Thiruvannaamalai
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| Tiruvannamalai | |
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| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Tiruvannamalai |
| Municipal chairman | R. Sridharan |
| Population | 130,301 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 171 m (561 ft) |
Coordinates: 12°13′N 79°04′E / 12.22°N 79.07°E Thiruvannamalai (Tamil: திருவண்ணாமலை, same as English pronunciation) is a pilgrimage town and municipality in Thiruvannamalai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Thiruvannamalai district. Thiruvannamalai is home to the Annamalaiyar Temple located at the foot of the Annamalai hill and amongst one of the great Shiva Temples of Tamilnadu. Thiruvannamalai has long been associated with many yogis and siddhars,[1] and more recently the 20th century guru Ramana Maharshi.
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[edit] Pilgrimage
Thiruvannamalai is one of the Pancha Bootha Sthalangal representing the fire element along with Chidambaram, Sri Kalahasti, Thiruvanaikoil and Kanchipuram representing sky, air, water and earth respectively.
Four Brahmotsavams are celebrated every year, the most famous of which is the one celebrated during the Tamil month of Karthikai (November/December). The ten day event culminates on the day of Karthigai Deepam. On that evening, a huge lamp is lit in a cauldron with three tons of ghee at the top of the Annamalai hill.[2]
Every full moon night, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Shiva by circumambulating the Arunachala hill barefoot. The circumambulation covers a distance of about 14 km.[3].
On the yearly Chitra Powrnami (full moon) night in the Tamil calendar year, lakhs of pilgrims from across the world visit the town.
Advaita Vedanta guru Ramana Maharshi lived in Thiruvannamalai for fifty three years until his death in 1950. His ashram, Ramanasramam, is located at the foot of the Arunachala hill, to the west of the town.
Seshadri Swamigal and Yogi RamSurat Kumar are examples of two other gurus who lived in this city.
[edit] Noted People
- Dr.M.Rajendran IAS Tiruvannamalai Collector
- E.V.Velu, Food minister, Government of TamilNadu.
[edit] Geography
Thiruvannamalai is located at 12°13′N 79°04′E / 12.22°N 79.07°E[4]. It has an average elevation of 171 metres (561 feet). Tiruvannamalai is situated 185 km from Chennai and 210 km from Bangalore. Saathanoor Dam across Thenpennai River is a tourist place near Thiruvannamalai.
The height of the Arunachala hill is approximately 1,600 feet.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census[5], Thiruvannamalai had a population of 130,301. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Thiruvannamalai has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 68%. In Thiruvannamalai, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Tourism
[edit] Arunachala temple
The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was built between the 16th and the 17th centuries by the kings of the Vijayanagara empire. The temple is famous for its massive gopurams[6].
The 11 tiered East Rajagopuram towers to a height of 217 feet, while the fortified walls pierced with 4 gopura entrances offer a formidable look to this vast temple complex . The Pei Gopuram, Tirumanjana Gopuram and Ammanaiammal gopuram are the other three. The 1000 pillared hall and the temple tank were built by Krishna Deva Rayarar of Vijayanagar. Each of the prakarams has a huge Nandi and several towers such as the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram
[edit] Transport
[edit] Road
Thiruvannamalai is well connected to many cities and towns in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh by road. This town lies on the junction of the Chittoor - Cuddalore state highway and the Puduchery - Bengalooru national highway (NH 66). The TNSTC operates many bus services to the different towns and cities in Tamil Nadu.
[edit] Rail
A railway line between Vellore and Villupuram passes through Thiruvannamalai, where passengers can board a passenger train to Vellore (up) or Villupuram (down) (traffic in this section is now closed for gauge conversion). The nearest major railway station is at Tindivanam (63 km).
[edit] Air
The nearest airport is at Chennai 170 km.
[edit] Economy
In spite of being very close to the city of Chennai, there are no industries worth mentioning in this district. Probably, the lower literacy level in the district, uninterested bureaucracy and political set up have been the reasons. Due to literally non-existent job-opportunities, majority of the people of this district have traditionally been looking for opportunities either in Bangalore or Chennai.[1]
[edit] Nearby towns
- Bengalooru- 200km
- Tindivanam- 63km
- Puduchery- 102km
- Chennai- 195km
- Vellore- 83km
- Dharmapuri- 120km
- Salem- 147km
- Villupuram- 68km
- Tirupati- 188km
- Chittoor- 137km
- Kanchipuram- 119km
- Trichy- 246km
- Cuddalore- 130km
- Coimbatore- 306km
- Madurai- 384km
Chengam-38Km Harur-82km Uthangarai-60km
[edit] Politics
Thiruvannamalai assembly constituency is part of Tiruvannamalai (Lok Sabha constituency).[7]
[edit] References
- ^ The temple town of Tiruvannamalai
- ^ The Hindu: 10 lakh devotees witness Tiruvannamalai Deepam
- ^ This is referred to as the Giri Valam.Tiruvannamalai at Tamil Nadu tourism website
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Thiruvannamalai
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.
- ^ South India Handbook By Roma Bradnock
- ^ "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies". Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S22/TN_ACPC.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-10-08.
[edit] External links
- Thiruvannamalai Info
- Thiruvannamalai Business Directory
- Question and Answer Discussion Board
- Thiruvannamalai video
- Thiruvannamalai articles
- Thiruvannamalai wallpapers
- Thiruvannamalai photos
- Tiruvannamalai Travel Guide
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