Sri Ramanasramam is the ashram at the foot of Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai, built around the samadhi of Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879 to 1950). It is a place for quiet and chanting, so check the daily timings and the room-registration rules below before you plan a visit. The ashram is about 3 km from Tiruvannamalai railway station and 2 km south of the main Arunachaleswarar Temple.
Quick facts
| Ashram hours | Opens 5:30 am, closes 8:30 pm (ashram website) |
| Mother’s Shrine and Samadhi Hall | Closed from 11 am to 2 pm |
| Dress | Clothing that completely covers the knees and shoulders |
| Rooms | Online registration only. Rooms are for devotees of Sri Bhagavan |
| Contact | +91 4175 237200, [email protected] |
Daily schedule
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 5:30 am | Ashram opens |
| 6:00 am | Chanting of Aksharamanamalai in the New Hall |
| 6:45 am | Chanting and milk offering to Bhagavan in the Samadhi Hall |
| 8:00 am | Chanting of the Vedas in front of Bhagavan’s Shrine |
| 9:00 am | Puja at Bhagavan’s Shrine, then at Mother’s Shrine |
| 9:45 am | Narayana Seva (sadhu feeding) |
| 11 am to 2 pm | Mother’s Shrine and Samadhi Hall closed |
| 4:00 pm | Reading in Tamil in the Reading Hall |
| 4:30 pm | Reading in English in the Reading Hall |
| 5:00 pm | Vedas chanted before Bhagavan’s Shrine, then puja at Bhagavan’s and Mother’s Shrines |
| 6:00 pm | Tamil Parayana (Monday to Saturday) |
| 8:30 pm | Ashram closes |
Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner in the dining hall are for guests and invitees only. The ashram asks visitors to be punctual and to line up at least 10 minutes before a programme starts. This schedule is from the ashram’s own page.
Staying at the ashram
The ashram has limited rooms with basic amenities, and says that accommodation is strictly for devotees of Sri Bhagavan. People visiting for general sightseeing, temple visits, giripradakshina or spiritual tourism are asked to find other lodging. The ashram also asks devotees to avoid full moon and festival days.
To stay, you must register online at stay.gururamana.org. Requests made by phone, on arrival or at short notice are not accepted. Read the FAQ on that site before registering. The ashram’s accommodation page gives +91 7339019221 for queries, and its general contact page lists +91 4175 236624 for accommodation. See the accommodation page for the full process.
Maha Kumbhabhishekam
The ashram held a Maha Kumbhabhishekam in 2025 after renovating the shrines of Matrubhuteswara and Sri Ramaneswara. The poojas began on 18 August and the Mahakumbhabhishekam took place on 20 August 2025. Details are on the ashram’s page.
Girivalam and the caves
Walking around the Arunachala hill, called Girivalam or Giripradakshina, is a distance of about 14 km, according to the ashram. Ramana Maharshi lived in Virupaksha Cave on the south-eastern slope for 17 years, the longest of any cave, and later moved to Skandasramam, a little higher up the hill. Read the ashram’s account on its At Arunachala page.
Arunachaleswarar Temple timings
If you plan to visit the main temple too, Tamil Nadu’s HR&CE department lists darshan from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm, with entry allowed until 7:30 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, full moon days, holidays and days with large crowds. Devotees enter through the East Rajagopuram or the North Ammani Amman Gopuram. See the temple’s HR&CE page for the pooja timings.
How to reach
- By air: Chennai International Airport is the usual airport, 172 km away. The ashram’s website also lists Puducherry (about 100 km) and Bengaluru (about 200 km) as nearby airports.
- By rail: Tiruvannamalai has its own railway station, linked to Chennai, Madurai, Tirupati, Puducherry and Vellore. The ashram is about 3 km from the station.
- By road: The town is connected by NH 234, NH 66 and NH 289, with Tamil Nadu state buses and taxis from Bengaluru, Chennai, Vellore and Madurai.
Weather
The ashram describes the climate as hot and dry for most of the year and advises light cotton clothing. April and May are the hottest months, with temperatures in the mid-forties Celsius not uncommon. The northeast monsoon brings wet, moderate weather in October and November, and winter in December and January is brief and pleasant in the daytime.
Where to stay
Because ashram rooms are limited and reserved for devotees, most visitors book a hotel in town. Search below, or see our Hotels & Stays page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn up and get a room?
No. The ashram accepts room requests only through online registration at stay.gururamana.org, and does not accept requests by phone, on arrival or at short notice.
What time should I arrive for morning chanting?
The ashram opens at 5:30 am. Aksharamanamalai is chanted at 6:00 am and the milk offering is at 6:45 am.
What should I wear?
Clothing that completely covers the knees and shoulders.
How long is the Girivalam?
About 14 km around Arunachala hill, according to the ashram.
How far is the ashram from the railway station?
About 3 km, and about 2 km south of the main temple.
Programmes and registration rules can change, so confirm on the ashram’s website before you travel. For help planning a Tamil Nadu temple trip, call +91 91105 83839.
About the Author
Vikram Reddy
Vikram Reddy contributed travel content to Xploreall in 2025. That engagement has ended, and content on this site is now researched, written, and verified directly by the Xploreall team — see our Editorial Policy for how we source and fact-check our articles.
