Near Tiruvannamalai · The hill to climb

Parvathamalai: how to get there, how to climb, and when to go

If Arunachala is the hill you walk around, Parvathamalai is the hill you climb ~ a sacred mountain crowned by an ancient Shiva temple, about an hour from Tiruvannamalai, reached by a long forest stair and a last kilometre of rock, iron rods and ladders. The whole journey, honestly told.

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Everyone who comes to Tiruvannamalai walks around Arunachala. A smaller number, usually a few days in, start to wonder what it would be like to go up something. Parvathamalai is the answer the district gives them: a steep, green, wild mountain in the Eastern Ghats, with a Shiva temple on its summit that the Siddhas are said to have established, and a climb that is long, honest and a little frightening in places. It is the finest day out from Tiruvannamalai for the fit and the willing ~ and this page tells you how to do it well.

The mountain of the Goddess

Parvathamalai means “the mountain of Parvati.” The old account is that the Goddess herself did tapas here for the good of the world, and the two presiding deities are still Mallikarjuna Swamy, Shiva, and his consort, known here as Brahmarambika (or Maragathambika). Tradition says the lingam on the summit was set up by the Siddha Bhogar, and that the hill is a place where the Siddhas still sit unseen. Another story says that when Hanuman carried the Sanjeevi mountain to Lanka, pieces of it fell here, which is why the slopes are said to hold rare healing herbs.

How high is it? Honestly, sources disagree ~ anywhere from about 3,500 to 4,500 feet (roughly 1,100 to 1,400 metres) above sea level. What nobody disputes is that the final part is steep and the views from the top are enormous. For a sense of the wider tradition, there is a saying that Adi Shankaracharya of Kanchi revered the hill so much that he refused to set foot on it, and worshipped by going around it. In 1944 the Kanchi Mahaswami, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi, walked around the mountain from Kadaladi on the first day of Margazhi; that circuit is still remembered each year.

There is a Ramana connection too. Devotees love to recall the saying attributed to Ramana Maharshi that, within thirty kilometres of Arunachala, one needs no other guru. Parvathamalai sits just at the edge of that circle ~ it is part of the sacred landscape of which Arunachala is the heart.

Arunachala you walk around. Parvathamalai you climb ~ demanding, exhilarating, and at the summit, deeply quiet.

How to get there

The trek begins at Thenmathimangalam, a village on the Polur side of the district. From Tiruvannamalai it is about 30–35 km. Count on an hour or a little more, and more still by bus. There are three sensible ways to do it.

Mobile signal on the hill is patchy though Jio and Airtel usually work in places. Tell someone at your guesthouse where you are going and roughly when you expect to be back.

How to climb it, stage by stage

The trek is about 6.6 km each way. It divides neatly into four parts, and it helps to know them in advance so that you can pace yourself. Times below are walking times without long rests; add an hour or so overall.

At the top

The Mallikarjuna Swamy temple stands on bare rock, with the plains and ridge after ridge of the Eastern Ghats falling away on every side. Trekking guides have long described it as a temple where visitors may perform their own simple pooja, and many bring bilva leaves and camphor; the summit buildings look newer than older accounts describe, so confirm what is available when you arrive. Whatever the arrangements, give yourself time. Sit. Most people who make it say the quiet at the top is the real reward.

Watch for monkeys: keep your food zipped away, and a small stick helps.

Coming down

The descent takes 2–3 hours and is harder on the body than people expect: the steps are steep and narrow, and your legs will be tired. Face the rock on the iron sections, place each foot carefully, and do not hurry to beat the dark. Give yourself a margin so you are off the iron before late afternoon.

The best time to go

Choose the season, then the hour. Both matter more here than almost anywhere else near Tiruvannamalai, because the last part of the climb is bare rock and iron, which is unpleasant in heat and dangerous when wet.

Time of day. Start at first light, around 6 to 6:30 am, so that you climb in the cool and reach the top before the midday sun. Signboards advise against setting off after about 3 pm, and that is sensible advice ~ you do not want to be on the iron sections in the dark. Many devotees do climb through the night for the full moon, but that is for those who already know the path. Camping is not allowed, though a few devotees stay overnight in the temple area.

Festival days. The great days are every full-moon night, Maha Shivaratri, and the first day of Margazhi (mid-December), when devotees circle the hill. They are powerful and joyful ~ and crowded, with queues on the ladders. If you want solitude, choose a weekday outside those dates. Do not try to combine a night Girivalam and a Parvathamalai climb on the same day.

A sample day from Tiruvannamalai

This is a rough plan to adapt, not a promise ~ trails, buses and your own legs set the real timetable.

What to carry

• Water ~ at least 3 litres in total, plus electrolyte salts or a pinch of salt with your snacks. Refill at Veerabhadra.
• Footwear with a proper grip. Trekking shoes are best; sandals are a mistake on the iron and rock.
• Government photo ID for the forest check post, plus some cash in small notes.
• Light, quick-drying clothes (cotton is fine), a cap or scarf, sunscreen, and a thin warm layer for the summit wind.
• High-energy snacks ~ nuts, dates, bananas, glucose biscuits.
• A torch and a small first-aid kit with plasters and any medicines you need.
• A small rucksack that leaves your hands free. Bring a rain poncho in or after the monsoon.
• For the pooja ~ if you want to offer one, a few bilva leaves, camphor and flowers.

Please carry your rubbish back down. The mountain is sacred; the plastic is not.

Last updated 26 October 2026. Distances, times and fees are drawn from published trekking guides and pilgrims’ accounts and are approximate; where an account is traditional, it is told as such. Please confirm current conditions locally.