gods had been disputing their respective strengths when Shiva pulled this primordial pyro - stunt,challenging his adversaries to locate the top and bottom of his blazing column. They couldn’t and collapsed on their knees in a gesture of supreme submission. The event is commemorated each year at the rising of the full moon in November/December, when the Deepam ceremony, bring to an end the ten day Karttigai festival, culminates with the illumination of gallons of camphor in the temple courtyard.

Known to Hindus as the “Temple of the Eternal Sunrise”, the enormous Arunachaleshvara Temple, built over a period of almost a thousand years and incorporating several distinct styles,considts of three concentric courtyards whose gateways are topped by tapering gopuras,the largest of which cover the east and north gates.

Tiruvannamalai is served by regular buses from Vellore and Pondicherry.Coming from the coast, it’s easiest to make your way there on one of the numerous buses from Tindivandum.The town bus stand is 2 km north of the temple on the main road to Gingee.Half a kilometer north of there, the railway station is on the line between Tirupati and madurai, with a daily service in each direction.

For such an important pilgrimage place, Thiruvannamalai has surprisingly few decent hotels. If your budget can stretch to it, stay at the two star Trisul,a couple of minutes walk from the main temple entrance at 6 Kanakaraya Mudali Street. The next best option, and excellent value for money is NS Lodge. Moving down the scale,pick of the budget lodges is the Sri Durgalakshmi and The Park.