The site was already an important pilgrimage centre under the Pallava kings, as confirmed by the 7th-century Tevaram hymns of Appar and Sambandar. The present masonry structures date from the Chola period (9th century onwards). Chola patronage spanned from approximately 850 CE to 1280 CE — over four centuries. Inscriptions record gifts of land, cows, and gold by various Chola kings.
In 1328 CE, the Hoysala king Veera Ballala III made Tiruvannamalai his capital, strengthening the temple's fortifications and adding structures. He was defeated by the Sultan of Madurai in 1343, after which the temple fell under Muslim control briefly before being revived by the Vijayanagara Empire (late 14th to 16th centuries). All three Vijayanagara dynasties — Sangama, Saluva, and Tuluva — have left inscriptions here.
The massive gopurams visible today are largely Vijayanagara and Nayaka contributions from the 15th to 17th centuries. Later, the Nawab of Arcot, the French, and the British successively controlled the region, but the temple continued functioning throughout. The temple's association with Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950 CE) brought renewed international attention in the 20th century.
