Maarthandam

Mahadevamalai is a powerful spiritual destination located near Vellore in Tamil Nadu. Home to a Swayambhu Shiva Lingam, the site is revered by devotees, mystics, and pilgrims. This guide is a firsthand account of a journey to Mahadevamalai, a personal account of visiting Mahadevamalai, a powerful spiritual destination near Vellore, Tamil Nadu — with details you won’t find on tourist blogs or templated travel sites.

Chennai to Mahadevamalai

We left Chennai at around 10:30 AM, covering a distance of approximately 155 km. We reached Alankar restaurant by 2:00 PM for lunch. Shortly after, by 3:00 PM, we arrived at the Trishakthi Varahi Temple. The drive was serene and scenic, the surroundings were very lovely.

We’ve attached a few pictures here, of the mountains nearby. The temple has one of it’s boundaries in close proximity to a hill, and the clouds often cast a shadow on the hills, and it’s a lovely sight to behold.

One of the key features of the Varahi temple is that you can offer water to the deity by yourself. A devotee is allowed to climb the flight of stairs and offer water to the deity at the crown.

Travelling to the Hilltop

After finishing our visit at the Trishakthi Varahi Temple, we made our way to the Mahadevamalai Temple. The moment we began ascending the hill, the road stood out as it was unusually wide for a temple route and entirely paved with interlocking tiles, almost resembling a private hill highway. It gave the impression of a well-maintained.

Along the way, we noticed a trekking path that cuts up through the side of the hill. While it looked inviting at first glance, it was quite steep and rugged, likely not ideal for a full climb unless you’re well-prepared and physically fit.

We drove up as far as the road allowed, and from there, we had to climb roughly 200 steps on foot to reach the main temple. It’s a bit of a climb, but the surroundings are peaceful, and the temple atmosphere makes it feel lighter than it is.

At the top, the shrine reveals the main deity is a Swayambhu Shiva Lingam, meaning it wasn’t installed by humans but is believed to have manifested on its own.

Temple Facilities and Key Observations

• Water for Pilgrims: Free drinking water is available at the main temple for all devotees.
• Annadanam: We could see that annadanam (meal service) is provided near the Amman temple, located a few hundred steps below the main shrine.
• Temple Timings: Mahadevamalai Temple remains open during the afternoon hours.
• Nandi’s Posture: Inside the main shrine, the Nandi statue is notably positioned in an unusual seated posture directly facing the Moolavar, the legs of the nandi were not visible. This is actually unusual, as the legs of Nandi can be seen folded in most other temples.

Important Caution Regarding Monkeys

Tourists need to be very careful in view of the high concentration of monkeys. They have been known to steal flowers from hair of female pilgrims, fight violently with each other, and try to grab bags from tourists. Vigilance is highly recommended to avert such occurrences.

Mahadevamalai Siddhar

A deeply unforgettable part of the Mahadevamalai experience was the darshan with the venerated Siddha who lives at the temple. Estimated to be about 95 years old, he exudes extraordinary spiritual energy. His facial features are unique, and he has thick, locked ‘jata’  on his head, saffron clothing, and his body anointed with sacred ash.

At about 5:00 PM, the Siddha came down the temple in a palanquin, donated by a devotee, with a procession of priestly men. His procession comes down a special ramp from the top of the temple, stopping close to the Amman temple. Attendants control the crowd that has assembled, while priests conduct Naivedyam (offering of food) to surrounding deities.

The ceremony ends with an Aarthi (offer of lights) offered to the Siddha. After this, he ascends to the hill, but we did not follow.

In spite of his advanced age, he remains in impressive health, with his hair being a visible example. He is said not to eat or drink and is said to have been blessed by Lord Eesan (Shiva) with an unusually long life of five hundred years.  He often locks his hands in a prayer and prays when the naivedya puja is being done.

Beyond Mahadevamalai – The Mailadumalai Murugan Temple

After soaking up the powerful energies of Mahadevamalai, we descended and continued on to another shining spiritual location at the Mailadumalai Murugan Temple. This temple is about 5 kilometers from here. 

Quick note to fellow travelers –  take note that there are two hills with this name! We ensured we went to the one that’s within 5-10 kilometers of Mahadevamalai, not the other that’s a farther 35 kilometers out.

This temple of Murugan sits atop a stunning hilltop, and when we wandered about, we enjoyed hearing the sounds of peacocks calling out from time to time, completing the peaceful environment.

The temple is home to a large Murugan Moolavar, an imposing 8-10 feet in height. What caught my eye was the circumambulation path around the Moolavar – it’s not even a foot wide, giving devotees an incredibly intimate darshan of the deity, an experience in itself.

Beside this sannidhi, we saw an interesting statue of a rishi with three feet. To his rear, in a special room, were the former deities of this temple and a Vel (Murugan’s spear). Although the road rising up to Mailadummalai hill is a bit narrow, we saw plenty of parking space at the top.

Planning Your Mahadevamalai Trip

• Vellore to Mahadevamalai Distance: As we experienced, it’s a relatively short and pleasant drive from Vellore. Specifically, it’s approximately 28 km from Vellore town.
• Temple Timings: Based on our experience and local information, the Mahadevamalai Temple is generally open from around 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM and notably, does not close during the afternoon, offering ample time for darshan.

While a direct trip via car could cost anywhere from 10-15 litres of petrol, it costed us around 3000 rupees in petrol and other costs, such as lunch and dinner to visit this place. But this is the right end of extreme travelling, you could take a bus as well.

One can take a train or bus to vellore and then arrange for local transport to mahadevamalai as well.

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