Walking Girivalam on a full moon night

On every Pournami, Tiruvannamalai changes character. The roads soften with the sound of bare feet, chai stalls stay open through the night, and the hill — lit silver — seems closer than it does by day.

Guests at Arunamangala usually begin the walk after our evening puja. We send you out with water, a torch and simple directions, and the road does the rest.

What to carry

• Loose cotton clothing and a shawl for the early hours
• A small torch — parts of the path are unlit
• Water; food stalls line the route but water is best carried
• Nothing else. The walk is lighter when your hands are free.

Simply walking around the hill is enough. The hill does the work.

Most walkers return between two and four in the morning. We keep hot water ready, and breakfast waits later than usual the next day.