Thiruvannamalai is a town near Senji 162 km from Chennai via Villupuram. Thiruvannamalai is one of 5 basic nature elements temple, which is fire. It is one of the main religious temples in India. Annamalaiyar (Lord Shiva) is in the form of a deepam at the top of the hill. The height of the hill is 2671 feet. The deepam is lit on the Tamil month of Karthigai (November-December). The deepam light will appear for 11 days on top of the hill from the date of the main deepam festival.
The goddess’s name is Unnamalai Amman. There are two Nandi statues in the temple – one is big and the other is small. Prayers and offerings are done to big Nandi on every Pradosham. There are many Shivalinga temples in and around the hill path.
Girivalam is an important procession by devotees on every Pournami(Full moon). It is a 13 km Girivalam path. There are many saints are living in Thiruvannamalai. Karthigai deepam festival is highly celebrated for 10 days with various processions. The famous saint Ramana Maharishi Ashram is also located in Thiruvannamalai. The temple is constructed in the 9th century. There are many deities like Murugan, Vinayagar, Navagraha, and other deities. You can see many saints staying in Girivala’s path.
The deepam is lit at the arrival of Lord Arthanareeswar (Shivan) near Sokkapanai in the temple procession. Many people light deepam in their homes during the evening, after seeing the deepam, at the top of the hill. It is one of the important festivals in Tamilnadu. Many people gather at the temple during this time. Yogi Ram Surat Kumar Ashram is also located at Thiruvannamalai.
There are many bus services available to Thiruvannamalai from all over the state. We can reach Thiruvannamalai in 4 hrs from Chennai. There are many hotels available for staying in Thiruvannamalai, and there are some hospitals and schools. It is also a gateway to connect megacities like Chennai and Bangalore.