It is one of the pancha bhuta sthalas dedicated to Lord Shiva.
In India Lord Shiva is also worshipped as a pillar of fire with no beginning and no end.The hill and the linga in the sanctum-sanctorum are said to show the same.
The hill Arunachala itself is worshipped as Lord Shiva, and it is said that Lord Shiva has taken the form of this mountain. It is said that a continued lineage of siddhas and rishis live around Arunachala. In the 20th century , it is known for the presence of sages like Seshadri swami, Ramana Maharishi and Yogi Ramsuratkumar.
It is about 190 km from Chennai. Regular buses are available from Chennai main, or Tambaram. Ticket is about Rs 60. First time and occasional visitors are better advised to visit Thiruvannamalai anytime during year except on Full Moon days because this pilgrim centre is heavily thronged during Full moon days and any visitor is likely to be stranded without accommodation during these days!
A very good vegetarian restaurant - "'''Satvam'''" located at Sparsa Resorts, Athiyandal Village