Arunachala Hill (Annamalai Hill)

Arunachala Hill rises behind the Annamalaiyar Temple as one of Hinduism's most revered sacred mountains, believed to be Shiva himself in the form of a lingam. Pilgrims and seekers walk its base on the Girivalam path, while caves and ashrams dot its lower slopes. Every Karthigai Deepam, a massive flame lit atop the hill commemorates Shiva's appearance as a column of fire. The hill's quiet trails and granite slopes also draw trekkers and meditators seeking stillness away from the town below.