Temple town and holy location (tirtha) in Tamil Nadu's
northern region, some 100 miles southwest of Madras, the state capital.
Tiruvannamalai is most known for its temple dedicated to the
deity Shiva as Arunachaleshvar, or "Lord of Arunachal [Hill]," the
hill on which the temple is situated.
Tiruvannamalai is also one of the five bhutalingas
("elemental lingas"), a network of Shiva-related locations in
southern India.
Shiva is venerated as a linga, a pillar-shaped item that
represents Shiva's symbolic form, in each of these locations, and each linga is
said to be made from one of the five primordial elements (bhuta)—earth, wind,
fire, water, and space (akasha).
The linga in Tiruvannamalai is linked to the fundamental
element of fire, giving it a very potent picture.
Apart from the picture and the temple, Tiruvannamalai is
also known for being the home of the modern Indian saint Ramana Maharshi, who
lived there from 1896 to 1950.
