ARUNACHALA, TIRUVANNAMALAI

STEP OUT – TAMIL NADU

A view from the holy hill Arunachala in Thiruvannamalai. Photograph by Shravan Regret Iyer

The holy hill Arunachala in Thiruvannamalai is approximately 2, 669 feet above the sea level. The hill is situated 210 kilometer from Bengaluru. In the month of October – November hundreds of people from all around the world gather here for Karthigai Deepam. On this occasion, an enormous cauldron is placed on the highest of Arunachala’s five peaks and filled with hundreds of gallons of ghee mixed with camphor. As the sun sets and the full moon rises, lights are lit on the top of the hill. The fire on top of Arunachala can be seen for miles around.