Tiruvannamalai district is one of the sacred area in Tamil Nadu. The name of the district comes from its headquarters. The word "annamalai" in Tiruvannamalai means "the inaccessible mountain" and "Tiru" is a respectful title given. The temple town of Tiruvannamalai is one of the most ancient heritage sites of India and is a centre of the Saiva religion. The Deepam festival celebrated here attracts devotees from far and wide throughout South India. After independence Tiruvannamalai was under North Arcot District. The civil district of North Arcot was divided into Vellore District and Tiruvannamalai District in October 1989.