Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: Tiruvaṇṇāmalai IPA: ˈtiɾɯʋaɳːaːmalɛi̯, otherwise spelt Thiruvannamalai; Trinomali or Trinomalee[3] on British records) is a city, a spiritual, cultural, economic hub and also the administrative headquarters of Tiruvannamalai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The city is home to the renowned Annamalaiyar temple, Annamalai hill, Girivalam and the Karthigai Deepam festival and a prominent pilgrimage destination.

[4] Tiruvannamalai has a thriving service sector industry, including retail, resorts and recreation activities.

Apart from the service sector, the city is also the hub for many industrial setups including SIDCO,[5][6] spinning mills and premier educational institutions.

[10] In Hinduism, Parvati, wife of Shiva, once closed the eyes of her husband playfully in a flower garden at their abode atop Mount Kailash.

Parvati performed penance with other devotees of Shiva, and her husband appeared as a big column of fire at the top of Annamalai hills, returning light to the world.

[14] Another legend is that once, while Vishnu and Brahma contested for superiority, Shiva appeared as a flame, and challenged them to find his source.

[15][16] Brahma took the form of a swan, and flew to the sky to see the top of the flame, while Vishnu became the boar Varaha, and sought its base.

[16] The first mention of Annamalai is found in Tevaram, the seventh century Tamil Saiva canonical work by Appar and Tirugnanasambandar.

The recorded history of the city dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscriptions in the temple.

[16][18] Further inscriptions made before ninth century indicate the rule of Pallava kings, whose capital was Kanchipuram.

[19] The seventh century Nayanar saints Sambandar and Appar wrote of the temple in their poetic work, Tevaram.

The inscriptions from the Chola king record various gifts like land, sheep, cow and oil to the temple commemorating various victories of the dynasty.

[15] Madhva saint Vadiraja Teertharu of sixteenth century has mentioned about this place in his travelogue work Tirtha Prabandha.

[19] The city of Tiruvannamalai was at a strategic crossroads during the Vijayanagara Empire, connecting sacred centers of pilgrimage and military routes.

As the Mughal empire came to an end, the Nawab lost control of the city, with confusion and chaos ensuing after 1753.

As European incursions progressed, Tiruvannamalai was attacked by French Soupries, Sambrinet, and the English Captain Stephen Smith.

[47] In Annamalaiyar temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself as a massive column of fire, whose crown and feet could not be found by the Hindu gods, Brahma and Vishnu.

[48] Aathara Stala are Shiva temples which are considered to be personifications of the Tantric chakras of human anatomy.

A huge lamp is lit in a cauldron, containing three tons of ghee, at the top of the Annamalai hills during the Deepam.

Inscriptions indicate that the festival was celebrated as early as the Chola period (850–1280) and was expanded to ten days in the twentieth century.

[55] Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Annamalaiyar by circumambulating the Annamalai hill barefoot.

[56][57] According to Hindu legend, the walk removes sins, fulfils desires and helps achieve freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

[17] Offerings are made in a string of tanks, shrines, pillared meditation halls, springs and caves around the hill.

The Sathanur Dam over the Thenpennai river located 20 km (12 mi) southwest of the city is a prominent picnic spot.

[60] Tiruvannamalai is served by the city bus service operated by the TNSTC, which provides connectivity within the town and the suburbs.

[62] The SETC operates long-distance buses connecting the town to important cities like Chennai, Puducherry and Bengaluru.

[73] The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT).

[71] Law and order in the town is maintained by the Tiruvannamalai sub division of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a Deputy Superintendent (DSP).

[96] Water supply is provided by the municipality of Tiruvannamalai from the Thenpennai river and Samuthiram through feeders located in various parts of the town.