Tiruvannamalai · Tamil Nadu · Shaiva · Pancha Bhoota (Fire)
Arunachaleswarar Temple – Timings, Darshan & Seva Booking
The fire-lingam temple at the foot of the Arunachala hill. Today’s darshan timings, pooja schedule, seva ticket prices and festival days for Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, from the official HR&CE temple portal.
Lord Annamalaiyar & Goddess Unnamulai Amman
- 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM
- 7 daily poojas
- Sevas from ₹2
Tickets are booked on the government HR&CE portal, which opens in a new tab. If the portal is down, that tab waits and opens it as soon as it’s back.
Right now at the temple
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About Arunachaleswarar Temple
Arunachaleswarar Temple stands at the foot of the sacred Arunachala hill and is one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, where Shiva is worshipped as the element of fire. The temple grew over many centuries, from early Chola work through the Hoysala and Vijayanagara periods, and today spreads across about 25 acres.
It has nine gopurams — the East Rajagopuram rises about 217 feet over eleven tiers — five prakarams and dozens of sub-shrines. On every full moon lakhs of devotees walk the 14 km Girivalam path around the hill, and in Karthigai the Maha Deepam is lit on the summit.
- East Rajagopuram, about 217 ft tall with 11 tiers
- Agni Lingam — one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams
- Girivalam around Arunachala on every Pournami (full moon)
- Karthigai Deepam — the great lamp on the hilltop (Nov–Dec)
Temple Timings
Time at the temple (India)
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- Open for darshan
- Pooja
The ring shows the AM (midnight to noon) hours.
Open for darshan
- 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Nadai closed
- 8:00 PM
- Darshan runs 5:30 AM to 8 PM; on weekends, full-moon days and holidays entry may close at 7:30 PM.
- Enter through the East Rajagopuram or the North Ammani Amman Gopuram.
- On full-moon days start Girivalam early and expect only free darshan inside.
Daily Pooja Schedule
7 poojas are performed every day. Times are India time and change on festival days.
5:00 AM
to 5:15 AM
Go Pooja
5:30 AM
to 7:00 AM
Ushathkala Pooja
8:00 AM
to 9:30 AM
Kalasandhi Pooja
10:00 AM
to 11:30 AM
Uchikala Pooja
5:30 PM
to 7:00 PM
Sayaratchai Pooja
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Irandamkala Pooja
9:00 PM
to 9:30 PM
Arthajama Pooja
Seva & Darshan Tickets
All sevas on HR&CEFees for booking online on the Tamil Nadu HR&CE portal. Tickets are issued by the temple; Trypdeals does not sell them.
Navathanya Lamp
Pooja · 1 person per ticket
During darshan hours
₹2
BookGhee Lamp
Pooja · 1 person per ticket
During darshan hours
₹3
BookAnnai Tamizhil Archanai
Archanai · 1 person per ticket
During darshan hours
₹5
BookArchanai Receipt
Archanai · 1 person per ticket
During darshan hours
₹5
BookSpecial Darshan
1 person per ticket
During darshan hours
₹50
BookSwami Amman Special Abhishekam
Abhishekam · 1 person per ticket
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, 5:30 AM – 7:00 AM, 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
₹2,500
Book
Upcoming Festival Days
Festival and special-pooja days — some paid sevas are suspended and crowds are larger.
Next festival
Pournami (full moon) – free darshan only
2 – 3 Jan 2027
January 2027
- Pournami (full moon) – free darshan only2 – 3 Jan 2027
Gopurams & Temple Tanks
Towers drawn to scale by height; shapes are illustrative.
- Brahma Theertham· 22,800 sq ft
- Sivaganga Theertham· 24,090 sq ft
Shrines inside
- Shanmuga vinayagar
- Kaalabairavar
- Chinna Nanthi
- Bramma Lingam
- Vidyathesurar
- Vinai Theertha Vinayagar
- Maleswarar
- Yannai Theraikonda Vinayagar
- PichaiIllaiyanar
- Kalatheeswarar
- Eakambareswarar
- Jambukeswarar
- Chidambareswarar
- Pidariamman
- Samanda Vinayagar
- Palaniyandavar
- Venugopalar
- ArumugaSamy
- Sernabairavar
- Natarajar
- Chandikesuwarar
- Navagraha
- Vijayaragava Vinayagar
- Sthula Suthamar
- Annamalayar Thirupaatham
- Periya Nayakar
- Pimesvarar
- Alamarathu vinayakar
- Chandigeshwari
- Chitraguptar
- Unnamulaiyammai
- Annamalaiyar
- UnnamalaiAmman
- Kambath Illaiyanar
- Sivaganga Tirtha Vinagar
- Great Nandhi
- Paathalalingam
- Kalayanasundreswarar
- Gopurathu Illayanaar
- Vannimarathu Vinayagar
Dress Code & Facilities
Wear
- Men: dhoti or veshti, or trousers with a shirt
- Women: saree, half-saree, or salwar with dupatta
Avoid
- Shorts and sleeveless tops
- Leather items near the sanctum
- Footwear — leave it at the free stands outside
Facilities
- Golden chariotIt is located inside the temple
- Silver chariotTemple Outside
- Wooden temple carTemple Outside
- Battery carIt is located inside the temple.
- Cloak roomEast North Raja Gopuram Outside
- Feeding room for mothersInside of the temple
- HospitalOutside the temple Near North Raja Gopuram
- LibraryNorth Raja Gopuram Temple Outside
- WheelchairsInside of the temple
- Information centreInside of the temple
- Tonsuring (hair offering)East RajaGopuram Temple Outside Near the right side
- ThulabharamTemple Inside near the flag tree
- Veda pathashalaInside of the temple
- RO drinking waterInside of the temple
- BathroomsTemple inside and outside
- ToiletsTemple inside and outside
- Free footwear standOutside the temple East and North Raja Gopuram
How to Reach
Sannathi Street, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu 606601 Get directions
- Tiruvannamalai bus standBus stand1 km
- Government Medical College HospitalHospital5 km
- Tiruvannamalai railway stationRailway station1.5 km
City bus routes: 179B (Chennai – Tiruvannamalai) · 38 (Vellore – Tiruvannamalai)
History & Legend
Brahma and Vishnu once argued over which of them was greater. Shiva settled it by appearing between them as a column of fire with no visible end, and asked them to find either end. Vishnu took the form of a boar and dug downwards; Brahma became a swan and flew upwards. Neither got there — and when Brahma claimed he had reached the top, with a falling thazhambu (screwpine) flower as his false witness, Shiva ruled that Brahma would have no temples of his own on earth and the flower would never be used in Shiva’s worship. Tiruvannamalai is held to be the place where that pillar of fire stood, and the hill itself is worshipped as Shiva.
A second story explains the Ardhanareeswarar form honoured here. After a moment’s carelessness, Parvati came to Tiruvannamalai to do penance and was granted the left half of Shiva’s body on the full moon of Karthigai. In memory of this, on Karthigai Deepam evening the Ardhanareeswarar image is brought out at exactly 6 PM, just as the great lamp is lit on the hilltop.
Through the centuries
9th century
The first temple is built under the early Chola kings, according to its own inscriptions.
10th–13th century
Later Chola and Hoysala rulers extend it. The temple holds inscriptions of Parantaka I, Rajaraja I, Rajendra I and the Rashtrakuta king Krishna III; the images of the 63 Nayanmars in the second prakaram date from the 12th century.
14th century
The Hoysala king Veera Vallala, who held court at Tiruvannamalai, becomes part of temple lore — his statue stands in the fourth prakaram.
16th century
Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya builds the Thousand Pillared Mandapam and the great East Rajagopuram, about 217 ft tall.
17th century
An earthquake brings down part of the fourth prakaram wall; it is rebuilt stone by stone, and an inscription on that wall records the event.
2017
The latest Kumbabhishekam (re-consecration) is held on 6 February 2017.
Further reading
- Arunachala PuranamEllappa Navalar
- Thiruppugazh (Tiruvannamalai hymns)Arunagirinathar
- Thiruvempavai and ThiruvammanaiManikkavasagar — composed during his stay at Tiruvannamalai
Temple at a Glance
- Sthala vriksham
- Magizham tree, in the third prakaram
- Area
- About 24 acres
- Prakarams
- 5
- Gopurams
- 9
- Inscriptions
- About 500, in Tamil, Sanskrit and Grantha
- Hill height
- Arunachala rises 2,668 ft
- Sung by
- The Nalvar — Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Manikkavasagar
- Last Kumbabhishekam
- 6 February 2017
Art & Architecture
Halls, sculptures and paintings worth seeking out inside the temple.
- LingodbhavaPrakaram · 12th century, CholaA 130 cm stone panel of the temple’s own legend: Shiva emerging from the fiery pillar, with Vishnu as a boar at its foot and Brahma as a swan at its top.
- Thousand Pillared MandapamFifth prakaram · 16th centuryBuilt by Krishnadevaraya. Its rows of carved granite pillars make it one of the largest halls in the complex.
- 63 NayanmarsSecond prakaram · 12th centuryA full row of the 63 Shaiva saints, together with the attendant deities of the inner corridor.
- Rajagopuram pillarThird prakaram · 15th centuryA carved pillar that models the tiers of the Rajagopuram — traditionally said to have been set up to guard the tower against lightning.
- The dancer with three bodies15th centuryA clever single carving in which one head serves three dancing bodies, each in a different pose.
- Tribute to the elephantsVijayanagara periodSmall elephant sculptures placed around the temple to honour the elephants that hauled stone during construction.
- Thirukalyana Mandapam muralsChola and Pandya stylesWall and ceiling paintings — scenes from the Thiruvilayadal Puranam, Kamadhenu and the wish-granting tree, Shiva as the hunter (Kiratha) and Sadasiva.
Customs & Rituals
Murugan before Ganesha
Unusually, devotees here worship Murugan first. Legend says he appeared out of a pillar in the sixteen-pillared hall to vindicate the poet Arunagirinathar, which is why he is called Kambathu Ilaiyanar — “the young lord of the pillar”.
Moksha Deepam
Families light a ghee or oil lamp on top of the East Rajagopuram for a departed relative — on the day of cremation, at the final rites or on the death anniversary.
The sugarcane cradle
Couples who are blessed with a child after praying here return with sugarcane stalks and a new saree, make a cradle of them and carry the baby around the four Mada streets.
Nandi on Mattu Pongal
Nandi is dressed in garlands of vegetables, fruits and sweets, and Annamalaiyar is brought out to face him.
Brahma Lingam
A four-faced lingam in its own shrine, marking the place where Brahma worshipped Shiva — students pray here before exams.
Kala Bhairava
His eight-armed image, carved from a single stone, stands by the Brahma Theertham; devotees pray to him to overcome pride.
Girivalam
The 14 km walk around the hill passes the eight Ashtalinga shrines and the samadhis of Ramana Maharshi, Seshadri Swamigal and Visiri Swamigal. It can be done any day; full-moon nights are the most popular.
Pull the Golden Chariot
Devotees can pull the golden chariot around the third prakaram for a fee of ₹1,500, on any day except Pournami and major festivals.
Temple Animals & Services
- 81Temple goshalaAs on 10 Dec 202232 cows, 29 heifer calves, 19 bull calves and a bull, kept in a shed on the south side of the fourth prakaram with three caretakers.
Run by the temple
- Annadhanam — free mealsFree meals have been served since 2002. Since 31 December 2022 the scheme runs all day, from 9 AM to 7 PM. Donations to it qualify for tax exemption under Section 80G.
- Archakar and Othuvar schoolA training school inside the temple for future priests and hymn singers; 27 boys live and study here.
Online Booking Rules
How seva and darshan booking works on the HR&CE portal — worth reading before you pay.
- 1Book only on the official portalDarshan and seva tickets are sold on the Tamil Nadu HR&CE portal. Many temples offer free darshan slots; paid tickets are priced by each temple.
- 2A government ID for every personEach devotee on the ticket needs a government ID number at booking — Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN, ration card or driving licence.
- 3One ID, one booking at a timeThe same ID cannot be used again until a gap set by the temple has passed. If a booking fails, the ID is released and can be used straight away.
- 4Your e-ticketA confirmed booking produces a PDF e-ticket to download; it is also sent to the email and mobile number you give. The portal’s “e-Ticket Verification” page lets you check a booking and download the ticket again.
- 5If a payment is stuckA pending payment usually settles within 10 to 30 minutes — the portal re-checks with the bank on its own. If money was debited but the booking failed, the bank refunds it in 3–5 working days.
- 6Paid bookings are finalPaid tickets cannot be cancelled or refunded, so check the date and slot before paying.
- 7Ticket won’t open?On older Android phones the PDF sometimes won’t display — download it and open it in an up-to-date PDF reader.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Arunachaleswarar Temple timings?
Arunachaleswarar Temple is open 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM; the nadai is closed 8:00 PM. Timings change on festival days.
What is the daily pooja schedule at Arunachaleswarar Temple?
7 poojas are held every day, starting with Go Pooja at 5:00 AM – 5:15 AM and ending with Arthajama Pooja at 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM.
How much is the special darshan ticket?
Special Darshan: ₹50. Tickets are sold on the official HR&CE portal and at the temple counter.
Can I book sevas at Arunachaleswarar Temple online?
Yes — 6 sevas, from ₹2, can be booked on the Tamil Nadu HR&CE portal. Each seva above links to its official booking page.
What is the dress code?
Traditional dress is expected: dhoti or pants with a shirt for men, and saree, half-saree or salwar with dupatta for women. Shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed.
When was the last Kumbabhishekam at Arunachaleswarar Temple?
The latest Kumbabhishekam (re-consecration) of Arunachaleswarar Temple was held on 6 February 2017.
What is the sthala vriksham of Arunachaleswarar Temple?
The temple’s sacred tree is the magizham tree, in the third prakaram.
What ID do I need to book darshan online?
Every person on the ticket needs a government ID number at booking — Aadhaar, Voter ID, PAN, ration card or driving licence. The same ID can be used again only after a gap set by the temple.
Can I cancel a paid seva or darshan ticket?
No. Paid bookings on the HR&CE portal are final and cannot be cancelled or refunded. If money was debited but the booking failed, the bank refunds it within 3–5 working days.
Timings, pooja schedule, fees and festival days come from the official Tamil Nadu HR&CE Thirukoil portal and are refreshed daily (last update 7 Oct 2026). They change on festival days — please confirm on the official temple page before you travel.