) from the bookshop at Sri Ramana Ashram
(
Click here
)
, hire a bicycle on the roadside nearby, and ride your way around. Or make an
autorickshaw circuit for about ?250 (up to double at busy times).
For a superb view of the Arunachaleshwar Temple and Tiruvannamalai, climb part or
all the way up the hill. The hot ascent to the top and back takes five or six hours: start
early and take water. A 'Skandasramam & Virupakshi Cave' sign, across the road from
the northwest corner of Arunachaleshwar Temple, points the way up past homes and two
caves,
Virupaksha
(about 20 minutes up) and
Skandasramam
(30 minutes). Sri Ramana Mahar-
shi lived and meditated in these caves from 1899 to 1922.
MOUNTAIN
Sri Ramana Ashram
(Sri Ramanasramam; 237200;
www.sriramanamaharshi.org
;
Chengam Rd; office 7.30am-12.30pm & 2-8pm)
This tranquil ashram, in green surrounds 2km southwest of the city centre, draws devotees
of Sri Ramana Maharshi, one of the first Hindu gurus to gain an international following,
who died here in 1950 after half a century in contemplation. Visitors can meditate or at-
tend daily
pujas
and chantings, mostly in the samadhi hall where the guru's body is en-
ASHRAM
