Sri Ramana Ashramam

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai International Airport is 172 km away and is the nearest main airport.

• By train

  Tiruvannamalai railway station is about 3 km from the ashram.

• By road

  Tiruvannamalai is easily reachable by road from Bengaluru, Chennai, Vellore and Madurai.

Book and check

Official pages only. We do not sell darshan passes or tours.

• Daily schedule and festivalsgururamana.org

Rules to know

• Wear clothing that covers the knees and shoulders.
• Visitors need not take part in any belief or worship practice.

Why devotees come here

Sri Ramana Ashramam sits at the base of Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai, about 160 km southwest of Chennai. It is dedicated to Ramana Maharshi, who lived here from 1922 until his death in 1950. Visitors need not take part in any belief or worship practice.

Ramana Maharshi lived at this spot from 1922 until his death in 1950, and the ashram is dedicated to his life and teachings. It sits at the base of Arunachala, the holy mountain that has long been seen as a source of spiritual power. He was a modern sage and a teacher of Advaita, or nondualism.

The ashram grew up around the samadhi shrine of his mother, Alagammal, who died on 19 May 1922. Ramana Maharshi settled near her tomb, and the Matrubhuteswara Shrine now stands over it.

The architect Vaidyanatha Sthapati designed and built the ashram temple between 1939 and 1949. Two towers rise over it: one over the Matrubhuteswara Shrine and the other over the New Hall. The sanctum holds a Siva Linga and a Sri Chakra Meru, which were sanctified by Ramana Maharshi's own touch.

Festivals

• April or MayAradhana

  The anniversary of Ramana Maharshi's passing, marked with abhishekam and puja.

• December or JanuaryJayanti

  His birthday, with pujas, a family gathering of devotees and special biksha.

• November or DecemberKartikai Deepam

  A ten-day festival that celebrates the glory of Arunachala.

Tips for your visit

• Wear light cotton, since the weather is hot and dry for most of the year.
• The ashram asks visitors to line up at least 10 minutes before a puja starts.
• Virupaksha Cave, shaped like the sacred Om, is nearby and holds the samadhi of Sage Virupaksha.

Questions people ask