Arunachala, Sacred summit in Tiruvannamalai district, India

Arunachala is a summit in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, rising 980 meters above sea level. The slopes show exposed rock formations and boulder fields, while low vegetation covers the lower sections.

Hindu texts mention the hill for over a thousand years as a place of spiritual importance. The philosopher Ramana Maharshi lived in caves on its slopes during the early twentieth century and drew students from across India.

The name Arunachala is Sanskrit for 'Red Mountain', and the hill is also called Annamalai, Arunagiri and Sonagiri. Pilgrims walk the 14 km girivalam around the base in bare feet, keeping the hill on their right, and pass eight lingam shrines, the Ashta Lingam, each linked to a moon sign. In the Tamil month of Kārttikai a light, the Kārttikai tīpam, is lit on the summit.

The climb to the top takes around two to three hours depending on pace and rest stops. Early morning hours offer cooler temperatures and fewer crowds on the path.

Virupaksha Deva, a saint from Karnataka, settled in the fifteenth century in an OM-shaped cave on the south-east slope, which still bears his name. Ramana Maharshi lived there from 1899 to 1916, and the cave is reached by a path up the slope rather than sitting halfway up it.