Tiruvannamalai - City of Enlightenment

Tiruvannamalai, is a little town located in the state of Tamil Nadu, South East of India. The city has grown over the centuries around the holy mountain of Arunachala and the ancient temple of Arunachaleswar, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Arunachala itself is considered to be the incarnation of Shiva on Earth, an auspicious place for the encounter with God.
This little city of Tamil Nadu is home to many sadhus and Western spiritual seekers inspired by the presence of spiritual teachers, and by the Ashram of the saint Ramana Maharshi. Ramana Maharshi lived at the feet of the Arunachala mountain since the age of 16 when a deeply spiritual experience of self-realisation led him to abandon his home and travel to this holy site. The saint spent the rest of his life guiding visitors and disciples on the path of self-discovery, keeping on pointing to the mountain of Arunachala, as the Heart of the Universe: a mass of concentrated spiritual energy.
Nowadays the flow of spiritual tourists and seekers from all over the world is increasing, but foreigners as well as locals engage together in traditional rituals of worship to Arunachala and Lord Shiva.
Every year the incarnation of Shiva in the mountain is celebrated during the festival of Deepam: an enormous fire is lighted upon Arunachala to burn for days. Every full moon instead, devotees walk the road of Pradakshina around the mountain to seek protection, karma purification and ultimately enlightenment. A constant element in people’s everyday life is fire, a channel to reach divinity, itself worshipped as a purifying substance, that which burns all illusions and ultimately brings the devotee back to his higher Self.

Tiruvannamalai, is a little town located in the state of Tamil Nadu, South East of India. The city has grown over the centuries around the holy mountain of Arunachala and the ancient temple of Arunachaleswar, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Arunachala itself is considered to be the incarnation of Shiva on Earth, an auspicious place for the encounter with God.
This little city of Tamil Nadu is home to many sadhus and Western spiritual seekers inspired by the presence of spiritual teachers, and by the Ashram of the saint Ramana Maharshi. Ramana Maharshi lived at the feet of the Arunachala mountain since the age of 16 when a deeply spiritual experience of self-realisation led him to abandon his home and travel to this holy site. The saint spent the rest of his life guiding visitors and disciples on the path of self-discovery, keeping on pointing to the mountain of Arunachala, as the Heart of the Universe: a mass of concentrated spiritual energy.
Nowadays the flow of spiritual tourists and seekers from all over the world is increasing, but foreigners as well as locals engage together in traditional rituals of worship to Arunachala and Lord Shiva.
Every year the incarnation of Shiva in the mountain is celebrated during the festival of Deepam: an enormous fire is lighted upon Arunachala to burn for days. Every full moon instead, devotees walk the road of Pradakshina around the mountain to seek protection, karma purification and ultimately enlightenment. A constant element in people’s everyday life is fire, a channel to reach divinity, itself worshipped as a purifying substance, that which burns all illusions and ultimately brings the devotee back to his higher Self.

Tiruvannamalai, is a little town located in the state of Tamil Nadu, South East of India. The city has grown over the centuries around the holy mountain of Arunachala and the ancient temple of Arunachaleswar, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Arunachala itself is considered to be the incarnation of Shiva on Earth, an auspicious place for the encounter with God.
This little city of Tamil Nadu is home to many sadhus and Western spiritual seekers inspired by the presence of spiritual teachers, and by the Ashram of the saint Ramana Maharshi. Ramana Maharshi lived at the feet of the Arunachala mountain since the age of 16 when a deeply spiritual experience of self-realisation led him to abandon his home and travel to this holy site. The saint spent the rest of his life guiding visitors and disciples on the path of self-discovery, keeping on pointing to the mountain of Arunachala, as the Heart of the Universe: a mass of concentrated spiritual energy.
Nowadays the flow of spiritual tourists and seekers from all over the world is increasing, but foreigners as well as locals engage together in traditional rituals of worship to Arunachala and Lord Shiva.
Every year the incarnation of Shiva in the mountain is celebrated during the festival of Deepam: an enormous fire is lighted upon Arunachala to burn for days. Every full moon instead, devotees walk the road of Pradakshina around the mountain to seek protection, karma purification and ultimately enlightenment. A constant element in people’s everyday life is fire, a channel to reach divinity, itself worshipped as a purifying substance, that which burns all illusions and ultimately brings the devotee back to his higher Self.

Tiruvannamalai, is a little town located in the state of Tamil Nadu, South East of India. The city has grown over the centuries around the holy mountain of Arunachala and the ancient temple of Arunachaleswar, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Arunachala itself is considered to be the incarnation of Shiva on Earth, an auspicious place for the encounter with God.
This little city of Tamil Nadu is home to many sadhus and Western spiritual seekers inspired by the presence of spiritual teachers, and by the Ashram of the saint Ramana Maharshi. Ramana Maharshi lived at the feet of the Arunachala mountain since the age of 16 when a deeply spiritual experience of self-realisation led him to abandon his home and travel to this holy site. The saint spent the rest of his life guiding visitors and disciples on the path of self-discovery, keeping on pointing to the mountain of Arunachala, as the Heart of the Universe: a mass of concentrated spiritual energy.
Nowadays the flow of spiritual tourists and seekers from all over the world is increasing, but foreigners as well as locals engage together in traditional rituals of worship to Arunachala and Lord Shiva.
Every year the incarnation of Shiva in the mountain is celebrated during the festival of Deepam: an enormous fire is lighted upon Arunachala to burn for days. Every full moon instead, devotees walk the road of Pradakshina around the mountain to seek protection, karma purification and ultimately enlightenment. A constant element in people’s everyday life is fire, a channel to reach divinity, itself worshipped as a purifying substance, that which burns all illusions and ultimately brings the devotee back to his higher Self.