Tiruvannamalai Girivalam Dawn Walk

Circling the hill

For pilgrims, Arunachala is not a hill with a temple but Shiva himself, and walking around it, girivalam, is one of the oldest devotions in Tamil Nadu. The path runs about 14 km on the town's ring road, keeping the hill on your right. Hundreds of thousands walk it on full-moon nights and at Karthigai Deepam; this walk goes at dawn on ordinary days, when the road is cool and quiet.

On the way

We start at 05:00 near the east gopuram of the Arunachaleswarar temple and walk clockwise at an easy pace, stopping at the eight directional lingam shrines (the ashta lingams), temple tanks and roadside mandapams, and passing Sri Ramana Ashram and the view of the hill's changing face from the far side. Your guide, who grew up in the town, tells the stories of the hill, of Ramana Maharshi and of the Karthigai flame lit on the summit. There is a breakfast stop at a simple tiffin shop on the way.

Finishing at the temple

The walk ends back at the temple around 09:30, with time for darshan (camera phones must be deposited at the counter). The route is on paved road; many pilgrims walk barefoot, but sandals are fine. Water, a light snack and a printed map are provided.