1. Arunachaleswarar Temple

Get amazed with the visit to the architectural marvel, Arunachaleswarar Temple,the first stop of our one day alluring Chennai to Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Trip. The presiding deity of the celebrated religious site is Arunachaleswarar or Annamaliyar, a manifestation of Lord Shiva. An iconic piece of architecture spanning over an area of 25 acres is situated at the foothills of Annamalai Hills as such it is prominent as Arunachaleswarar Temple. A great architectural marvel greets its visitors with its spellbinding towers at the entrances more popular as Gopurams. Tallest amongst them is the eleven tiered Eastern Tower made of granite. Also called as Rajagopuram it raises to a height of 66 meters.

Sacred complex is surrounded by large walls with the southern and northern walls extending upto 1400 m and 1500 m respectively while the eastern and the western walls extends to 700 meters each. There are two theerthams or the holy water tanks namely the Brahma Theertham and the Siva Ganga Theertham.. Oldest structure in the gracious complex is the main shrine accommodating the Shiva Linga facing the east. Goddess Parvati appears as Unnamulai Amman in a standing posture. Shrine of Lord Balasubramanian is set on the south of the Thousand Pillared Hall while the shrine holding the image of Shivagangai Vinayagar lies to the north of the Sivaganga Tank.

Thousand pillared hall constructed during the late Vijayanagar period is known for the pillars holding the sculptures of Yali, which demonstrates part lion, part horse and part elephant forms. A notable structure of the huge temple is the Kalyana Mandapam built in Vijaynagar style of architecture. All the pillars of the Kalyana Mandapam are adorned with sculptures of the Naik period. Vasantha Mandapam houses the shrine of Kalahasteeswara. A six feet tall Nandi in the fourth precinct built by Vallala Maharaja adds charm to the marvellous temple.

Must see \ Things to do: Be sure to view the Eastern gopuram built by Krishnadevaraya in the fifteenth century

2. Ramana Ashram

Head to the home of the distinguished sage Sri Ramana Maharshi as the next stop of our one day Chennai to Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Trip. A great advaita Vedanta guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi, spent the most valuable time period of his life from 1922 to 1950 in this place. A big hall constructed lately holds the inspiring life size statue of Maharishi Ramana and provides ample space to accommodate several visitors. Built with the help of the famed architect Vaidyanatha Stapti, Murudeshwar Temple enshrines a graceful image of Shiva Lingam.

Other shrines includes that of Lingodbhava Murti, God Vishnu, Lord Chandikeshwara, Navagrahas, Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Dakshinamurthy, Lord Ganesh and Lord Subramanya. Visitors can pay their homage to the sage in the chamber that holds Maharishi’s Samadhi (his tomb), a large mandap and a beautiful white marble lotus. Other notable features of the Ashram are the Nirvana room, Goshala, Sri Ramana library, Ved Pathshala and the guest rooms.

Must see \ Things to do:Acquaint yourselves with the teachings, philosophies of the renowned sage

3. Vellore Sripuram Golden Temple

Full day packed Chennai to Vellore and Tiruvannamalai Trip takes you to the eminent Vellore Sripuram Golden Temple. Dedicated to Lakshmi Narayani a manifestation of Goddess Mahalakshmi, the architectural genius is located at the foothills of green hills at Thirumalaikodi village. Spanning over an area of 100 acres of land, this classic piece of architecture astounds visitors with its Vimanam and Ardha Mandapam which are covered with 1500 kg of pure gold. Built by a charitable trust Sri Narayani Peedam lead by Sakthi Amma or Narayani Amma it has around nine to fifteen layers of gold.

Temple pond Sarva Theertham is believed to contain water from the major rivers of the country. Devotees have an opportunity to perform abhishekam of the idol of Sri Mahalakshmi weighing around 70 kgs. An intriguing temple with a star shaped path to the main shrine is surrounded by lush green landscape that houses around 20000 varied species of plants. This spectacular temple stands out to be the largest golden temple of the world.

Must see \ Things to do:Do visit the Sri Adi Narayana Temple and the Sri Swayambhu Temple present within the premises of the sacred temple.