Places to visit in Tiruvannamalai

Ramana Maharshi and the ashrams

• Ramana MaharshiRamana Maharshi's life at Tiruvannamalai from 1896 to 1950: the temple, Gurumurtam, Virupaksha Cave, Skandashram and Sri Ramanasramam, and how to visit each place today.
• Sri RamanasramamVisiting Sri Ramanasramam: location on Chengam Road, what to see (Old Hall, samadhi shrines, library), dress and etiquette, accommodation requests and nearby cave paths.
• Virupaksha CaveVirupaksha Cave on Arunachala's south-eastern slope, where Ramana Maharshi lived from 1899 to 1916: history, the walk up from Ramanasramam, what to expect and etiquette.
• SkandashramSkandashram on Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi's home from 1916 to 1922: history, the view over the temple, the walk up from Ramanasramam, and tips for visiting.

Temples and ashrams on the Girivalam path

• Adi Annamalai TempleAdi Annamalai Temple on the western side of Arunachala's Girivalam path: what tradition says about it, what you'll see, and adding it to your walk.
• Seshadri Swamigal AshramSeshadri Swamigal Ashram on Chengam Road next to Sri Ramanasramam: who Seshadri Swamigal was, his connection with Ramana Maharshi, and visiting the ashram.
• The 8 LingamsThe eight Ashta Lingams on the Girivalam path around Arunachala: Indra, Agni, Yama, Niruthi, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera and Esanya, with directions, traditions, notes and map.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram, known for the saint affectionately called “Visiri Samiyar” (the saint with the fan), is also on the Girivalam road near Chengam Road. It has a large meditation hall.

Further afield

• Day trips nearbyDay trips from Tiruvannamalai listed by the district administration: Sathanur Dam, Parvathamalai, Padaivedu Renugambal Temple, Devikapuram, Thirumalai, Mamandur and more.

The district administration lists places such as Sathanur Dam (about 30 km), Parvathamalai (about 30 km) and the Renugambal Temple at Padaivedu (about 55 km). They are described in day trips nearby.

Where everything is

The interactive map loads here. Every place is also listed below.

List of mapped places

• Arunachaleswarar Temple · open in Google Maps
• Arunachala Hill (summit, 814 m) · open in Google Maps
• Sri Ramanasramam · open in Google Maps
• Seshadri Swamigal Ashram · open in Google Maps
• Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram · open in Google Maps
• Virupaksha Cave · open in Google Maps
• Skandashram · open in Google Maps
• Tiruvannamalai railway station (TNM) · open in Google Maps
• Tiruvannamalai bus stand · open in Google Maps
• Tiruvannamalai New Bus Stand · open in Google Maps
• 1. Indra Lingam (East) · open in Google Maps
• 3. Yama Lingam (South) · open in Google Maps
• 4. Niruthi Lingam (South-west) · open in Google Maps
• 5. Varuna Lingam (West) · open in Google Maps
• 7. Kubera Lingam (North) · open in Google Maps
• Chandra Lingam · open in Google Maps

Plan the day

The itineraries combine these places into one-, two- and three-day plans.