Tiruvannamalai Guide (tiruvannamalaiguide.com) is an independent travel and pilgrimage guide to Tiruvannamalai, the temple town at the foot of the sacred Arunachala Hill in Tamil Nadu. We publish clear, practical and regularly updated information for first-time visitors, returning devotees, spiritual seekers and day-trippers.
Why We Started This Site
Every month lakhs of pilgrims arrive in Tiruvannamalai for Girivalam, darshan at Arunachaleswarar Temple, the Karthigai Deepam festival or a quiet stay at one of the ashrams. Yet reliable information is scattered across social media posts, outdated forums and word of mouth. Simple questions such as “When does the Pournami tithi start this month?”, “Is there a special darshan ticket?” or “How do I get here from Bangalore?” rarely have one clear answer.
We created Tiruvannamalai Guide to fix that: one place where a visitor can plan an entire trip, from temple timings and Girivalam dates to transport, stays, food and nearby attractions.
What You Will Find Here
- Temple guides: Arunachaleswarar Temple timings, pooja schedule, darshan tickets, dress code and history.
- Girivalam: monthly Pournami dates and tithi timings, the 14 km route, the Ashta Lingams, rules and safety tips.
- Festivals: Karthigai Deepam, Pournami and other important days in the temple calendar.
- Travel planning: how to reach Tiruvannamalai from Chennai, Bangalore and other cities, the best time to visit and ready-made itineraries.
- Ashrams and spiritual places: Sri Ramana Ashram, Skandashram, Virupaksha Cave and more.
- Stays, food and attractions: hotels, restaurants, Sathanur Dam, Parvathamalai and other nearby trips.
Our Editorial Standards
Accuracy matters when people plan a pilgrimage around our information. Every article follows these principles:
- Local knowledge first. Our content is written by people familiar with Tiruvannamalai, its temple customs and its seasonal rhythms.
- Checked against official sources. Where possible we cross-check timings and fees with the Arunachaleswarar Temple administration (Tamil Nadu HR&CE Department), Indian Railways, TNSTC and other official sources.
- Clearly dated. Panchang-based dates such as Pournami tithi timings are calculated for Tiruvannamalai and labelled with the year. We revise articles when official schedules change.
- No paid rankings. Hotels, restaurants and services are never ranked in exchange for payment.
Temple schedules can change at short notice during festivals or special poojas. We always recommend confirming critical details locally before you travel. If you spot something outdated, please tell us and we will correct it promptly.
Who Runs Tiruvannamalai Guide
Tiruvannamalai Guide is run by a small independent team of writers and editors with deep ties to Tiruvannamalai and Tamil Nadu. We are not affiliated with the Arunachaleswarar Temple, the HR&CE Department or any ashram. This site is supported by display advertising, which helps us keep every guide free to read.
Get in Touch
Questions, corrections or suggestions for a new guide? Write to us at iamabloggerboy@gmail.com or visit our Contact page. Om Arunachaleswaraya Namaha.