Virupaksha Cave sits partway up Arunachala Hill, naturally shaped like the sacred syllable Om, and takes its name from the eleventh century saint Virupaksha Deva who once meditated within it. Sri Ramana Maharshi lived and practiced intense austerities here for more than sixteen years in the early twentieth century, drawing his first circle of devotees. The short trek up from the temple rewards visitors with a cool interior, unusual acoustics, and a palpable stillness that continues to attract meditators and pilgrims today.
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