Your complete guide to Arunachala — the mountain held to be Shiva himself, and the temple town of Tiruvannamalai at its foot. Walk the sacred Girivalam, discover Ramana Maharshi, meet the saints of the hill, and follow the sacred calendar and the great festival of Karthigai Deepam — everything the pilgrim and the seeker need, in one place.
The mountain held to be Shiva himself. Walk the sacred Girivalam, meet Ramana Maharshi and the saints of the hill — everything the pilgrim needs, in one place.
Satsang is still held, in person and online, at the foot of Arunachala. Dates updated 10 October 2026.
Ganga Maa’s satsang moves to a new ashram in Adi Annamalai. Opening day is Thursday 15 October 2026, with satsang at 10 AM and lunch prasadam from 11 AM.Ganga Maa’s satsang is now at the new ashram, Hridaya Kshetram, in Adi Annamalai. Check the page for the address, directions and timings.
New ashram address & directions →
Next in Tiruvannamalai
No dates are listed for Tiruvannamalai right now. See the full schedule.
Tamil satsang live on audio, 22 Oct, 10 AM · listen live
Full satsang dates →In the tradition, the hill is not where Shiva dwells ~ it is Shiva. The old verse sets the holy places side by side ~ Tiruvarur by birth, Chidambaram by sight, Kashi by death, and Arunachala by remembrance alone. Here a sadhu stands in the fields at its foot, arms lifted toward the mountain. For many, the pilgrimage begins simply: stop, stand, and face the mountain.
Plan your visitNext full-moon Girivalam
See the 2026 dates
Every Pournami, thousands of pilgrims walk the 14 km around the sacred hill through the night ~ one of the most powerful experiences at Arunachala.
See all full moon dates & timings 2026 →Not just a pilgrimage – a yoga in motion. The Tamil Siddhas walked this hill the way others sit in meditation: fourteen quiet kilometres, forty-one named shrines, and seven inner rules that turn every step into practice. Anyone who can walk with love, can walk it.
When the cosmic flame ignites atop Arunachala, the night sky bows to a single light that outshines a million stars. Our complete guide to the greatest festival of the sacred hill ~ the date, the timings, the Girivalam, where to watch, and how to be there.
A walled sacred city at the foot of the hill ~ twenty-five acres, nine gopurams, and a thousand years of unbroken worship. Here Shiva is honoured as the element of fire, in one of the five great element-temples of the south. Our complete guide to its history, its layout, the darshan timings, and how to visit.
The hill and its fire, the great walk, the sage Ramana, the saints of two thousand years, the sacred calendar, and everything the visit needs ~ each explored in depth. Follow whichever calls you.
Tiruvannamalai’s tradition of the Self is not only history ~ it lives on in ashrams and satsangs today.
New ashram · opens 15 OctNew ashram · now open
Ganga Maa & Hridaya Kshetram
Satsang moves to a new home in Adi Annamalai. The new address, directions and timings are here.Satsang now at the new ashram in Adi Annamalai ~ address, directions and timings.
New address & directions →
Swami Nochur (Ramanacharanatirtha)
One of India’s most revered living Advaita masters ~ satsangs on the Gita, the Upanishads and Ramana’s teachings.
Read more & schedule →
The ashrams of the town
Sri Ramanasramam, Seshadri Swamigal, Yogi Ramsuratkumar — the living devotional heart of Tiruvannamalai.
Explore the ashrams →
The Ribhu Gita ~ the torrential song of pure non-duality that Ramana Maharshi loved and had chanted daily at his ashram, said to give the state it describes merely by being read.
The sacred audio of Arunachala ~ the Vedic chanting of the ashram, Ramana's hymns and the Aksharamanamalai, and the bhajans of the town, and where to find the authentic recordings.
The Skandashram years of Ramana Maharshi (1916–1922) ~ the intimate, golden period on the green terrace of the hill, with his mother in the kitchen, the first family of devotees, and the teaching being born.
The sacred geometry of Arunachala ~ the fire element and the five Pancha Bhuta Sthalams, the hill as a cosmic linga, the eight directional lingams as a mandala, and the Heart at the centre.
ArunachalaShiva is an independent, freely-given guide to Arunachala and Tiruvannamalai — the sacred hill of Shiva, the home of Ramana Maharshi, and one of the great spiritual destinations of the world. It aims to be the most accurate, comprehensive and beautiful resource for the pilgrim, the seeker, and the curious traveller alike — honest about the practicalities, deep on the meaning, and reverent toward the living tradition of the hill.