Latest news with #KarthigaiDeepamfestival
India.com
30-06-2025
- India.com
Beach Vibes Near Tiruvannamalai With Scenic Seaside Escapes Just A Drive Away
We are in Tiruvannamalai, a spiritual city of Tamil Nadu which is quite popular for the Annamalaiyar temple and the annual Karthigai Deepam festival. While the city is not located along the coast, there are several beaches not far away. 1. Marina Beach, Chennai Marina Beach, one of the longest urban beaches in the world, is approximately 185 kilometers away from Tiruvannamalai. It is a charming 13-kilometer stretch that is host to a wide range of activities and steeped in history. This has food stalls as well as numerous cultural events on the beach. Tourists can opt for horse rides and can play cricket here as this place looks magnificent during sunrise. 2. Elliot's Beach, Chennai Elliot's Beach Located in Southern Chennai, this beach is also known as the Besant Nagar Beach. Families and youngsters throng to this place for its peaceful aura and the Ashtalakshmi Temple nearby. Perfect for an evening stroll or enjoying some of the great local snacks. 3. Mahabalipuram Beach Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) — a beach front town 150 km south of Tiruvannamalai, known for its temples and rock cut sculptures, a UNESCO world heritage site. The beach is also beautiful so in the summertime there are a lot of tourists, but also history fans coming there. These classic activities range from surfing, sunbathing, and touring ancient monuments, which are highly sought after. 4. Covelong (Kovalam) Beach Covelong Beach, around 160 kms away from Tiruvannamalai, is made between Chennai and Mahabalipuram, also known as Kovalam Beach but both are different. Menakoz is a calm-watered beach with a characteristic fishing village environment. You can partake in windsurfing and swimming which are just a few of the water sports available. Covelong Point, a popular surfing destination is nearby. 5. Silver Beach, Cuddalore One of the longest beaches in Asia, Silver Beach in Cuddalore is situated at a distance of around 120 kilometers from Tiruvannamalai. This beach is less crowded than other beaches, so the beauty of it is available to you in a pretty lovely manner. It is a family-oriented park that includes a boat house, park and amusement rides on the beach. Final Thoughts Though Tiruvannamalai is not a coastal city, this region of south India abounds in beaches just a few hour's drive away. Whether it is the historical and lively beaches of Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram or the peaceful, untouched Silver Beach and Poompuhar : these coastal getaways in itself allow you to sit back and chill by the beach, really taking in the natural beauty of the Tamil Nadu coastline.
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- The Hindu
Re-laying of roads with concrete on Mada Streets to be completed by July
The final phase of work to convert the potholed Mada Streets around Arunachaleswara temple in Tiruvannamalai into concrete stretches will be completed by July. Officials of the State Highways, which executes the ₹15-crore work, said that laying concrete on the roads, including the Theradi Veethi and Thiruvoodal street, will provide a much-needed relief to devotees. 'The new concrete stretches will provide safe walking spaces for pilgrims. Road digging will be minimal as separate ducts are being laid for utility cables,' S. Selva Balaji, Commissioner, Tiruvannamalai Corporation, told The Hindu. Forming a part of the 14-km-long girivalam path, 1.7 km-long Mada Streets witness 20,000 visitors on an average every day. During weekends and holidays, the footfall doubles in the temple town. These stretches connect the temple with the rest of the town. As part of celebrations during the Karthigai Deepam festival, the temple car is pulled through these stretches. Funded under the Chief Minister Road Development Project (CMRDP) 2024-25, the streets are being widened from the existing seven metres to 12 metres to utilise the unused road space. The work has been done in coordination with the civic body, police and Tangedco. The existing narrow storm water drain on the stretches is being widened to discharge excess rainwater and prevent inundation during the monsoon. Each drain is three feet wide and four feet deep. Tiled footpaths will be laid over the widened drain for pedestrians who otherwise has to walk on the carriageway. Also, a separate space of 50-cm width, between the drain and the carriageway is being laid with pavement blocks for utility works such as electrical lines and internet cables. This will prevent unnecessary road cutting to attend to any fault in these lines. Officials said that the reason behind the re-laying of the streets into concrete stretches was for its long lifespan as concrete roads can stay undamaged for at least two decades as against three years for bitumen roads. Earlier, the Mada streets were re-laid with bitumen every year during the festival.
