Tiruvannamalai

     Tiruvannamalai is a historic holy place, about 175 km from Chennai. The history of this town dates from the early Chola period i.e. the period of Aditya I and Parantaka I (A.D. 871 – 955) when the Chola Empire had expanded northwards to include practically the whole Tondaimandalam.  After Prantaka I till the reign of Rajendra I, Chola rule over this region is not attested by the Thiruvannamalai inscriptions, possibly on account of the Rashtrakuta invasions and occupation of this area by Krishna III.  This is perhaps indicated by a single inscription of Kannaradeva (Krishna III) found in this temple.  The recovery of this region by the Cholas was a slow process and reached its successful conclusion only towards the close of Rajaraja I AD 1014, for even Rajaraja is conspicuously absent in the inscriptions of Thiruvannamalai. .  It is the ‘Mukthi Sthalam’ (Place of Salvation) for several saints like Gugai Namachivayar,Seshadri Swamigal, Ramana Maharishi, Arunagirinathar etc.  and the place is studded with caves and shelters of holy men.  It is one of the ‘Pancha Bootha Sthalams’ (places of five elements) and the element here if Fire or Agni.  It is called ‘Sonachalam’ in Sanskrit meaning Red Mountain symbolic of fire. It is 100 or more temples; the most outstanding is the Siva – Parvathi temple of Arunachaleswara, which is said to be the largest in India.  The main gopuram is 66m, and 13 storey’s high, and there is a 1000 – pillared hall.  And there is a railway station on the Vilupuram – Katpadi rail route. This town stands on an elevation of 266 ft. Thiruvannamalai is one of the major sacred places of major sacred places of Tamil Nadu.  It is impossible to ignore this because of the great area occupied by the Siva temple, the many processing, and the frequent festivals, especially that of Karthigai, the festival of fire, which more than doubles the population.

Thiruvannamalai Town and Temple

     Thiruvannamalai is one of the major sacred places of Tamil Nadu, It is impossible to ignore this because of the great area occupied by the Siva temple, the many processing, and the frequent festivals, especially that of Kartigai, the festival of fire, which more than doubles the population. This influx of pilgrims is received in cboultries or hostels, most of which are situated in the north and south car-street.  Another aspect of the temple which has determined the physical form of the town was the construction of the fourth and fifth enclosures.  This important extension caused the relocation of residences, especially of Brahmins who usually live around the temple in the square formed by the foru car-streets.  At Thiruvannamalai, the west car-street behind the temple has very few houses because the mountain slopes upward almost immediately.   As for the east and south streets, which follow the main regional highways, they are quite naturally crowded with shops, and also hostels for pilgrims, who thus benefit from the passing processions.  Besides occupying a large area, the great temple radiates its influence throughout the whole town due to its connections with outlying tanks.
The sacred bath which takes place at the close of each of the numerous temple festivals is performed either in one of the two temple tanks, or in one of the outlying tanks: Indra Tirtha, Tamarai Kulam, Agni Tirtha, andIshanya Tirtha.  The last two of these lie at the two extremities of the circumambulatory route around the mountain that is, at the outer limits of the town, where the cremation grounds lie.  For this reason they are used for bath after funerals.  In Thiruvannamalai the Shiva temple is ownipresent and all-powerful, so that there is no Vishnu temple. Apart from three abandoned  Siva Temples, there are about a hundred temples to the goddess or to Ganapathi.  These are street shrines or community temples, all of which relate to the great Shiva temple.  During their festivals the precessions from these proceed through the four car-streets of the great temple.  The final bath takes place, depending on the location of the temple, either in the Ishanya Tirtha to the north or in the Agni Tirtha to the south.

Sri Ramanamaharishi Ashram, Tiruvannamalai

     After renouncing the world, Sri Ramana Maharishi started living in a cave on the Arunachala Mountain, In the Thiruvannamalai.  As his devotes grew, the cave became too small and he moved to Skandashramam, a little higher up the mountainside.  Soon, his mother also renounced the world and came to join him.  In the year 1922, she achieved salvation and she was buried at the foot of the mountain.  Ramana Maharishi started visiting the burial place regularly and one day, he decided to stay there permanently.  Later, Sri Niranjanananda Swami, his younger brother, started the construction of Sri Ramanashramam at the place.