Tiruvannamalai
Tiruvannamalai is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is the headquarters of the Tiruvannamalai District.
The town is a pilgrimage site, known for its Arunachaleswara Temple, located at the foot of a hill.
The annual ten-day Karthigai Deepam festival is celebrated in Karthigai Tamil month (November – December). The tenth day is the major festival day, where at the top of the hill, many lamps made of a wick in ghee are lit.
Every month on the day of the full moon many devotees worship Shiva by walking around the hill barefoot, a distance of about fifteen kilometres. There are eight lingams and many mandapas, or holy tanks, around the Arunachala hill.
It is also the place where Ramana Maharishi attained samadhi. A very tranquil ashram by the name of Ramanashramam on the showcases the life and teachings of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi.
Tiruvannamalai District
Tiruvannamalai District has an area of 6,191 km². It is bounded on the north by Vellore District, on the east by Kanchipuram District, on the south by Villupuram District, and on the west by Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.