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Thiruvannamalai is a historic pilgrim centre located about 175 km from Chennai and 66 km from Pondicherry. The Arunachaleshara Temple is an ancient Siva temple worshiped as one of the five element forms of Siva. It lies at the foot of Thiruvannamalai. Thiruvannamalai is believed to confer salvation to one who merely thinks of it. Succeeding dynasties of the Cholas Vijayanagar kings Hoysalas and the Nayakas of Thanjavur contributed towards making the temple the magnificent edifice that it is today. The Shiva temple and its surrounding smaller shrines seem to occupy a large part of the temple town with its many processions and frequent festivals especially that of Karthigai the festival of fire when the population of the town more than doubles with the influx of pilgrims. Thiruvannamalai is a Railway station in the Viluppuram - Katpadi line of the Southern Railway.
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