How to reach Tiruvannamalai

Distance calculator

Distance to Tiruvannamalai

Travelling from ChennaiBengaluruPuducherryVellore / KatpadiVillupuramKanchipuramTirupati Somewhere else

≈ 190 km 4–5 h by road

Usual route Chengalpattu → Tindivanam → Gingee → Tiruvannamalai

Options Car or taxi · TNSTC / SETC buses · Train via Villupuram Junction

Detailed route guide

The district administration gives Chennai airport as 189 km away; Sri Ramanasramam gives 172 km. Distances vary with the route taken.

Approximate road distances for the usual route. These are not live traffic estimates, so check a maps app on the day.

All starting points

From	Distance	Drive time	Usual route
Chennai	≈ 190 km	4–5 h	Chengalpattu → Tindivanam → Gingee → Tiruvannamalai
Bengaluru	≈ 200 km	4.5–5 h	Hosur → Krishnagiri → Chengam → Tiruvannamalai
Puducherry	≈ 105 km	2.5–3 h	Villupuram or Gingee → Tiruvannamalai
Vellore / Katpadi	≈ 85 km	2–2.5 h	Vellore → Polur → Tiruvannamalai
Villupuram	≈ 65 km	1.5–2 h	Villupuram → Tiruvannamalai
Kanchipuram	≈ 120 km	3–3.5 h	Kanchipuram → Vandavasi → Tiruvannamalai
Tirupati	≈ 200 km	4.5–5 h	Tirupati → Chittoor → Vellore → Tiruvannamalai

By road

• From Chennai: via Chengalpattu, Tindivanam and Gingee. See Chennai to Tiruvannamalai.
• From Bengaluru: via Hosur, Krishnagiri and Chengam. See Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai.
• From Puducherry: via Villupuram or Gingee, about 105 km.
• From Vellore: via Polur, about 85 km.
• From Tirupati: via Chittoor and Vellore, about 200 km. This is a common route for pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Parking: on ordinary days there is parking near the temple and along the Girivalam road. On Pournami and festival days private vehicles are stopped at designated areas on the edge of town, so walk or take an auto from there.

By bus

Tiruvannamalai is well served by TNSTC and SETC government buses and private operators, with buses around the clock from Chennai, Bengaluru, Puducherry, Vellore, Villupuram, Salem and Tirupati. Book government buses on the official TNSTC site. The district administration also publishes a bus timetable (PDF) on its How to Reach page.

The town has two bus stands, the central bus stand and the New Bus Stand a short distance east. Both are shown on the map of places. Extra buses run for Pournami and Karthigai Deepam.

By train

Tiruvannamalai railway station (TNM) is on the Katpadi–Villupuram line (Southern Railway). Sri Ramanasramam’s visitor guide lists connections to Chennai, Madurai, Tirupati, Puducherry and Vellore, and gives the ashram as about 3 km from the station.

If there’s no convenient direct train, connect via:

• Villupuram Junction (about 65 km), on the main Chennai–Tiruchirappalli line;
• Katpadi Junction (Vellore, about 90 km), on the Chennai–Bengaluru line.

We don’t reproduce train timetables, which change often. Check live times on the National Train Enquiry System or IRCTC. The district administration also links a rail timetable (PDF) on its How to Reach page.

By air

Airport	Approximate distance	Notes
Chennai International (MAA)	172–189 km	District administration: 189 km; Sri Ramanasramam: 172 km (route-dependent). Taxis and buses onward
Bengaluru Kempegowda (BLR)	About 220 km	Useful for flights from the west and north
Tirupati (TIR)	About 210 km	Convenient if combining Tirupati and Tiruvannamalai
Puducherry	About 110 km	Limited domestic flights

Getting around town

• Autos are everywhere. Agree the fare first, because meters are rarely used. Share autos run on the Girivalam road.
• Walking is the easiest way around the temple streets.
• Girivalam is done on foot; autos wait along the route if you need to stop.
• Two-wheeler rental is available near the ashrams on Chengam Road, but ride carefully on the busy Girivalam road.

Finding the temple

The main entrance, the east Rajagopuram, stands at the end of the main street in the town centre, and its tower is visible from almost anywhere nearby.

Open Arunachaleswarar Temple in Google Maps