The mountain · Nearby temples
Temples near Tiruvannamalai: a pilgrim's guide
The sacred sites around Arunachala, grouped honestly by distance ~ the twin Shiva and Vishnu temples of Tirukoyilur within an easy drive, the moving Ramana sites at Desur, and the great Chola temples further afield ~ so you can plan by the time you actually have.
The short version
- Within ~40 km
- Tirukoyilur ~ a major Shiva temple and a major Vishnu temple; Gnanananda's ashram nearby.
- ~70 km
- Desur & Matam ~ Mastan Swami's samadhi and Akhilandamma's house, tied to Ramana.
- ~140 km (a day-trip)
- Chidambaram (Nataraja temple) and Gangaikonda Cholapuram ~ two of the great Chola temples.
- Getting there
- A hired car and driver for the day is easiest; confirm distances and timings locally.
Arunachala holds most visitors close ~ there is rarely much wish to leave the hill. But the country around Tiruvannamalai is rich in sacred sites, some an easy morning's outing, some a proper day's journey, and for the longer or returning visit they open the wider devotional landscape of which Arunachala is the heart. The honest key is distance: I've grouped these by how far they actually are, because a “nearby temple” two and a half hours away needs planning that a forty-minute one does not.
Within an easy drive: Tirukoyilur ~ the Shiva and the Vishnu temple
If you want the two great temples closest to Tiruvannamalai ~ one to Shiva, one to Vishnu ~ they are both at Tirukoyilur, about 35 to 40 kilometres south, on the bank of the Thenpennai (South Pennar) river. It makes an ideal half-day or day outing.
Veeratteswarar temple (Shiva)
The Veeratteswarar temple is one of the Ashta Veerattanam ~ the eight sacred sites that commemorate the heroic deeds of Shiva. Each of the eight marks a place where Shiva is said to have vanquished a demon or performed a great feat; Tirukoyilur's is among the most important. It is an ancient, atmospheric temple, less thronged than the great tourist temples, and deeply revered.
Ulagalantha Perumal temple (Vishnu)
A short distance away stands the Ulagalantha Perumal temple, dedicated to Vishnu in his form as Trivikrama (Ulagalantha, “he who measured the worlds”) ~ the form of the Vamana avatar who, in three strides, spanned the cosmos. It is a Divya Desam, one of the 108 temples revered by the Alvar saints, and tradition holds that the first three Alvars ~ Poigai, Bhoothath and Pey ~ had their great vision of the divine here. Its towering gopuram is among the tallest in Tamil Nadu. That a major Shiva site and a major Vishnu site sit side by side makes Tirukoyilur an unusually rich single outing.
Near Tirukoyilur, on the river, is the Tapovanam of Sri Gnanananda Giri, a revered twentieth-century sage ~ a living ashram worth a quiet visit for those drawn to it. Tirukoyilur is also associated in tradition with the Sangam-era poetess Avvaiyar.
The Ramana sites: Desur and Matam
About seventy kilometres from Tiruvannamalai lie the linked sites of Desur and Matam, bound up with one of the most touching stories among Ramana Maharshi's early devotees ~ and almost unknown to ordinary visitors.
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 the remarkable Akhilandamma (Desur Ammal), who herself walked the long road from Desur again and again carrying food for Ramana in the early cave years. Mastan was one of only four beings for whom Ramana is said to have ordered a proper saint's samadhi ~ alongside his own mother, the sage Seshadri Swami, and Lakshmi the cow. That a Muslim weaver stands in that company says 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 house and her food tradition are still kept. Ask at Sri Ramanasramam, whose devotees know these sites, before you go.
A grand day-trip: the great Chola temples
Further afield ~ a full day-trip rather than a short outing, but among the greatest temples in all of India ~ lie two masterpieces of the Chola age, best visited together.
Chidambaram ~ the Nataraja temple (~140 km)
Chidambaram, about 140 kilometres away (roughly two and a half to three hours' drive), is home to the great Thillai Nataraja temple, one of the most sacred and architecturally magnificent temples in South India. It is the temple of Shiva as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, and it represents the element of space (akasha) ~ making it, like Arunachala (fire), one of the five Pancha Bhuta Sthalams. For anyone moved by Arunachala's place among the element-temples, Chidambaram is its natural companion. The temple's dancing-Shiva bronzes, its famous roof of golden tiles, and its “Chidambaram secret” (the empty space enshrined as the formless divine) make it unforgettable.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram (~50 km beyond Chidambaram)
From Chidambaram, a further fifty kilometres brings you to Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the once-imperial capital built by the Chola emperor Rajendra I, with its colossal Brihadeeswarar temple ~ a UNESCO World Heritage monument and a twin to the even greater temple at Thanjavur. Its scale, its perfect proportions, and its sheer historical weight make it a fitting close to a day among the Cholas. Because the two lie close together and far from Tiruvannamalai, they are best done as a single long day or an overnight trip.
Start very early. A hired car and driver for the day is by far the easiest way; the two temples together make a long but deeply rewarding day, and an overnight stay near Chidambaram takes the rush out of it. Confirm current temple timings, which include long midday closures.
None of these should displace Arunachala itself on a first visit ~ the hill is the reason you came, and it rewards staying close. But for the returning pilgrim or the unhurried long-stayer, these temples open the wider sacred world around the mountain. For the closer, secular day-trips (Gingee fort, Sathanur dam), see our sacred day-trips guide.
Frequently asked questions
What temples can I visit near Tiruvannamalai?
Within about 40 km, Tirukoyilur has both a major Shiva temple (Veeratteswarar, one of the Ashta Veerattanam) and a major Vishnu temple (Ulagalantha Perumal, a Divya Desam). Near Desur (~70 km) are the samadhi of Mastan Swami at Matam and Akhilandamma's house, tied to Ramana. Further out (~140 km) lie the great Chola temples of Chidambaram and Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
Is there a Shiva and a Vishnu temple near Tiruvannamalai?
Yes ~ both at Tirukoyilur, about 35 to 40 km south: the Veeratteswarar Shiva temple (one of the eight Ashta Veerattanam) and the Ulagalantha Perumal Vishnu temple (a Divya Desam with one of Tamil Nadu's tallest towers).
How far is Chidambaram from Tiruvannamalai?
About 140 km by road, roughly two and a half to three hours ~ a full day-trip. It pairs naturally with Gangaikonda Cholapuram, another 50 km further, so the two great Chola temples are usually visited together over a long day or overnight.
Where is Mastan Swami's samadhi?
At Matam (also spelt Matham), a village near Desur, about 70 km from Tiruvannamalai ~ not at Desur itself, as many sources mistakenly say. At Desur stands the Sri Ramanananda Matalayam (founded 1914 by Mastan and Akhilandamma), where Akhilandamma's house is kept.
Last updated 30 September 2026. Distances and timings are approximate; please confirm current details before travelling.