Parvathamalai is located at a height of 4560 feet above mean sea level and is accessible only by foot. The total distance of the trek is approximately 9 kilometers. To reach the parvathamalai temple which is the seventh mountain, you have to cross six mountains namely kadaladi, methagamalai, kumarinettu malai, Kadaparai malai, kanakachi odai malai, Puttru malai, and finally Kovil malai where the temple is located.
Our trek to Parvathamalai temple was on January 2nd, 2021. We thought Parvathamalai trekking was going to be challenging but it was even more difficult than we thought. I was accompanied by my friend Sathish. Though we are frequent trekkers, we felt some part of the Parvathamalai trek was demanding and tough. We had decided to travel on the bike rather than a car because we don’t want to miss the scenic beauty while traveling to Parvathamalai temple.
Parvathamalai temple history
Don’t ever think Parvathamalai is just an ordinary temple of lord Shiva. It is predicted that the Shiva lingam present on the top of the Parvathamalai mountain is 2000 years old. Some inscriptions say that in the 10th century, people from the Chola dynasty lived on the mountain. The Chola city was developed by one of the ministers of the first Chola dynasty and it is said that his name is also mentioned in the inscription. One more interesting fact is that in the 3rd century a kind called nannan worshipped Lord shiva in the parvathamalai. It is also mentioned in the famous Tamil literature “MalaipaduKadam”. On full moon and new moon day lot of devotees trek at night to worship lord Shiva. It is also believed that devotees who trek a night for the first time will get the blessings of lord Shiva.
It is said that Parvathamalai has around 120 medicinal herbs that can cure several diseases if we inhale the air around the mountain. It is believed that Parvathamalai is a part of a sanjeevani mountain that fell when Hanuman was carrying a mountain to save Lakshmana.
How to reach Parvathamalai from Chennai
We started at 4 am in Chennai. Since we went in January, it was extremely cool during the trip and even cooler at the top of the Parvathamalai temple. It is better to carry a jacket if you are traveling by bike during the winter and monsoon seasons. Parvathamalai is located 200 kilometres from Chennai. Chennai to Parvathamalai has two routes.
1. The first route is Chennai to Bangalore highway. From Chennai city, the route starts from Koyambedu, Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram, Arcot, Arani, Polur, and Parvathamalai. This is the shortest route from Chennai to Parvathamalai.
Parvathamalai trek - Phase 1
We reached the base of the Parvathamalai around 11 am in morning. Vehicles are not allowed beyond this point. We were welcomed by a giant Hanuman statue followed by 2 kilometres of flat mud trail. It took around 20 minutes to reach the steps which is the initial phase of the Parvathamalai trek.
There were around 1300 steps to complete the first phase. The steps were wide but steeper because we were climbing up a mountain of 4560 feet. We took a small break at every 300 steps since we were trekking after a year. We felt muscle cramp even before reaching 1000 steps. We don’t want to comfort you with the lies, we were praying to Lord Shiva for the steps to end. It was tedious than we expected. There were small tent shops every 1 km that kept our body hydrated. You can buy snacks, biscuits, and lemon soda to maintain your energy level and keep you hydrated.
Parvathamalai trek - Phase 2
Our trek to Parvathamalai temple was on January 2nd, 2021. We thought Parvathamalai trekking was going to be challenging but it was even more difficult than we thought. I was accompanied by my friend Sathish. Though we are frequent trekkers, we felt some part of the Parvathamalai trek was demanding and tough. We had decided to travel on the bike rather than a car because we don’t want to miss the scenic beauty while traveling to Parvathamalai temple.
Parvathamalai temple history
Don’t ever think Parvathamalai is just an ordinary temple of lord Shiva. It is predicted that the Shiva lingam present on the top of the Parvathamalai mountain is 2000 years old. Some inscriptions say that in the 10th century, people from the Chola dynasty lived on the mountain. The Chola city was developed by one of the ministers of the first Chola dynasty and it is said that his name is also mentioned in the inscription. One more interesting fact is that in the 3rd century a kind called nannan worshipped Lord shiva in the parvathamalai. It is also mentioned in the famous Tamil literature “MalaipaduKadam”. On full moon and new moon day lot of devotees trek at night to worship lord Shiva. It is also believed that devotees who trek a night for the first time will get the blessings of lord Shiva.
It is said that Parvathamalai has around 120 medicinal herbs that can cure several diseases if we inhale the air around the mountain. It is believed that Parvathamalai is a part of a sanjeevani mountain that fell when Hanuman was carrying a mountain to save Lakshmana.
How to reach Parvathamalai from Chennai
We started at 4 am in Chennai. Since we went in January, it was extremely cool during the trip and even cooler at the top of the Parvathamalai temple. It is better to carry a jacket if you are traveling by bike during the winter and monsoon seasons. Parvathamalai is located 200 kilometres from Chennai. Chennai to Parvathamalai has two routes.
1. The first route is Chennai to Bangalore highway. From Chennai city, the route starts from Koyambedu, Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram, Arcot, Arani, Polur, and Parvathamalai. This is the shortest route from Chennai to Parvathamalai.
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| Paravathamalai route - 1 |
2. The second route we prefer is the GST road. The route starts from Guindy, Perungulathur, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengalpattu, Polur, and finally Parvathamalai. This route is 5 to 6 kilometers longer than the first route. We preferred this route because the roads were good compared to the first route.
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| Paravathamalai route - 2 |
Parvathamalai trek - Phase 1
We reached the base of the Parvathamalai around 11 am in morning. Vehicles are not allowed beyond this point. We were welcomed by a giant Hanuman statue followed by 2 kilometres of flat mud trail. It took around 20 minutes to reach the steps which is the initial phase of the Parvathamalai trek.
Parvathamalai trek - Phase 2
It took us around 1 hour to complete the first phase of the mountain which was nothing but climbing the steps. At the start of Phase 2, The Parvathamalai route became uneven and rocky. At some stages, we had to use our hands to crawl and climb up the rock. This route will test your patience. However, when you see people above 60-year-old climbing up the rock with ease, you will get a mental boost to climb up quickly. Our total Parvathamalai trekking time was 6 hours. It took 4 hours for climbing and 2 hours for getting down. Getting down was relatively easy compared to climbing up.
This is the most exciting and dangerous part of the Parvathamalai trek. Kadaparai malai is so steep with iron rods placed on the side for support. There were man-made steps that helped us to climb quickly without losing balance. If you are scared of heights, this phase will give you a chill. Never look down. Just hold the iron bar tightly, place your foot on the steps, and continue forward. Be extra careful if you are trekking on the monsoon. The rocks will be extremely slippery. For us, this part of the Parvathamalai trek was enjoyable since we love heights!. Especially me. Look at me enjoying the mist and cool wind after climbing the kadaparai malai.
This phase of the Parvathamalai trekking also had many tent shops with snacks to keep us energetic. Once we get closer to the next phase, you would get a clear view of the Jawadhu hills. Since we trekked in the winter, powerful wind and mist welcomed us!. We couldn’t believe our eyes. At the moment we thought we were in a hill station like Kodaikanal or Munnar. Trust us it was more beautiful than that. Here is a glimpse of the view.
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| Paravathamalai phase2 - Rocky trail |
Parvathamalai trek - Phase 3
This is the most exciting and dangerous part of the Parvathamalai trek. Kadaparai malai is so steep with iron rods placed on the side for support. There were man-made steps that helped us to climb quickly without losing balance. If you are scared of heights, this phase will give you a chill. Never look down. Just hold the iron bar tightly, place your foot on the steps, and continue forward. Be extra careful if you are trekking on the monsoon. The rocks will be extremely slippery. For us, this part of the Parvathamalai trek was enjoyable since we love heights!. Especially me. Look at me enjoying the mist and cool wind after climbing the kadaparai malai.
Yes, we almost reached the temple. Just a few steps away. We couldn’t explain how it felt after reaching the top of the Parvathamalai mountain. All our tiredness went off when we reached the top. We felt so spiritual. That’s the beauty of lord Shiva. We worshipped and did pooja with our own hands to lord shiva. This is another reason why we should visit the Parvathamalai temple.
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| Kadaprai malai |
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| Lord Shiva |
Tips for having a safe trek
- Carry enough water and snacks. Though there are enough shops available throughout the Parvathamalai trek, it is better to be on the safer side.
- If you are trekking at night, carry a torchlight.
- Be careful with the monkeys. Keep your belongings and food safe. Sometimes monkeys take water bottles from the bag too.
- Avoid plastics. It is our duty to keep nature clean. if you use plastics, throw them only in the dustbin.
- Chennai to Parvathamalai has no direct buses. You have to reach Thiruvannamalai or Polur and opt for a private vehicle. Be sure with the timings before planning for a trek.
- Paravathamali temple has no timings. you can trek whenever you wish to and do pooja for Lord shiva.
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