Tiruvannamalai is a temple town Located at the foothills of Annamalai hills  at the Southern part of India,  in the state of Tamil Nadu. Nearest big city is Chennai which is around 200km away by road. Auroville and Pondicherry is around 100km away

How to Reach Thiruvannamalai

Nearest Airport : Chennai International Airport, ~200km away

Another one is Bangalore airport, Around 300km away

Railway station : Tiruvannamalai railway station, but only passenger trains stop here. There are no direct trains from Chennai, that stops here. One might need to reach Villupuram junction or Katpadi junction from Chennai to get a passenger train to Thiruvannamalai. Or reach Pondicherry and take a bus. Plan your train trips from here. If you need more tips check this.

Road transport : Thiruvannamalai is well connected by road. Taking a bus from Chennai to Thiruvannamalai is the cheapest option. Taxi services are available, but 200km taxi ride can be an expensive affair

Bus Ride to Thiruvannamalai.

Things to Do in Thiruvannamalai

Thiruvannamalai is a pilgrim town. If you are on a spiritual journey, this is one great place to visit.

•  Stay atSriRamanasramam and learn about his philosophies, spirituality, Vedanta or just enjoy the serenity of the place.
  

  Sri Ramanashram

• Visit theAnnamalaiyar Temple, one of the largest temples in India, temple complex of which covers an area 25 acres.
  

  Annamalaiyar temple towers

• Do Giri Pradakshina( Walking Around the Hill) around the Holy mountain. A 14 km barefoot walk.
  

  The Midnight Pilgrims

• Do a barefoot trek to the holy mountain which is approx. 814m high. ( One can wear footwear if they wish to, barefoot walk and trek are just personal choice )
  

  Someone going down

• Go find the very Special, footprints of Lord Shiva at the top of the mountain.
  

  Footprints of Lord Shiva

• Take part in Giri valam ( walk around the Hill) on a Full moon day. Dates are given on this site . There will be thousands of people walking around the holy hill that night.
• Visit during Kartikai Deepam: (Nov-Dec) This spectacular ten-day festival, during which the gigantic temple chariots are led in procession through the town streets. At sunset on the final day, the beacon atop Arunachala is lit and is visible for miles around, burning for 7 days or more. [ More details can be found from the website given at the end of the post ]

Some more things to do

• Meet some interesting people, talk about spirituality, God, culture and what not!
  

  The juggler

• Rent a bicycle and explore the temple town
  

  Going green

• Buy some stone carved souvenir
  

  Marble Art

Things to do : for the Photographer in you

• Go for a morning walk to capture vibrant portraits
  

  Early birds might get worms, as there are plenty of flocks

• Getthatbird's eye view shot of the Town.
  

  The view from the peak

• Get a panoramic view of the town from top of the hill
• Capture some vibrant life on the streets
  

  Some more colours were added to the already colourful day

• Capture the architectural marvel of the temple from outside
  

  The massive Annamalaiyar temple towers

  And just have fun, enjoy the serenity of the place, experience the energy of Arunachala and come back with great memories.

Your one stop solution website for your future Thiruvannamalai Trip : Click here to read everything in Detail. Have a great journey.