01ॐ Namah Shivaya · Sacred essentials for everyday devotion
ARUNACHALA SHIVA · SACRED KNOWLEDGE
Discover the Sacred Lingams of Arunachala
Eight Sacred Directions. One Eternal Shiva.
TIRUVANNAMALAI · TAMIL NADU
Explore 16 shrine guides below.
Arunachala: the hill that is Shiva
Eight Sacred Directions. One Eternal Shiva. At the foot of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, a living tradition of Shiva worship brings together the hill, the great temple and the shrines along the Girivalam path. For devotees, Arunachala is revered as the manifestation of the infinite divine flame.
Every Lingam has a story. Every direction leads to Shiva. Explore the eight directional shrines, discover the additional Lingams and plan a thoughtful visit through this sacred landscape.
THE EIGHT SACRED DIRECTIONS
Understand the eight directions ↗Discover the Ashta Lingams
No matching shrines. Try another name or direction.
WALK WITH REMEMBRANCE
Girivalam. A journey around the sacred hill.
The traditional circuit is approximately 14 kilometres. Follow the clockwise shrine sequence, understand the route and prepare for the journey at your own pace.
Plan your Girivalam →14km
One hill. Eight directions.
A living tradition of devotion.
Interactive map of the eight Lingams
The eight directional Lingams are shown in the traditional clockwise sequence, with Arunachaleswarar Temple as the start and finish. Adi Annamalaiyar is included as an additional temple stop.
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Dotted line: clockwise visiting sequence, joining shrine locations. It is an orientation guide, not turn-by-turn walking directions. Follow local Girivalam signs and current access instructions.
Choose a numbered pin or a stop below to explore a shrine.
Open larger map ↗Report a map issue ↗
Location sources
Mapped locations are approximate visitor reference points, reviewed 1 November 2026. They do not establish current entrances, opening hours or pedestrian access.
- OpenStreetMap: main temple; Indra; Niruthi; Varuna; Vayu; Kubera.
- Local shrine studies by Ilamurugan: Agni, Yama, Esanya.
- Adi Annamalaiyar: geolocated temple photograph.
A WIDER SACRED LANDSCAPE
Beyond the eight Lingams
The Dasa Lingam oral tradition, the western Adi Annamalaiyar Temple and the shrines inside Arunachaleswarar Temple each have their own place in the story.
Additional Lingam
Surya Lingam
సూర్య లింగం
Light, clarity and the local Dasa Lingam tradition
Explore the shrineAdditional Lingam
Chandra Lingam
చంద్ర లింగం
Moon symbolism and a lesser-known shrine
Explore the shrineMajor Shiva temple
Arunachaleswarar Temple
అరుణాచలేశ్వర ఆలయం
The fire Sthalam at the heart of Tiruvannamalai
Explore the shrineMajor Shiva temple
Adi Annamalaiyar Temple
ఆది అన్నామలయ్యార్ ఆలయం
A distinct temple on the western side of Arunachala
Explore the shrineMain temple shrine
Pathala Lingam
పాతాళ లింగం
A place of stillness in the life of Sri Ramana Maharshi
Explore the shrineMain temple shrine
Brahma Lingam / Mukha Lingam
బ్రహ్మ లింగం
Faces of Shiva within the fourth prakaram
Explore the shrineMain temple shrine
Kalyana Sundareswarar
కల్యాణ సుందరేశ్వరుడు
Divine marriage and gratitude in temple worship
Explore the shrineMain temple shrine
Adimudi Kana Annamalaiyar
ఆదిముడి కాణ అన్నామలయ్యార్
Shiva beyond beginning and end
Explore the shrineNo matching shrines. Try another name or direction.
Stories that give the journey meaning
A moment with Arunachala
Watch the Arunachala film already featured on our website.
Watch the film on YouTube ↗BRING DEVOTION INTO DAILY LIFE
A sacred corner, in your own home.
Explore the Rudraksha, Shiva Lingams and puja essentials already in our collection. Choose what feels meaningful for your daily practice.
Sources & editorial notes
Prepared by Arunachala Shiva from the supplied research and the references below. Reviewed 1 November 2026. Historical accounts, local traditions and practical visitor information are identified separately. Shrine access and arrangements can change.
An independent guide by Arunachala Shiva. Not an official temple website. For current access, puja and festival arrangements, follow temple and district announcements.
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Every single day.
Thoughtfully chosen essentials, stories and spiritual inspiration for your journey with Shiva.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Sacred Knowledge photo credits
The eight directional shrine photographs were taken in 2017. The landing page, guides and additional shrine pages use an Arunachala Hill panorama from March 2013; that panorama is not a photograph of each individual shrine.
Indhra Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Agni Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Yama Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nirudhi Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Varuna Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Vayu Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Kubera Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easanya Lingam shrine in TiruvannamalaiPhoto: Aravind Sivaraj / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
Arunachala Hill panorama photographed in March 2013Photo: Lebd / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; display crops may apply. Adapted photograph remains CC BY-SA 3.0.