The name ' Arni ' comes from the word Araneeyam which means a place surrounded by a forest. The town was used by Arcot Nawabs for their military training campus.
The town is popular for its silk-weaving community. The town is also well known for its Paddy and Rice Business.
There are around 200 modern rice mills in the town itself. Arni stands number one in revenue in Tiruvannamalai District, Tamilnadu. Though the town is not well known to in and outside of Tamilnadu, a bulk of India’s silk apparels is being produced by the people of this town. Mostly, handloom technique is used for weaving, though recently some have resorted to mechanized method.
Places of Interest at Arni
Padaiveedu is one of the most important 'Sakthi Sthalas' in Thondainadu (a part of Tamil Nadu). Goddess Renugambal is self-manifested in this place, indicating "Sakthi is everything in this world" and offering her blessings along with Brahma, Vishnu and Lord Siva. In this place a number of sages performed penance and attained salvation. The existence of Banalingam and Nanakarshna Chakra consecrated by Adi Sankarar is the specialty of this place.
Nestled among the hills between Arni and Vellore is a village called Padaiveedu. This beautiful pastoral village was once the capital of Sambuvarayar Dynasty and was also a grand commercial centre. Encircled by mountains and hills, this place consists of 17 villages.
