A sea of mankind, old and youthful flooded through the lanes. It was a full
moon night, at the holy town of Tiruvannamalai, the antiquated natural
sanctuary town in Tamil Nadu, situated and flourishes at the foot of the
sacred Arunachala Hill. The principle draw of this pilgrimage is the profound
feeling and moksha it offers. The Pilgrimage journey involves a
circumambulatory path around the sacred hill along with 8 lingams that line
the course, nature, temple, ashrams and tanks combined with a series of
spiritual rituals that help the user to experience the divine energy of the
pilgrimage. The user's expectations are met short due to developmental
changes, poorly designed ashrams which lacks the factors that invoke the
sense of spirituality. This thesis takes you on a journey through the sacred
girivalam path with an intent to revitalize a portion of it, restore the
everlasting glory of this stretch and benefit the artisan communities who
heavily depend on pilgrimage tourism for their income.
