How many kilometers is Girivalam in Tiruvannamalai?

The Girivalam path around Arunachala Hill is approximately 14 km long, forming a full circle around the hill starting and ending near Arunachaleswarar Temple.

How long does it take to complete Girivalam on foot?

Most devotees walking barefoot at a devotional pace with stops at the 8 Ashta Lingam temples take 4–6 hours. A brisk walk with footwear and fewer stops can take 3–4 hours.

Which direction does Girivalam go — clockwise or anticlockwise?

Girivalam is walked clockwise (keeping Arunachala Hill on the right), starting from the East near Indra Lingam and passing through Agni, Yama, Nirruti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, and Esanya Lingam before returning to the start.

Route Guide

Girivalam Distance & Route

The sacred circumambulation of Arunachala Hill is a 14km clockwise path. Here's the exact route, the distance between each of the 8 Ashta Lingam temples, and how long it takes on foot, cycle, or by vehicle.

~14 km

Total Distance

4–6 hrs

Walking Time

8 temples

Ashta Lingam Stops

Clockwise

Direction

Route Stage by Stage

Distances below are measured along the mapped Girivalam path used in our live route map, from the temple to each of the 8 Ashta Lingam shrines and back. Figures are approximate — actual walking distance can vary slightly depending on the exact path taken.

Stage	Direction	Leg Distance	Cumulative
Arunachaleswarar Temple (Start)Indra Lingam	East	0.2 km	0.2 km
Indra LingamAgni Lingam	South-East	1.4 km	1.6 km
Agni LingamYama Lingam	South	1.7 km	3.3 km
Yama LingamNirruti Lingam	South-West	1.8 km	5.1 km
Nirruti LingamVaruna Lingam	West	1.5 km	6.6 km
Varuna LingamVayu Lingam	North-West	2.0 km	8.6 km
Vayu LingamKubera Lingam	North	1.5 km	10.1 km
Kubera LingamEsanya Lingam	North-East	1.9 km	12.0 km
Esanya LingamArunachaleswarar Temple (Finish)	East	1.8 km	13.8 km

How Long Does Girivalam Take?

Walking (barefoot, traditional)

~2.5–3 km/h with stops

4–6 hours

Walking (brisk, with footwear)

~4–5 km/h

3–4 hours

Cycle

~12–15 km/h

50–70 minutes

Car / two-wheeler

~25–30 km/h (with traffic on Pournami)

30–45 minutes

Times increase significantly on Pournami (full moon) nights when the path is crowded with lakhs of devotees — see our Pournami dates calendar to plan around peak crowds.

Walk the Route With Live Tracking

Follow your progress along the 14km path in real time, with all 8 Ashta Lingam temples marked.