Tiruvannamalai
Encyclopedia
Thiruvannamalai is a pilgrimage Temple city and special grade municipality
in Thiruvannamalai district in the India
n state
of Tamil Nadu
. It is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai district. Thiruvannamalai is home to the Annamalaiyar Temple
located at the foot of the Annamalai hill and amongst one of the great Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. Thiruvannamalai has long been associated with many yogi
s and siddhar
s, and more recently the 20th century guru Ramana Maharshi
, who lived in Mount Annamalai, now a popular spiritual tourism destination.
, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and Kanchipuram
representing space, wind, water and earth respectively.
Four Brahmotsavam
s are celebrated every year, the most famous of which is the one celebrated during the Tamil month
of Karthikai (November/December). The ten day event culminates on the day of Karthigai Deepam. On that evening, a huge lamp is lit in a cauldron
with three tons of ghee
at the top of the Annamalai hill.
Every full moon
night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Shiva
by circumambulating
the Annamalai hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km. On the yearly Chitra Powrnami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across the world visit the sacred town.
Advaita Vedanta
guru
Ramana Maharshi
lived in Thiruvannamalai for fifty three years until his death in 1950. His ashram
, Sri Ramanasramam, is located at the foot of the Annamalai hill, to the west of the town. Seshadri Swamigal and Yogi RamSurat Kumar are examples of two other gurus who lived in this city.
Tiruvannamalai is situated 185 km from Chennai
and 176 km from Bangalore
. Saathanoor Dam across Thenpennai River is a tourist place near Thiruvannamalai. The height of the Annamalai hill is approximately 2,669 feet.
, Thiruvannamalai had a population of 327,601. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Thiruvannamalai has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 91%, and female literacy is 78%. In Thiruvannamalai, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
was built between the 9th and the 10th centuries by the Chola kings of the Tamil
empire. The temple is famous for its massive gopurams.
This has been determined from an inscription in the structure that was made during the reign of Chola kings who ruled in the ninth century A.D
The 11 tiered East Rajagopuram towers to a height of 217 feet, while the fortified walls pierced with 4 gopura entrances offer a formidable look to this vast temple complex . The Pei Gopuram, Tirumanjana Gopuram and Ammanaiammal gopuram are the other three. The 1000 pillared hall and the temple tank were built by Krishna Deva Rayarar of Vijayanagar. Each of the prakarams(outer courtyard) has a huge Nandi and several towers such as the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram
It is one of the panchabhoota sthalam - representing five basic elements. This is the Tejo Sthalam among the Pancha Bootha Sthalams representing Fire.
The others are -
Thiruvanaikaval
(Appu sthalam - Water)
Kanchipuram
(Prithvi sthalam - Earth)
Kalahasti (Vayu sthalam - Air)
Chidambaram
(Akasa sthalam - Space).
passing through Thiruvannamalai are:
Thiruvannamalai is well connected to many cities and towns in Tamil Nadu
, Karnataka
and Andhra Pradesh
by road. This town lies on the junction of thethe Pondicherry–Krishnagiri-Bangalore
national highway (NH 66), Mangalore
–Villupuram national highway NH234 . The TNSTC
operates many bus services to different towns and cities in Tamil Nadu, such as Chennai
, Vellore
, Salem, Tirupati, Villupuram, Bangaluru, Tiruchi, Madurai
, Coimbatore
, Erode
, Tiruppur, Kanyakumari
, Madurai
, Pattukottai, Chidambaram
, kallakurichi and to Pondicherry.
A railway line between Vellore
and Villupuram passes through Thiruvannamalai, where passengers can board a passenger train to Vellore (up) or Villupuram (down). The nearest major railway station is at jolarpet
(81 km). eventhough there are 5 major trains are there, vellore-cuddalore local passengares train servicing daily.and also all major good trains from south tamilnadu to chennai are using this way.
(170 km) and Bengaluru International Airport 167 km.
There is no domestic airport in Tiruvannamalai.
There is a range office at Amirthi headed by the forest ranger. There is also a hill tribe society at Nimmiyambattu near Amirthi whose main aim is to provide employment opportunities to the hill tribes in the area.
The humidity ranges are 40% – 63% during summer and 89% – 96% during winter. The average annual rainfall is 1987.7mm. The maximum rainfall occurs during October and November through the North-east monsoon. The area experiences rainfall during the South-west monsoon as well.
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Thiruvannamalai district in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai district. Thiruvannamalai is home to the Annamalaiyar Temple
Annamalaiyar Temple
Annamalaiyar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, located at the foothills of the Annamalai Hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India. Shiva is worshipped as Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleswarar represented by lingam, withhis consort, Unnamalaiyaal...
located at the foot of the Annamalai hill and amongst one of the great Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu. Thiruvannamalai has long been associated with many yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
s and siddhar
Siddhar
Siddhars are saints in India, mostly of the Saivaite denomination in Tamil Nadu, who professed and practised an unorthodox type of Sadhana, or spiritual practice, to attain liberation. Yogic powers called Siddhis are acquired by constant practice of certain yogic disciplines. Those who acquire...
s, and more recently the 20th century guru Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi
Sri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
, who lived in Mount Annamalai, now a popular spiritual tourism destination.
Pilgrimage
Thiruvannamalai is one of the Pancha Bootha Sthalangal representing the fire element along with ChidambaramChidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
representing space, wind, water and earth respectively.
Four Brahmotsavam
Brahmotsavam
Tirumala Brahmotsavam is an annual festival at Tirumala Lord Venkateswara Temple celebrated for nine days in the months of September and October. The celebration attracts pilgrims and tourists from all partsof the nation and across the world.- Brahmotsavam :...
s are celebrated every year, the most famous of which is the one celebrated during the Tamil month
Tamil calendar
The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
of Karthikai (November/December). The ten day event culminates on the day of Karthigai Deepam. On that evening, a huge lamp is lit in a cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
with three tons of ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
at the top of the Annamalai hill.
Every full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
by circumambulating
Circumambulation
Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object.Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu ritual. It is also practised in Buddhism. In Islam, circumambulation is performed around the Kaaba in Mecca, in a counter-clockwise direction...
the Annamalai hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km. On the yearly Chitra Powrnami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across the world visit the sacred town.
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi
Sri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
lived in Thiruvannamalai for fifty three years until his death in 1950. His ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
, Sri Ramanasramam, is located at the foot of the Annamalai hill, to the west of the town. Seshadri Swamigal and Yogi RamSurat Kumar are examples of two other gurus who lived in this city.
Geography
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and 176 km from Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. Saathanoor Dam across Thenpennai River is a tourist place near Thiruvannamalai. The height of the Annamalai hill is approximately 2,669 feet.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Thiruvannamalai had a population of 327,601. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Thiruvannamalai has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 91%, and female literacy is 78%. In Thiruvannamalai, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Tourism
Annamalaiyar Temple
The temple dedicated to Lord ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
was built between the 9th and the 10th centuries by the Chola kings of the Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
empire. The temple is famous for its massive gopurams.
This has been determined from an inscription in the structure that was made during the reign of Chola kings who ruled in the ninth century A.D
The 11 tiered East Rajagopuram towers to a height of 217 feet, while the fortified walls pierced with 4 gopura entrances offer a formidable look to this vast temple complex . The Pei Gopuram, Tirumanjana Gopuram and Ammanaiammal gopuram are the other three. The 1000 pillared hall and the temple tank were built by Krishna Deva Rayarar of Vijayanagar. Each of the prakarams(outer courtyard) has a huge Nandi and several towers such as the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram
It is one of the panchabhoota sthalam - representing five basic elements. This is the Tejo Sthalam among the Pancha Bootha Sthalams representing Fire.
The others are -
Thiruvanaikaval
Thiruvanaikaval
Thiruvanaikaval is a famous Shiva temple in Tiruchirapalli , located in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple was built by Kocengannan , one of the Early Cholas, around 1,800 years ago...
(Appu sthalam - Water)
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
(Prithvi sthalam - Earth)
Kalahasti (Vayu sthalam - Air)
Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
(Akasa sthalam - Space).
National Highways
Three important National HighwaysIndian highways
The National Highways Network of India, is a network of highways that is managed and maintained by agencies of the Government of India. These highways measured over as of 2010, including over of limited-access Expressways....
passing through Thiruvannamalai are:
- NH66National Highway 66 (India)National Highway 66 is a National Highway in India. This is the main National Highway to connect Pondicherry with Bangalore. This highway is a shame with pot holes and craters the size of baby swimming pools. Commuters find it impossible to drive on this route. The government of Tamil Nadu for some...
- NH234National Highway 234 (India)National Highway 234 , is a National Highway in India that Originates in Mangalore,Karnataka, travels through Venkatagirikota, Andrha Pradesh and Vellore,Thiruvannamalai,Tamil Nadu terminates at Villupuram,Tamil Nadu- Route :...
- NH289
Thiruvannamalai is well connected to many cities and towns in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
by road. This town lies on the junction of thethe Pondicherry–Krishnagiri-Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
national highway (NH 66), Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
–Villupuram national highway NH234 . The TNSTC
TNSTC
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation is the public transport bus operator of Tamil Nadu, India. It operates buses along intra and inter state bus routes, as well as city routes.There are currently 6 divisions in TNSTC:*TNSTC Coimbatore...
operates many bus services to different towns and cities in Tamil Nadu, such as Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
, Salem, Tirupati, Villupuram, Bangaluru, Tiruchi, Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, Erode
Erode
Erode is a city, a municipal corporation and the headquarters of Erode district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is situated at the center of the South Indian Peninsula, about southwest from the state capital Chennai and on the banks of the rivers Cauvery and Bhavani, between 11° 19.5"...
, Tiruppur, Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
, Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, Pattukottai, Chidambaram
Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a fast growing industrial city in Eastern part of Tamil Nadu and the taluk headquarters of the Cuddalore district. It is located in 58 km from Pondicherry, 60 km from Karaikal, and 240 km south of Chennai by rail...
, kallakurichi and to Pondicherry.
Rail
There is abundant of train facility at tiruvannamalai. 1.thambaram-thiruvannamlai train ,2.krishnarajapuram-thiruvannamlai train,3.thiruvannamalai-thiruchirapalli train,4.k.r.puram-pondichery train,5.MEENAKSHI EXPRESS from tirupathi to madurai biweekly train(16779 and16780)connects it to major places (katpadi-vellore,tirukovilur,villupuram,cuddalore,kumbakonam,tanjore,trichy).A railway line between Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
and Villupuram passes through Thiruvannamalai, where passengers can board a passenger train to Vellore (up) or Villupuram (down). The nearest major railway station is at jolarpet
Jolarpet
Jolarpet is a panchayat town in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India.Now it is IInd grade municipality from 2011. It is an important railway junction in Southern Railway. It is located 7km from Tirupattur and 18 km from Vaniyambadi...
(81 km). eventhough there are 5 major trains are there, vellore-cuddalore local passengares train servicing daily.and also all major good trains from south tamilnadu to chennai are using this way.
Air
The nearest international airports are at ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(170 km) and Bengaluru International Airport 167 km.
There is no domestic airport in Tiruvannamalai.
Economy
In spite of being fairly close to the city of Bengaluru & Chennai, there are no major industries in and around Thiruvannamalai. As a result, a large number of people of this district have traditionally been looking for opportunities either in Bangalore or in Chennai.Amirthi Forest
Amirthi zoological park is situated under the Javvadu/Javadi Hills of Tellai across Amirthi river which is 65 km away from thiruvannamalai. This zoological park was started in October 1967 and has an area of 25 hectares. The inflow of tourists is mostly during the holidays. This zoological park has been recognized recently and so the state government has taken initiative to develop the area.There is a range office at Amirthi headed by the forest ranger. There is also a hill tribe society at Nimmiyambattu near Amirthi whose main aim is to provide employment opportunities to the hill tribes in the area.
Climate
thiruvannamalai has an tropical wet and dry climate, reaching high temperatures during summer. The city experiences wet winters and dry summers and has an elevation of about 224 meters with the north-east monsoon the highest contributor to rainfall. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during summer and winter varies between 38.5°C and 18.95°C. Highest temperature ever recorded is 45C and lowest is 10 °C.The humidity ranges are 40% – 63% during summer and 89% – 96% during winter. The average annual rainfall is 1987.7mm. The maximum rainfall occurs during October and November through the North-east monsoon. The area experiences rainfall during the South-west monsoon as well.
Administration and Politics
Thiruvannamalai is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai District. Thiruvannamalai assembly constituency is part of Tiruvannamalai (Lok Sabha constituency)Tiruvannamalai (Lok Sabha constituency)
Tiruvannamalai is a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu. It was created during 2008 assembly delimitation from former Tiruppattur constituency.- Assembly segments :#Jolarpet#Tiruppattur#Chengam #Tiruvannamalai#Kilpennathur#Kalasapakkam...
.