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Thiruvannamalai is the capital of the Thiruvannamalai district in Tamilnadu and the capital of Shaivism sect with their main deity, Lord Shiva, is manifested in the form of Annamalaiannal. Thiruvannamalai is an important pilgrim centre and has even become an international centre for the study of spiritualism

The name Thiruvannamalai is derived from the holy mountain Tiruvannan Malai where Lord Shivais believed to have takenthe form of a column of fire with no beginning or end. This was to destroy the egos of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. Lord Shiva appeared before his devotees as “Ardhanarashwari” - a form with his one half being Goddess Umadevi.

This ancient town is home to Annamalaiyar Temple, located at the foothills of the Annamali or Thiruvannamalai Hills. It is one of the most important Shiva temples in Tamilnadu. The town is also one of the “Pancha Bootha Sthalangal” and represents fire, one of the five elements of nature. Other cities like Chidambaram, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and Kanchipuram represent sky, air, water and earth respectively. Thiruvannamalai is also associated with many yogis and siddhars in whose memories Ashrams have been built here.

According to the hymns of Thevaram which are called as “Thirumurai Thalangal” there are 275 sacred places which refer to Lord Shiva temples, of which 22 of them are found in Nada Naadu which is a part of the state of Tamil Nadu. The town of Thiruvannamalai is most sacred of these 22.

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Tamil Nadu, India

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November to March

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Sightseeing

Arunachaleswara Temple

Padaveedu

Ramana Ashram

Saathanoor Dam

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DAY: Sun	LOW: 26	HIGH: 32
DAY: Mon	LOW: 26	HIGH: 32

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