Arudra Residency

We had a great view from the third floor, and the staff were always ready to help with a smile. The spacious, comfortable rooms felt well worth the price. The hotel is directly opposite the temple’s south entrance, which is very convenient. There’s no food service at the hotel, but Hotel Nanda is right next door and serves excellent food. A very pleasant stay, and I’d recommend it.

It’s an easy three minute walk to the start of girivalam, and the hotel is right outside the south gopuram, where people generally exit. The temple is about as close as you can stay. Our room was neat and clean, and the service was good. They even brought food up to the room. A good choice if you’re in Tiruvannamalai for Girivalam and Annamalaiyar Temple.

There’s a small restaurant beside the residency, Kannan restaurant, with decent food. The room had a queen bed and two plastic chairs, and the toilet was okay. Supplies were limited to a mini soap and a shampoo sachet. There was no kettle or regular TV channel, just YouTube. If you’re fussy about cleanliness, bring a disposable bedspread and pillowcase. The south Thirumanjana Gopuram is only a minute away, but the road in is very narrow. We had to pay right away on arrival, and only got the WiFi password after asking. Just one female staff member was attentive. Arudra has private parking, but it’s often full, and even with a space we still had to pay the Thiruvannamalai Corporation’s Rs 60 car entry fee to use the South Gopuram route. That fee applies each time you drive in or out. I booked this residency because of the hype on TikTok.

If you’re sensitive about walking without shoes, this place is close enough that you only take a few steps along the road before entering the temple. For the early morning temple visit, they organize everything, so there’s no stress. The third floor has a ladder to climb a little higher for a great view, just be careful. We did Girivalam and had barely an hour to sleep before leaving for Bangalore, but the bed gave us enough rest. Don’t arrive too late at night, since roads may be closed to cars. Call Reception and they might help with access early in the night. An auto can get there regardless.