Tiruvannamalai is a Hindu pilgrimage town in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. At the foot of sacred Arunachala Hill is the vast, ancient Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, with intricately carved gopurams (towers). To the west, the huge Sathanur Dam was constructed in 1958 on the Thenpennai River. Nearby there are gardens, plus a crocodile farm and a small zoo.