Geography

Annamalai Hill
Tiruvannamalai is situated 185 km (115 mi) from the state capital Chennai and 210 km (130 mi)
from Bangalore. The height of the Annamalai hill is approximately 2,669 ft (814 m).
[16]

Tiruvannamalai is located at 12N 79.05E. It has an average elevation of 200 metres (660 ft).
The town is located to the east of Eastern Ghats. The topography of Tiruvannamalai is almost
plain sloping from west to east. Tiruvannamalai experiences hot and dry weather throughout the
year. The temperature ranges from a maximum of 40 C (104 F) to a minimum of 20 C
(68 F). Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January
are the coldest. Tiruvannamalai receives scanty rainfall with an average of 815 mm (32.1 in)
annually, which is lesser than the state average of 1,008 mm (39.7 in). The southwest monsoon
with an onset in June and lasting up to August brings scanty rainfall. Bulk of the rainfall is
received during the northeast monsoon in the months of October, November and December. The
average humidity of the town is 77% and varies between 67% to 86%. During the summer
months of April to June, the humidity ranges from 4763%. The municipality covers an area of
16.3 km
2
(1,630 ha)
[17][18]

[hide]Climate data for Tiruvannamalai (19511980)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high
C (F)
35.3
(95.5)
39.8
(103.6)
42.8
(109)
44.4
(111.9)
45.0
(113)
44.3
(111.7)
40.9
(105.6)
39.4
(102.9)
39.6
(103.3)
39.2
(102.6)
35.8
(96.4)
35.0
(95)
45.0
(113)
Average
high C (F)
29.2
(84.6)
32.0
(89.6)
35.0
(95)
37.1
(98.8)
38.5
(101.3)
36.3
(97.3)
34.6
(94.3)
34.0
(93.2)
34.0
(93.2)
33.0
(91.4)
29.5
(85.1)
28.3
(82.9)
33.46
(92.23)
Average low
C (F)
18.2
(64.8)
19.2
(66.6)
21.3
(70.3)
24.8
(76.6)
26.3
(79.3)
26.0
(78.8)
25.1
(77.2)
24.6
(76.3)
24.1
(75.4)
22.9
(73.2)
20.8
(69.4)
19.2
(66.6)
22.71
(72.88)
Record low
C (F)
10.2
(50.4)
12.0
(53.6)
12.1
(53.8)
13.8
(56.8)
18.1
(64.6)
19.6
(67.3)
18.8
(65.8)
18.7
(65.7)
18.7
(65.7)
15.6
(60.1)
12.1
(53.8)
9.3
(48.7)
9.3
(48.7)
Precipitation
mm (inches)
9.0
(0.354)
7.1
(0.28)
5.9
(0.232)
21.8
(0.858)
83.9
(3.303)
71.0
(2.795)
117.0
(4.606)
124.9
(4.917)
149.6
(5.89)
176.9
(6.965)
155.2
(6.11)
78.6
(3.094)
1,000.9
(39.406)
Avg.
precipitation
days
0.8 0.5 0.4 1.3 4.7 5.3 6.6 7.8 7.6 9.4 7.7 3.9 56
Source: India Meteorological Department,
[19]

Jan 22.4.2010
Robberies in tiruvannamalai
A few days ago I heard the very disturbing news - that a young attractive western girl was raped and
murdered on the inner path last week. I am trying to verify this story as there has been no media
coverage of it whatsoever, but the local villagers are talking about it.

Please pay attention to the following -

When people come to Tiruvannamalai they imagine that it is full of saintly and holy people. Nothing
could be further from the truth. There are many spiritual people here, but there are also many
opportunists.

Over the past ten years, the robbery and rape of western women has been reported a number of times
amongst the western community, taking place both on the mountain and on the girivalam paths, the
inner path being the most common because it is isolated. A few years ago two men were imprisoned for
robbery and rape on the mountain.

There is a very common and very mistaken belief here that western women are easy and want sex with
any man. This has come about because of the reportedly profligate behaviour of a few women and
movies which depict western women in a bad light.

Western culture is very different from Indian culture. Western females are generally friendly towards
strangers, smiling and talking freely, they also hug each other. Unfortunately the western style of close
communication is taken here as an open invitation to sex by those whose minds live in the sewer - it is
frowned upon by most Indians.

Last year a friend of mine came here for a few weeks of meditation and was approached within the first
few days by two Indian men demanding sex - not asking, demanding, one followed her to her
accommodation and the other approached her in the ashram. She was horrified and very upset by this. I
have heard of many other females who are constantly pestered in this way.

Indian females will generally only speak to men they know and only from a distance - they will never
touch.


I repeat here the cautionary advice posted in ashrams and elsewhere.


I will add a further caution for western ladies - under no circumstances should you go anywhere
alone with any male that you have not known for a long time.

Do not think that because some fellow sits in meditation pose or speaks of religious matters that
he is spiritual. Watch carefully if you are approached and see if the fellow approaches other
women. If he does then avoid him - his intent is sex, money or both.

Do not think that because some fellow wears orange that he is a sadhu (holy man) - 99% of those
wearing this garb are beggars or worse.

Four years ago I was told that three of these ochre-robed fellows raped a 12 year old, very pretty,
but mentally challenged Indian girl in the college ground near the ashram.

When the police 'are' informed they will try to do their best with limited resources.

However, prevention is the better course ..... you will rarely see any Indian lady climbing the
mountain or performing girvalam alone, they take this stance out of caution that has been
drummed into them since birth and not because they feel lonely.

Do the same! A long-pending grievance of some of the residents of Periyar Nagar, Tiruvannamalai,
situated in and around the Girivalam path that they do not have power connection, is getting
redressed with the Madras High Court directing those authorities to provide the supply based on
their applications along with necessary undertaking and indemnity bond. The connection should
be provided within four weeks from the date of receipt of applications and other requirements.
The case of the petitioners, T.M.Prakash and 10 others was that they were residing in
government poromboke lands for the past two centuries. The petitioners engaged in laundry
work have put up huts and their children were studying in schools and colleges, but they did not
have electricity connection. When they submitted applications to the electricity authorities, the
latter insisted on NOC from the District Collector. Their representations seeking NOC were
rejected for which this plea was filed.
The electricity board counsel said that at a meeting at the Collectorate in November 2005 in
which eminent persons and officials of various departments participated, the board was
instructed not to effect new service connections and also to disconnect all connections on both
sides of the Girivalam (devotees going round the hill) path.
Justice S. Manikumar said the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Code made it mandatory on
the licensee to provide the supply to those who were in poromboke lands, on production of NOC.
When no such certificate could be produced by the applicants and when they could give no
undertaking or declaration, the board could not deny service connection to the petitioners who
had substantiated that they were continuously residing in the place. This was also admitted by the
electricity authorities.
Lack of electricity supply was one of the prime factors affecting education and health and the
cause for economic disparity. Right to electricity to a person in occupation of a government
poromboke land was recognised in the distribution code and it was integral to the achievement of
socio-economic rights. Also, access to electricity should be construed as a human right, of
course, to the satisfaction of the requirements under the electricity laws. Denial of the same, even
after satisfying the requirements, would amount to violation of human rights. The authorities
action were regressive. The petitioners were residing in and around the Girivalam path at least
from 2005 without electricity supply. Though the district administration had claimed that the
petitioners were encroachers in and around the path, the residents could not be expected to live in
darkness, the Judge said.
Keywords: Madras High Court, Girivalam path electricity supply, TANGEDCO, Periyar Nagar










An earth mover tears into shops illegally erected along the Girivalam path near the Sree
Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, Sunday.
TIRUVANNAMALAI: The district administration has launched a drive against encroachments
in and around the world famous Sree Arunachaleswarar Temple and along the 14 km Girivalam
path to ensure the free movement of devotees coming to the temple town to offer prayers and
perform girivalam on Chithra Pournami.
According to the tahsildar  of Tiruvannamalai K Ravichandran, the revenue officials have
evicted the encroachments in and around Rajagopuram Street, Vadakku Madaveethi, Therkku
Madaveethi, Thirumanjunagopuram Street, Sivagangai Theerthakula Street, Chengam-
Tiruvannamalai Road and the Grivialam path adjacent to the Tiruvannamalai Government Arts
College and Government Hospital.
The drive against encroachment is going on for the fourth consecutive day. We have removed
all the encroachments along most parts of the Girivalam path, he said.
Ravichandran added that the drive against encroachments would continue on Monday in
Venkigal, Kosalai and Adi Annamalai areas.
The eviction was aimed to help pilgrims perform Girivalam without hinderance and enable the
free flow of traffic on Chithra Pournami, said Collector Anshul Mishra.
1,500 cops on Chithra Pournami day
The Tiruvannamalai Police Department is planning to rope in 1,500 personnel for traffic
management and crime prevention during Chithra Pournami celebrations, that would attract
around 10 lakh devotees from across Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states, said Deputy
Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Vellore Range, M T Ganesamoorthy.
Talking to media persons shortly after visiting the Sree Arunachelaswarar Temple on Saturday,
Ganesamoorthy said, We are expecting around 12 lakh pilgrims to visit the temple town to offer
prayers in the temple and perform Grivilam on Chithra Pournami, which falls on May 5, 2012.
So, we have decided to deploy 13 units of police personnel, with each unit consisting 120
personnel.
Noise pollution on girivalam path
Staff Reporter
Tiruvannamalai: Speakers used by temporary shops kept on girivalam path during full moon
day to lure devotees were seized on Thursday.
Announcing this to reporters here on Friday, Tiruvannamalai town Deputy Superintendent of
Police Vaithilingam said that Collector and Superintendent of Police have ordered police to take
action against those who cause noise pollution in girivalam path. Following this, four loud
speakers used on girivalam path have been seized and five spurious offering hundials set up by
makeshift temples were also seized. Ten cases have also been booked, he added.


ns posted.

I do not know what this really means in terms of the actual enforcement that will be done. We
will see. Certainly this is a painful decision for many who love Arunachala.
The situation as far as I know is there is no evidence that anyone doing Pradakshina has ever
started a fire. There have been fires on the hill for hundreds of years, started by local for various
reasons. So I doubt if this will solve the problem of fires on Arunachala.
If any reader knows Indian people of high office or status, who could talk to the Forest
Department leadership, this would be a good time. Ramana devotees, people walking on the
Inner Path, are not the ones starting the fires.
I think whatever is done to limit access to Arunachala will have little effect on the actual fire
starters, since the mountain has a perimeter of 14 KM, and there will never be enough
enforcement to keep locals away from Arunachala. And what of the tens of thousands who trek
up to the top of Arunachala during Deepam? This has been going on for I think at least 3000
years! Each year you see fires started by these people. What about this? The effect of this ban
will be to remove Arunachala, beloved by Sri Ramana Maharshi and his followers, from the
reach of those who love the mountain the most. Can anyone help? This is the time.
If you do talk to anyone, please use the Deccan Chronicle article as your source, not this blog.
India is our home now, and we do not want problems for ourselves for calling attention to this
issue.

TIRUVANNAMALAI: A social activist, who had filed several cases against politicians and businessmen,
was hacked to death by a gang in Tiruvannamalai on Monday.

Police said K Rajmohan Chandra, 53, a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Tiruvannamalai, was returning
home on his bike on Monday morning after buying milk for his pets.

When he crossed Singamuga Theertha Kulam on the Girivalam path, an armed gang of seven to eight
people, which was hiding behind a bush, waylaid him and one of the gang members threw chilli powder
on his face. Chandra lost his balance and fell down. The gang members attacked him with sharp
weapons, inflicting severe cuts on his head and limbs, and fled the spot. He died in a pool of blood.





TIRUVANNAMALAI March 30. With the temple town of Tiruvannamalai having gained a
prominent place in the world heritage map thanks to the centuries-old Arunachaleswara Temple
and the monthly congregation of pilgrims from all over the State for the `Girivalam' (walk
around the holy Annamalai Hills) on the `Pournami' (full moon) day and night, the
environmental problems posed by the indiscriminate throwing of refuse on the 14-km path
requires greater attention.
A walk on the `Girivalam' path which stretches from the Anna arch at the entrance to
Tiruvannamalai through the heart of the town via bus stand, Chinnakkadai Street, Rettai Pillayar
Koil Street, Thirumanjana Gopura Veedhi, Chengam Road (forming part of the Pondicherry-
Bangalore National Highway-66) and back to the Anna arch revealed that used plastic cups and
plastic food packets continue to be strewn on the roadside in the absence of adequate dust bins.
A survey done by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) revealed that about three
lakh to four lakh devotees walk along the `Girivalam' path every `Pournami' day and night. With
numerous eateries and milk and coffee stalls lining the pathway to cater to the demand of the
devotees, lakhs of plastic tumblers were thrown on the roadside. The Board has received
complaints from farmers about the used non-bio-degradable plastic covers and cups lying over a
wide area and getting deposited in the farmers' fields. During the rainy season, this prevented the
seepage of rainwater underground. In other seasons, the irrigation water pumped by motors got
blocked by layers of plastic papers.
The Environmental Training Institute of the TNPCB did conduct an awareness campaign here
about a year ago to persuade the public not to use plastic materials in the `Girivalam' path. They
were instead asked to use stainless steel tumblers or mud cups for serving water or beverages.
Though the problem has been reduced to some extent after the campaign, it remained, as could
be seen from the indiscriminate disposal of plastic cups on the path. Awareness needed to be
created not only among the people of Tiruvannamalai but also among devotees from all over the
State, since devotees came from places as far away as Coimbatore, Salem and Erode besides
Vellore, Chennai and Kancheepuram who regularly visited the town for `Girivalam'.
Asked about the problem, Dheeraj Kumar, Tiruvannamalai Collector, told The Hindu that the
State government has sanctioned Rs.31.75 lakhs during 2001-2002 for the development of basic
amenities on the `Girivalam' path. With this amount, it has been planned to provide a number of
dust bins along the entire 14-km route, construct two shelters and five toilets in that portion of
the path which came under the jurisdiction of village panchayats. More drinking water facilities
would also be provided.
The Collector said the portion of the `Girivalam' path from Anna arch to Avaloorpettai was
freshly laid and widened recently. Road improvement works have now been sanctioned for about
a half km route from the bus stand. The Tiruvannamalai municipality and all the village
panchayats through which the path passed have already passed resolutions banning the use of
plastic materials on the path, and the ban was being enforced, he said. A philanthropist has
donated 5000 stainless steel tumblers for use by the devotees. As for the works on development
of infrastructure facilities, the tenders were being finalised, and they would commence in another
couple of months, Mr. Dheeraj Kumar said.
Facilities
Girivalam path
The circumambulation path has been well laid to make the journey on foot more comfortable for
pilgrims.To benefit the devotees who perform circumambulation during night times sodium
lamps are provided for the entire stretch of 14 Kilometers. Adequate drinking water supply
around the hill is provided by Thiruvannamalai Town Administration through borewells.More
over for the benefit of devotees food packets and milk are distributed during certain periods in a
year by private donors.
Arunachaleswarar Temple
To enable the devotees to worship Lord Arunachaleswarar and Goddess Unnamulaiamman
quickly and comfortably ceiling fans are provided and the queue lines using GI pipes have been
installed at the expense of temple administration. Exhaust fans have also been provided to send
out hot air.
For the benefit of devotees roofed queue lines around Swamy Sannathi have been formed with
the contribution from donors. In addition to this, in prakarams water tanks have been provided to
ensure continuous water supply. Accommodation
* The temple authorities have provided accommodation at nominal cost for the benefit of the
devotees.
* The rent for the rest houses is Rs. 200 and Rs. 150 per day.
* The rent for the rooms at Appar Illam is Rs. 100 per day.
* The rent for rooms at Unnamulai Amman Rest House is Rs.100 (Double room) and Rs.50
(Single room) per day.
* Apart from this private accommodation is available in and around the temple.

TIRUVANNAMALAI: The Highways Department has laid a 5.2-km footpath along the entire stretch
of the highway from Chengam road junction to Abaya Mandalam for the benefit of thousands of
devotees
TIRUVANNAMALAI: The Highways Department has laid a 5.2-km footpath along the entire
stretch of the highway from Chengam road junction to Abaya Mandalam for the benefit of
thousands of devotees who would walk the 14-km Girivalam path around the Annamalaiar hill
on the Karthigai Deepam day on Sunday.
According to a highway official the work on footpath with cement tile flooring at an estimated
cost of Rs 4 crore began in September and was expected to be completed before the Deepam
festival.
The remaining 1.2-km distance would be completed in a month, he added.The footpath has come
as a boon for the devotees.
Rajalakshmi (65) of Thirukovilur, who has been taking part in the Girivalam for more than 20
years, said that the footpath would help the pilgrims to have a safe journey as they trek through
the Tiruvannamalai-Bangalore highway which would always be busy with movement of heavy
vehicles.
In addition, the potholes were also being filled up and just a few more remain to be covered,the
official said.  While the work had almost been finished within the Tiruvannamalai
Municipality limit, the 700-m Chengam road was still in a bad shape.  
The delay has been attributed to the unfinished Underground Drainage (UGD) works.
The 11th hour initiative of the municipality to fill those pits with mud with a solid concrete base
has been affected in the heavy rains this week