Tiruvannamalai town is a popular abode of Lord Shiva. The cool
thing with the town is that it's located at an area where you can easily
access it using air, train and road. If you are using air, the easiest
access to the town is through Chennai airport that is 185 km away.
From Chennai, you should use road transport and it will take you 3.5 hours to get to Tiruvannamalai. There are many modes of road transport that you can use. For example, you can use taxis and buses. If you are using a taxi, you should expect to pay about Rs 2500. There are also many buses available. The cool thing with buses is that they are much cheaper than taxis.
What to Do In Tiruvannamalai
There are many things that you can do in Tiruvannamalai. Some of the things that you can do include:
Girivalam: this is a very popular activity where you walk barefoot around the Tiruvannamalai hill. Many people believe that the mountain is an incarnation of Lord Shiva; therefore, when you are walking around it you are walking on a holy ground. It's believed that when you walk around the mountain you will have a good fortune.
Grivalam is popular during the full moon day. It's also common during the first day of every Tamil month. The walk starts at the Arunachaleswara temple. This is also the place where the walk ends. The path is around 13 km. The cool thing is that the entire path is well maintained with concrete; therefore, you don't have to worry of hurting your legs. If you have a disability, you are allowed to use your wheelchair to "walk" around.
By foot, the walk takes 3-5 hours while by bicycle it takes 60-90 minutes. If you want to use a bicycle, you will have to rent it for Rs 10 per trip.
Karthigai Deepam festival: it's the most important festival in Tiruvannamalai and it's celebrated during the months of November and December. The most important event during the festival is the lighting of Deepam which is a large lamp made with many liters of ghee and a cotton wick that is several meters long. When the Deepam is lit, the light can be seen within a 30 km diameter.
The event is usually a big event as the radio stations and televisions in Tamil Nadu broadcast it live.
From Chennai, you should use road transport and it will take you 3.5 hours to get to Tiruvannamalai. There are many modes of road transport that you can use. For example, you can use taxis and buses. If you are using a taxi, you should expect to pay about Rs 2500. There are also many buses available. The cool thing with buses is that they are much cheaper than taxis.
What to Do In Tiruvannamalai
There are many things that you can do in Tiruvannamalai. Some of the things that you can do include:
Girivalam: this is a very popular activity where you walk barefoot around the Tiruvannamalai hill. Many people believe that the mountain is an incarnation of Lord Shiva; therefore, when you are walking around it you are walking on a holy ground. It's believed that when you walk around the mountain you will have a good fortune.
Grivalam is popular during the full moon day. It's also common during the first day of every Tamil month. The walk starts at the Arunachaleswara temple. This is also the place where the walk ends. The path is around 13 km. The cool thing is that the entire path is well maintained with concrete; therefore, you don't have to worry of hurting your legs. If you have a disability, you are allowed to use your wheelchair to "walk" around.
By foot, the walk takes 3-5 hours while by bicycle it takes 60-90 minutes. If you want to use a bicycle, you will have to rent it for Rs 10 per trip.
Karthigai Deepam festival: it's the most important festival in Tiruvannamalai and it's celebrated during the months of November and December. The most important event during the festival is the lighting of Deepam which is a large lamp made with many liters of ghee and a cotton wick that is several meters long. When the Deepam is lit, the light can be seen within a 30 km diameter.
The event is usually a big event as the radio stations and televisions in Tamil Nadu broadcast it live.
