Tiruvannamalai (
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai''
IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai'';
''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city and the administrative headquarters of
Tiruvannamalai District
Thiruvannamalai District (previously known as Central Arcot, Tiruvannamalai Sambhuvarayar District) is the second largest district in Tamil Nadu by area after Dindigul District and one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts in the state o ...
in the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. It is also a
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
cultural hub and prominent pilgrimage destination, home to the renowned
Annamalaiyar temple
The Annamalaiyar Temple or Arunachalesvara Temple or Tiruvannamalai Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva and goddess Parvati. It is located at the base of Annamalai hill in the town of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India. It is s ...
,
Annamalai hill
Annamalai (IAST: , 'Red Mountain') is a hill in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, and one of the five main Shaiva holy places in South India. The Arunachalesvara Temple to Shiva is located at the base of the hill. The hill is also known ...
,
Girivalam and the
Karthigai Deepam festival.
Tiruvannamalai has a thriving service sector industry, including retail, resorts and recreation activities. Apart from the service sector, the city is also the hub for many industrial setups including ''
SIDCO'', spinning mills and premier educational institutions. The city is administered by the Tiruvanamalai City Municipal Corporation, originally constituted in the year 1886 as Tiruvannamalai Municipality. The city swconnected to the
Cstate capital
hennai (150 km) and
Bthe nearby
engaluru (145 km). via highways and railways The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation is considering setting up a new airport at Tiruvannamalai.
Etymology and legend
In Hinduism,
Parvati
Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
, wife of
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
, once closed the eyes of her husband playfully in a flower garden at their abode atop
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; ; ; , ) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part ...
. Although only a moment for the gods, all light was taken from the universe, and the earth, in turn, was submerged in darkness for years. Parvati performed penance with other devotees of Shiva, and her husband appeared as a big column of fire at the top of
Annamalai hills
Annamalai (IAST: , 'Red Mountain') is a hill in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, and one of the five main Shaiva holy places in South India. The Arunachalesvara Temple to Shiva is located at the base of the hill. The hill is also known b ...
, returning light to the world.
He then merged with Parvati to form
Ardhanarishvara
Ardhanarishvara () is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half-female, equally split down the middle.
Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminin ...
, the half-female, half-male form of Shiva. The Annamalai, or red mountain, lies behind the Annamalaiyar temple, and is associated with the temple of its namesake.
The hill is sacred and considered a ''
lingam
A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or Aniconism, aniconic representation of the Hinduism, Hindu Hindu deities, god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Up ...
'', or iconic representation of Shiva, in itself.
Another legend is that once, while
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
and
Brahma
Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source.
Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar
Varaha
Varaha (, , "boar") is the avatar of the Hinduism, Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a wild boar, boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu.
In legend, when the demon Hiranyaksha steals ...
, and sought its base. The scene is called ''lingothbava'', and is represented in the western wall at the sanctum of most Shiva temples. Neither Brahma nor Vishnu could find the source, and while Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied and said he had found the pinnacle. In punishment, Shiva ordained that Brahma would never have temples on earth in his worship.
In Tamil, the word ''Arunam'' means red or fire and ''Asalam'' means hill. Since Shiva manifested himself in the form of fire in this place, this name Arunachalam came to be associated with Annamalai hill and the city.
The first mention of ''Annamalai'' is found in ''
Tevaram
The ''Tevaram'' (, ), also spelled ''Thevaram'', denotes the first seven volumes of the twelve-volume collection ''Tirumurai'', a Saivism, Shaiva narrative of epic and Puranas, Puranic heroes, as well as a Hagiography, hagiographic account of ...
'', the seventh century Tamil Saiva canonical work by
Appar
Appar (), also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar () or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime betwe ...
and
Tirugnanasambandar.
History
The history of Tiruvannamalai revolves around the Annamalaiyar Temple. The recorded history of the city dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscriptions in the temple.
Further inscriptions made before ninth century indicate the rule of
Pallava
The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The ...
kings, whose capital was
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from ...
.
[ Mack 2008, pp. 88–90] The seventh century
Nayanar saints
Sambandar
Sambandar (Tamil language, Tamil: சம்பந்தர், Romanization, romanized: ''Campantar''), also referred to as Thirugnana Sambandar (Tamil language, Tamil: திருஞானசம்பந்தர், Romanization, romanized: ...
and
Appar
Appar (), also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar () or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime betwe ...
wrote of the temple in their poetic work, ''
Tevaram
The ''Tevaram'' (, ), also spelled ''Thevaram'', denotes the first seven volumes of the twelve-volume collection ''Tirumurai'', a Saivism, Shaiva narrative of epic and Puranas, Puranic heroes, as well as a Hagiography, hagiographic account of ...
''.
Sekkizhar
Sēkkilān Mādēvadigal Rāmadēva (12th century CE), known popularly by his family name as Sekkizhar, was a saint and a contemporary of Kulottunga Chola II. He compiled and wrote the ''Periya Puranam'' (Great Story or Narrative) in 4253 vers ...
, the author of the ''
Periyapuranam
The ''Periya Purāṇam'' ( Tamil: பெரிய புராணம்), that is, the ''great purana'' or epic, sometimes called ''Tiruttontarpuranam'' ("Tiru-Thondar-Puranam", the Purana of the Holy Devotees), is a Tamil po ...
'' records both Appar and Sambandar worshiped Annamalaiyar in the temple.
The Chola Kings ruled over the region for more than four centuries, from 850 to 1280, and were temple patrons. The inscriptions from the Chola king record various gifts like land, sheep, cow and oil to the temple commemorating various victories of the dynasty.
Madhva saint
Vadiraja
Sri Vadiraja Tirtha (1480 – 1600) was a Dvaita philosopher, poet, traveller and mystic. He authored many works, often critical, on Madhva theology and metaphysics. Additionally, he composed numerous poems and as the pontiff of Sodhe Mutt, ...
Teertharu of sixteenth century has mentioned about this place in his travelogue work
Tirtha Prabandha
The ''Tirtha Prabandha'' () is one of the main Sanskrit works by Vadiraja Tirtha, the 16th century Dvaita philosopher and saint. The document is written in the form of a travelogue and contains descriptions of pilgrim centers throughout India.
...
.
The
Hoysala
The Hoysala Kingdom was a kingdom originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 11th and the 14th centuries Common Era, CE. The c ...
kings used Tiruvannamalai as their capital beginning in 1328 as their empire in Karnataka was annexed by the
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries. and fought off the invasions from Madurai Sultans and Sultanate governors in the Deccan until 1346.
There are 48 inscriptions from the
Sangama Dynasty
The Sangama dynasty was a Veerashaiva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century by two brothers: Harihara I (also called ''Vira Harihara'' or ''Hakka Raya'') and Bukka Raya I. They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama. They ...
(1336–1485), two inscriptions from
Saluva Dynasty (1485-1405), and 55 inscriptions from
Tuluva Dynasty (1505–1571) of the
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
, reflecting gifts to the temple from their rulers.
[ Mack 2008, p. 82] There are also inscriptions from the rule of
Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529), the most powerful Vijayanagara emperor, indicating further patronage.
Most of the Vijayanagara inscriptions were written in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
, with some in
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
.
[ Mack 2008, p. 81] The inscriptions in the temple from the Vijayanagara kings indicate emphasis on administrative matters and local concerns, which contrasts the inscriptions of the same rulers in other temples like
Tirupathi. The majority of the gift related inscriptions are for land endowments, followed by goods, cash endowments, cows and oil for lighting lamps.
The city of Tiruvannamalai was at a strategic crossroads during the Vijayanagara Empire, connecting sacred centers of pilgrimage and military routes.
[ Mack 2008, pp. 71–72] There are inscriptions that show the area as an urban center before the precolonial period, with the city developing around the temple, similar to the Nayak ruled cities like
Madurai
Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
.
During the 18th century, Tiruvannamalai came under the dominion of the
Nawab of the Carnatic
The Carnatic Sultanate ( Persian: ; Tamil: ; Urdu: ) also known as Carnatic State or Arcot State was a kingdom in southern India between about 1690 and 1855, ruled by a Muslim nawab under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, until thei ...
. As the
Mughal empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
came to an end, the Nawab lost control of the city, with confusion and chaos ensuing after 1753.
Subsequently, there were periods of both Hindu and Muslim stewardship of the temple, with Muraru Raya, Krishna Raya, Mrithis Ali Khan, and Burkat Ullakhan besieging the temple in succession. As European incursions progressed, Tiruvannamalai was attacked by French Soupries, Sambrinet, and the English
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Stephen Smith. While some were repelled, others were victorious. The French occupied the city in 1757 and it came under the control of the British in 1760.
In 1790, Tiruvannamalai city was captured by
Tippu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
, who ruled from 1782 to 1799.
During the first half of the 19th century, the city came under
British rule
The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent,
*
* lasting from 1858 to 1947.
*
* It is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
* or dire ...
.
Geography
Tiruvannamalai is situated from the state capital
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
and from
Bangalore
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. The height of the Annamalai hill is approximately .
Tiruvannamalai is located at . It has an average elevation of . The city is located to the east of
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
. The topography of Tiruvannamalai is almost plain sloping from west to east. The temperature ranges from a maximum of to a minimum of . Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the coldest. Tiruvannamalai receives scanty rainfall with an average of annually, which is lesser than the state average of . The southwest monsoon with an onset in June and lasting up to August brings scanty rainfall. Bulk of the rainfall is received during the northeast monsoon in the months of October, November and December. The average humidity of the city is 77% and varies between 67% and 86%. During the summer months of April to June, the humidity ranges from 47% to 63%. The municipality covers an area of .
[ Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 74–76]
Demographics
According to the provisional population totals of the 2011 census, Tiruvannamalai UA had a population of 145278, with 72406 males and 72872 females. The sex ratio of the city was 1,000 and the child sex ratio stood at 960. Tiruvannamalai had an average literacy rate of 81.64% with male literacy being 85.6%, and female literacy being 77.7%. A total of 14,530 of the population of the city was under 6 years of age.
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
Is The Official Language.
According to
2011 census, Tiruvannamalai had a population of 145,278 with a sex-ratio of 1,006 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.
A total of 15,524 were under the age of six, constituting 7,930 males and 7,594 females.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 12.37% and 1.22% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 78.38%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.
The city had a total of 33,514 households. There were a total of 50,722 workers, comprising 583 cultivators, 580 main agricultural labourers, 994 in house hold industries, 44,535 other workers, 4,030 marginal workers, 84 marginal cultivators, 105 marginal agricultural labourers, 421 marginal workers in household industries and 3,420 other marginal workers.
As per the religious census of 2011, Tiruvannamalai had 82.57%
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 14.07%
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 2.79%
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, 0.01%
Sikhs
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
, 0.01%
Buddhists
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...
, 0.4%
Jains
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and ...
, 0.13% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.
The maximum decadal growth of population in Tiruvannamalai was observed during 1971–81 and had reduced growth rate from 1981 due to the increased amount of industrial activity that took place outside the city. The density of the city was 45 per hectare during 1971 and increased to 90 during 1999.
[ Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 76–79] A total (32.75%) of the land is used for residential, (3.58%) for commercial, (1.63%) for industrial, (2.88%) for public & semi public, (2.22%) for educational and (56.94%) for non-urban purposes.
[ Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, p. 80]
Economy
Tiruvannamalai is a temple city and a major pilgrimage centre in Tamil Nadu. The city is the marketing and service city for the surrounding places. Being the administrative headquarters of the Tiruvannamalai district, Tiruvannamalai has a lot of tertiary sector activities. Trade and commerce and service activities are the major contributors to the economy of the city. In 1991, 7.93% of the population was involved in primary sector, 21.34% in secondary sector and 70.73% in tertiary sector activities. The city had a female work participation of 11%. Due to the urbanisation from 1971, there has been dip in primary sector activities and a proportional increase in the tertiary sector activities. There is limited agricultural activity within the city limits. The secondary sector involves manufacturing and construction, whose growth has remained stable over the decades. There are a number of oil mills, rice mills and agro based industries within the Tiruvannamalai city limits. The tertiary sector activities of trade, commerce, transport, storage, communication and other services has been increasing due to the increasing number of tourists to the city. The patronage to Girivalam has increased informal economic activities around the city.
[ Urban Infrastructure Report 2008, pp. 85–88] The major commercial activities are concentrated around Car Street, Thiruvoodal Street, Kadambarayan Street, Asaliamman Koil Street, Sivanpada Street and Polur Road.
All major nationalised banks such as
State Bank of India
State Bank of India (SBI) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Public sector undertakings in India, public sector bank and financial service body headquartered in Mumbai. It is the largest bank in India with a 23% market shar ...
,
Vijaya Bank,
Union Bank,
Bank of India
Bank of India (BoI) is an Indian public sector bank headquartered in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. Founded in 1906, it has been government-owned since nationalisation in 1969. BoI is a founding member of SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Inter ...
,
Indian Bank
Indian Bank is an Indian public sector bank, established in 1907 and headquartered in Chennai. It serves over 100 million customers with 40,002 employees, 5,901 branches with 5,268 ATMs and Cash deposit machines. Total business of the bank has ...
,
Central Bank of India
The Central Bank of India (CBI) is an Public sector banks in India, Indian public sector bank based in Mumbai. Despite its name, CBI is not the central bank of India, a role served by the Reserve Bank of India.
History
The Central Bank of ...
,
Punjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank alias PNB is an Public sector banks in India, Indian government bank based in New Delhi. It was founded in May 1894 and is the List of banks in India, second-largest public sector bank in India in terms of its business volum ...
,
Indian Overseas Bank
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is an Indian public sector bank based in Chennai. During the nationalisation, IOB was one of the 14 major banks taken over by the government of India. On 5 December 2021, IOB got Degidhan Award 2020–21 by Ministry ...
,
Bank of India
Bank of India (BoI) is an Indian public sector bank headquartered in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. Founded in 1906, it has been government-owned since nationalisation in 1969. BoI is a founding member of SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Inter ...
, Bank of Maharashtra and private banks like
ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational bank and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai with a registered office in Vadodara. It offers a wide range of banking and financial services for corporate and retail customers throu ...
,
HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank Limited is an Indian banking and financial services company, headquartered in Mumbai. It is India's largest private sector bank by assets and market capitalisation.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has identified the HDFC Bank, Stat ...
,
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited is an Indian banking and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai. It offers banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers in the areas of personal finance, investment banking, l ...
,
Axis Bank
Axis Bank Limited, formerly known as UTI Bank (1993–2007), is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai. It is India's third largest private sector bank by assets and fo ...
,
DBS Bank
DBS Bank Limited is a Singaporean multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered at the Marina Bay Financial Centre in the Marina Bay district of Singapore. The bank was previously known as The Development Bank of Si ...
,
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank,
IDBI Bank
The IDBI Bank Limited (IDBI Bank or IDBI) is a Scheduled Commercial Bank under the ownership of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and Government of India. It was established by Government of India as a wholly owned subsidiary of Re ...
,
Bank of Baroda
Bank of Baroda (BOB or BoB) is an Public sector banks in India, Indian government Public sector bank headquartered in Vadodara, Gujarat. It is the third largest Public sector banks in India, public sector bank in India after State Bank of India ...
,
Karur Vysya Bank
Karur Vysya Bank is a Scheduled Commercial Bank, headquartered in Karur in Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1916 by M. A. Venkatarama Chettiar and Athi Krishna Chettiar. The bank primarily operates in the treasury, corporate/wholesale bank ...
and
City Union Bank
City Union Bank Limited is an Indian private sector bank headquartered in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. The bank was initially named Kumbakonam Bank Limited, and was incorporated on 31 October 1904. The bank preferred the role of a regional bank in ...
have their branches in Tiruvannamalai. All these banks have their
automated teller machine
An automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, funds transfers, balance inquiries or account ...
s located in various parts of the city. Apart from major banks, the city also has many small finance banks and their
automated teller machine
An automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, funds transfers, balance inquiries or account ...
s.
Culture

The Annamalaiyar Temple is the most prominent landmark of Tiruvannamalai. The temple complex covers an area of , and is one of the largest temples in India.
It houses four gateway towers known as ''
gopurams''. The tallest is the eastern tower, with 11 stories and a height of , making it one of the tallest temple towers in India.
The temple has numerous shrines, with those of Annamalaiyar and Unnamulai Amman being the most prominent. The temple complex houses many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall built during the
Vijayanagar period.
The Annamalaiyar temple is one of the ''Pancha Bhoota Stala''s, or five Shiva temples, with each a manifestation of a natural
element: land, water, air, sky or fire. In Annamalaiyar temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself as a massive column of fire, whose crown and feet could not be found by the Hindu gods,
Brahma
Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
and Vishnu. ''
Aathara Stala'' are Shiva temples which are considered to be personifications of the Tantric
chakra
A chakra (; ; ) is one of the various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, part of the inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
The concept of the chakra arose in Hinduism. B ...
s of human anatomy. The Annamalaiyar temple is called the ''Manipooraga stalam'', and is associated with the ''
Manipooraga'' chakra. The temple is revered in ''Tevaram'', the Tamil Saiva canon and classified as ''
Paadal Petra Sthalam
The Paadal Petra Sthalams (), also known as Devara Sthalams, are 276 temples that are revered in the verses of Shaiva Nayanars in the 6th-9th century CE. The Divya Desams by comparison are the 108 Vishnu temples glorified in the poems of the ...
'', one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon.

The most important festival of the Annamalaiyar temple is celebrated during the
Tamil month of ''
Karthikai'', between November and December, concluding with the celebration of Karthikai Deepam. A huge lamp is lit in a
cauldron
A cauldron (or caldron) is a large cookware and bakeware, pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in r ...
, containing three tons of
ghee
Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals.
Description
Ghee is typically prepared by ...
, at the top of the Annamalai hills during the Deepam.
To mark the occasion, the festival deity of Annamalaiyar
circumambulates the mountain. Inscriptions indicate that the festival was celebrated as early as the Chola period (850–1280) and was expanded to ten days in the twentieth century.
[ Mack 2008, pp. 72–74]
Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Annamalaiyar by circumambulating the Annamalai hill barefoot.
The circumambulation covers a distance of , and is referred as ''Girivalam''.
According to Hindu legend, the walk removes sins, fulfils desires and helps achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth.
Offerings are made in a string of
tanks
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; t ...
, shrines, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves around the hill.
Tirumalai is an ancient Jain temple complex in the outskirts of Tiruvannamalai that houses three Jain caves, four
Jain temples
A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings gen ...
and a high sculpture of
Neminatha
Neminātha (Devanagari: नेमिनाथ) (Sanskrit: नेमिनाथः), also known as Nemi and Ariṣṭanemi (Devanagari: अरिष्टनेमि), is the twenty-second tirthankara of Jainism in the present age (). Nemina ...
dated from the 12th century and the tallest Jain image in Tamil Nadu.
The
Ramana Ashram and ashram of
Yogi Ramsuratkumar, located around the Annamalai hill are popular visitor attractions of Tiruvannamalai. The
Sathanur Dam over the Thenpennai river located southwest of the city is a prominent picnic spot. This 786.37 m Dam is 44.81m high and can store 7,321,000,000 cu ft or 207,300,000 cubic meters of water. A scenic park is also present adjacent to this dam.
Ulagalantha Perumal Temple in
Tirukoilur
Tirukoilur also spelt as ''Tirukkoyilur'' or ''Tirukovilur'' is a city and the headquarters of Tirukoilur taluk in Kallakurichi District, Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located on the southern bank of Thenpennai River and famous for the Ula ...
, situated south of Tiruvannamalai and Thiruvarangam are prominent Vishnu temples that are located around Tiruvannamalai.
Transport
The Puducherry – Krishnagiri national highway,
NH 77 and the
Vellore
Vellore ( ), also spelled Velur, is a sprawling city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River and surrounded by the Javadi Hills in the northeastern ...
–
Tuticorin Port National highway
NH 38 pass through Tiruvannamalai. The city has eight arterial roads that connects it to other towns.
The Tiruvannamalai municipality maintains a total length of . The city has concrete roads, BT roads, of WBM roads and earthen roads. A total of 452 roads is maintained by the State Highways Department.

Tiruvannamalai is served by the city bus service operated by the
TNSTC, which provides connectivity within the town and the suburbs. There are private operated mini-bus services that cater to the local transport needs of the town. The main bus stand covers an area of and is located in the heart of the town. There are regular inter-city bus services to Tiruvannamalai. The TNSTC operates daily services connecting various cities to Tiruvannamalai. The corporation operates a computerised reservation centre in the bus stand of the town. The
SETC operates long-distance buses connecting the town to important cities like
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
Puducherry and
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. The major inter city bus routes from the town are to cities and towns like
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
,
Vettavalam
Vettavalam is a first grade panchayat town in Tiruvanamalai district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu.
Geography
Vettavalam is located at . It has an average elevation of 211 metres (692 foot (length) ...
,
Villupuram
Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district.
Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major and largest railway ...
,
Puducherry,
Arani,
Tindivanam
Tindivanam is a municipality in Viluppuram district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest town in Villupuram District after the headquarters town Villupuram. Important roads from north to s ...
,
Gingee
Gingee, also known as Senji or Jinji and originally called Singapuri, is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km, and lies west of the ...
,
Tirukoilur
Tirukoilur also spelt as ''Tirukkoyilur'' or ''Tirukovilur'' is a city and the headquarters of Tirukoilur taluk in Kallakurichi District, Tamil Nadu, India. The town is located on the southern bank of Thenpennai River and famous for the Ula ...
,
Avalurpet,
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from ...
,
Chengam
Chengam (or Chengamma as on British records) is an important market town and a taluk headquarter in the Foot hills of Eastern ghats in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, India. Chengam is the gateway to the Chengam pass in the Eastern ghats ...
,
Sathanur,
Sankarapuram
Sankarapuram is a census town panchayat of Sivaganga district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This census town is located in southwestern Karaikudi on national highway NH536. Currently the town panchayat has 15 wards with two villa ...
and
Manalurpet.
Tiruvannamalai railway station is located in the rail head from
Katpadi to
Villupuram
Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district.
Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major and largest railway ...
and falls under the
Tiruchchirapalli division of the
Southern Railway. The
Rameshwaram-
Tirupati
Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...
bi-weekly expresses connects Tiruvannamalai to the cities of Madurai and Tirupati in either directions. There are also passenger trains running either side from Katpadi to Villupuram.
The nearest airport is at
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
, which is located from the town.
Villages
*
Ariyathur
Ariyathur is a village in Polur Taluk in Tiruvannamalai District of Tamil Nadu, India.{{cite web , author= , date=2025 , title=Ariyathur Population - Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu , url=https://www.census2011.co.in/data/village/631705-ariyathur-ta ...
*
Kilnathur
*
Mel-chengam
*
Nallavanpalayam
*
Pallikondapattu
*
Saron, Thiruvannamalai
*
Thenimalai
*
Thenmathur
*
Thenral Nagar
*
Voividanthangal
*
Vengikkal
Municipal administration and politics
The Tiruvannamalai municipality was established in 1886 during British times. It was promoted to a second-grade municipal municipality in 1959, first grade in 1974, selection grade in 1998 and special grade in 2008. The municipality has 39 wards and there is an elected councillor for each of those wards.
The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 39 members, one each from the 39 wards.
The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson
assisted by a deputy chairperson.
Tiruvannamalai comes under the
Tiruvannamalai assembly constituency and it elects a member to the
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a strength of 234 members, all of whom are democratically elected using the first-past-the-post system. The presiding office ...
once every five years. From the 1977 elections, the assembly seat was won by
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...
(DMK) seven times during the 1977, 1989, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 elections, the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
party three times during the 1980, 1984 and 1991 elections. The current MLA of the constituency is E.V. Velu from DMK.
During the 1957 elections, Tiruvannamalai was a part of Tiruvannamalai parliamentary constituency and was held by an independent. From the 1962 to 2004 elections, the city was part of Tirupattur constituency. The Dravida Muneetra Kazhagam (DMK) won the seat nine times during the 1962, 1967, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004 elections and the Indian National Congress won it three times during the 1984, 1989 and 1991 elections and AIADMK once during the 2014 elections.
From the 2009 elections, Tiruvannamalai is a part of the
Tiruvannamalai (Lok Sabha constituency)
Tiruvannamalai Lok Sabha constituency () is one of the 39 Lok Sabha (Parliament of India, parliamentary) constituencies in Tamil Nadu, a Federated state, state in southern India. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Constituency number is 11.
Assembl ...
– it has the following six assembly constituencies –
Jolarpet,
Tirupattur,
Chengam (SC),
Tiruvannamalai
Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city and the administrative headquarters of Tiruvannamalai District in the Indian state of ...
,
Kilpennathur and
Kalasapakkam. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is C N Annadurai from the DMK party.
Law and order in the town is maintained by the Tiruvannamalai sub division of the
Tamil Nadu Police
Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India. headed by a Deputy Superintendent (DSP).
There are three police stations in the town, one of them being an all-women police station. There are special units like prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP).
Chronological List of Chairmen
* T.S. Muthukumarasamy Sengundha Mudaliar: three times elected chairman of Tiruvannamalai.
* A. Ramu Sengundha Mudaliar
* T.V. Devaraja Senguntha Mudaliar
* T.S. Saminatha Sengundha Mudaliar
* D. Pattuswamy Sengundha Mudaliar: ex MP and Chairman.
* Palani Pillai
*
S. Murugaiyan Senguntha Mudaliar: ex MP, ex MLA and three times elected chairman of Tiruvannamalai.
* R. Dharmalingam
Education and utility services
There are 45 elementary schools, 12 high schools and 28 higher secondary schools in Tiruvannamalai. There are seven arts & science colleges, six engineering colleges, 1 law college and 2 medical college in the town. Electricity supply to Tiruvannamalai is regulated and distributed by the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The town along with its suburbs forms the Tiruvannamalai Electricity Distribution Circle. Water supply is provided by the municipality of Tiruvannamalai from the Thenpennai river and Samuthiram through feeders located in various parts of the town. In the period 2000–2001, a total of 12.5 million litres of water was supplied every day for households in the town. About 52 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from Tiruvannamalai every day by door-to-door collection and subsequently the source segregation and dumping is carried out by the sanitary department of the municipality. The coverage of solid waste management had an efficiency of 75% in 2001. The town has underground drainage system which came to existence fully in the year 2013–2014 and the sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The municipality maintains a total of of storm water drains in Tiruvannamalai. There are three government hospitals, one southern railway hospital, two municipal maternity hospitals, two
Siddha
''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of perfection of the intellect as we ...
hospitals, five health centres and 126 private hospitals and clinics that take care of the health care needs of the citizens. There are a total of 13,570 street lamps in Tiruvannamalai: 2,496 sodium lamps, 1061 mercury vapour lamps, 10,010 tube lights and 112 high mast beam lamp. The municipality operates seven markets, namely the Jothi flower market, vegetable market and uzhavar santhai, poomalai market, Angalamman koil market, Perumbakkam road market that cater to the needs of the town and the rural areas around it.
Notes
* The municipalities in Tamil Nadu are graded special, selection, grade I and grade II based on income and population.
Citations
References
*
*
External links
Municipality of Tiruvannamalai
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Tiruvannamalai district