The mountain · Beyond the hill
Sacred day-trips around Tiruvannamalai
For the longer or returning visit ~ the sites around Arunachala worth a day. The little-known story of Mastan at Desur and Matam, the great temples of Tirukoyilur, and the fort of Gingee.
The short version
- Desur & Matam
- ~70 km ~ the moving story of Mastan Swami; samadhi at Matam, Matalayam at Desur.
- Tirukoyilur
- ~35–40 km ~ ancient Shiva (Ashta Veerattanam) and Vishnu (Alvar) temples.
- Gingee Fort
- ~37 km ~ the spectacular ‘Troy of the East’, a secular day of ramparts and views.
- Getting there
- A hired car and driver for the day, arranged through your guesthouse, is easiest.
Arunachala holds most visitors close ~ there is rarely any wish to leave it ~ but for a longer or a returning stay, the region around Tiruvannamalai opens into sites of real depth and beauty. Some are grand temples; one is a small, moving, little-known shrine that carries one of the loveliest stories in the whole Ramana tradition. Here are the day-trips worth making, honestly described, with the distances that matter.
Desur and Matam ~ the story of Mastan
This is the one to make if you make only one, and almost no first-time visitor knows of it. Around seventy kilometres from Tiruvannamalai lie the linked sites of Desur and Matam, bound up with one of the most touching stories among Ramana's early devotees.
Mastan Swami (born 1878) was a Muslim weaver of Desur who became one of Ramana's earliest and most devoted followers ~ brought to Bhagavan by a remarkable woman, Akhilandamma (Desur Ammal), who herself walked the long road from Desur again and again carrying food for Ramana and his devotees in the early cave years. Of the countless who came to him, Mastan was one of only four beings for whom Ramana is said to have ordered a proper saint's samadhi shrine (the others being his own mother, the sage Seshadri Swami, and Lakshmi the cow). That a Muslim weaver stands in that company tells you something true and beautiful about Arunachala's tradition.
A common error, repeated across many websites, places Mastan's samadhi at Desur. In fact the samadhi shrine is at Matam (also spelt Matham), a village near Desur; Mastan hailed from Desur but is enshrined at Matam. At Desur itself stands the Sri Ramanananda Matalayam, founded in 1914 by Mastan and Akhilandamma and said to be the first centre established in Bhagavan's name, where Akhilandamma's own small house and food tradition are still kept. David Godman's account “Discovering Mastan” is the authoritative English source if you wish to read more before you go.
Tirukoyilur ~ ancient temples
About thirty-five to forty kilometres south lies Tirukoyilur, an old temple town of real significance. Its Veeratteswarar temple is one of the Ashta Veerattanam ~ the eight sites of Shiva's heroic deeds ~ on the bank of the Thenpennai river; and its Ulagalantha Perumal temple, a Vishnu temple with one of the tallest towers in Tamil Nadu, is where the first three Alvar saints are traditionally said to have attained the divine. For those drawn to the deeper temple heritage of the region, it richly repays a day.
Gingee, Sathanur and the secular day-trips
Not every excursion need be devotional. About thirty-seven kilometres away, the great Gingee (Senji) Fort ~ the “Troy of the East” ~ sprawls across three hills, a spectacular historic site for anyone who wants a day of ramparts and views and a change of key. Nearer still, the Sathanur Dam (around thirty-five kilometres) offers gardens, a reservoir, and a crocodile farm ~ an easy, unspiritual family outing when you want simply a pleasant day out from the intensity of the hill.
Distances here are approximate and roads vary; a hired car and driver for the day is the usual and easiest way to reach any of these, arranged through your guesthouse. Confirm current distances, timings, and access locally ~ and for the Desur and Matam sites in particular, ask at Sri Ramanasramam, whose devotees know them well.
None of these should displace the hill itself on a first visit. But for the returning pilgrim, or the long-stayer with unhurried time, they open the wider sacred landscape of which Arunachala is the centre ~ and the story of Mastan, especially, is worth the journey.
Frequently asked questions
What is the story of Mastan Swami?
Mastan Swami (born 1878) was a Muslim weaver of Desur who became one of Ramana Maharshi's earliest and most devoted followers, brought to him by Akhilandamma (Desur Ammal). He was one of only four beings for whom Ramana is said to have ordered a saint's samadhi shrine ~ alongside his own mother, Seshadri Swami, and Lakshmi the cow ~ a mark of deep reverence.
Where is Mastan Swami's samadhi?
The samadhi shrine is at Matam (also spelt Matham), a village near Desur, about 70 km from Tiruvannamalai ~ not at Desur itself, as many websites mistakenly state. Mastan hailed from Desur, where the Sri Ramanananda Matalayam (founded 1914) stands, but he is enshrined at Matam.
What is there to see at Tirukoyilur?
Tirukoyilur, about 35 to 40 km south, has the Veeratteswarar temple (one of the eight Ashta Veerattanam sites of Shiva) on the Thenpennai river, and the Ulagalantha Perumal temple, a Vishnu temple with one of Tamil Nadu's tallest towers, associated with the first three Alvar saints. It rewards those drawn to the region's temple heritage.
Are there non-religious day-trips from Tiruvannamalai?
Yes. Gingee (Senji) Fort, about 37 km away, is a spectacular historic hill-fort known as the 'Troy of the East'. The Sathanur Dam, around 35 km away, has gardens, a reservoir and a crocodile farm ~ an easy, secular family outing when you want a change from the intensity of the hill.
Last updated 26 September 2026. Distances, timings and access can change; please confirm current details before travelling.