“Inside The Battle To Protect Tiruvannamalai Temple’s Sacred Space: A Conversation With TR Ramesh”, Swarajya, October 18, 2025
“Around 200 kilometres from Chennai is one of the most famous Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, standing at the foot of the Annamalaiyar hill.
It is a landscape where devotion and heritage have converged for centuries. To this day, thousands of devotees walk barefoot around the hill every full moon on the 14-kilometre Girivalam path, their chants mingling with the scent of camphor and jasmine that fills the night air.
But it is during Karthigai Deepam that the town truly transforms. Lamps flicker on every street, temple gopurams give a golden glow, and atop the hill, a massive flame is lit, said to symbolise Lord Shiva himself as an eternal light……”
Read full article at swarajyamag.com
