Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval
Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
Deity | Jambukeshwara (Shiva)
Akilandeswari ( South Indian architecture |
Creator | Kochengat Cholan |
Completed | 2nd century AD [citation needed] |
Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval (also Thiruvanaikal, Jambukeswaram) is a temple of
It is one of the 275
Legend
Once Parvati mocked Shiva's penance for betterment of the world. Shiva wanted to condemn her act and directed her to go to the earth from
There were two Siva Ganas (Siva's disciples who live in Kailash): 'Malyavan' and 'Pushpadanta'. Though they are Siva Ganas they always quarrel with each other and fight for one thing or other. In one fight 'Malyavan' cursed 'Pushpadanta' to become an elephant on earth and the latter cursed the former to become a spider on earth. The elephant and the spider came to
As an outcome of having committed a sin by killing the elephant, in the next birth, the spider was born as the
Architecture
The massive outer wall covering the fifth precinct, known as the Vibudi Prakara, stretches over 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) and is 0.61 metres (2 ft) thick and over 7.6 metres (25 ft) high.[3][7] Legend maintains that the wall was built by Shiva working with the laborers.[2] The fourth precinct contains a hall with 796 pillars and measures 742 metres (2,436 ft) by 455 metres (1,493 ft).[8] It also has a small tank fed by perpetual springs.[7] The third enclosure is 227 metres (745 ft) by 60 metres (197 ft) surrounded a wall 9.1 metres (30 ft) high. This area has two gopurams (gateway towers) 22 metres (73 ft) and 30 metres (100 ft) tall, a coconut thoppu and a small water tank.[8] The second enclosure is 93 metres (306 ft) by 60 metres (197 ft), a gopuram 20 metres (65 ft) high and several small shrines.[8] The inner most enclosure measuring 38 metres (126 ft) by 37 metres (123 ft) has the sanctum.[8]
The sanctum sanctorum is a square structure, found independently situated at the center of the innermost enclosure. There is a
Goddess Akilandeshwari's shrine
The temples idols are installed opposite to each other - Such temples are known as Upadesa Sthalams. As the Devi was like a student and Jambukeswara like a
The sculpture of Ekapada Trimurti, an aspect of Shiva with the deities Vishnu and Brahma emerging from it, is present in the temple, which can be seen only in Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvottiyur.[1][2]
There are lot of inscriptions from various
Religious significance
Culture
In the third enclosure, there is a coconut grove having a small tank where the processional idol of the neighbouring
There is a legend that Parvati as Akhilandeshwari worshipped Shiva here and installed the idol in the sanctum. Following the legend, a priest performs the pooja every day. It is believed that the saint Adi Shankara offered ear rings with a Sri Yantra carving on it to goddess Akhilandeshwari. There are a total of nine waterbodies associated with the temple.[17]
Administration
The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.[18]
Gallery
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The second precinct of the temple
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The second precinct of the temple
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The gateway of the temple
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A sculpture inside the walls of the temple
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The Towering Rajagopuram with one of the Temple Cars
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Thiruvanaikaval Kirtimukha top of gopuram with a ring-necked parakeet sitting next to it
Notes
- ^ a b c Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu 2007, pp. 76-77.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ayyar 1991, pp. 439-441
- ^ a b Hastings 1916, pp. 475-476
- ISBN 978-81-7950-707-0.
- ^ "Srirangam (Tiruchirapalli district, Tamil Nadu)". Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend, Thames & Hudson. London, United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson. 2002 – via Credo.
- ISBN 978-93-83440-34-4.
- ^ a b Hunter 1908, pp. 109-110
- ^ a b c d Imperial Gazetteer of India, pp. 28-29
- ^ a b c Yadava 2006, p. 103
- ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 749.
- ^ Archaeological Survey of India 1902–03, p. 20
- ^ a b c Ramaswamy 2007, pp. 301-302
- ^ A dictionary, Canarese and EnglishWilliam Reeve, Daniel Sanderson
- ^ a b c d Knapp 2005, p. 121
- ^ M.K.V 2007, p. 37
- ^ Bajwa 2007, p. 271
- ^ V., Meena (1974). Temples in South India (1st ed.). Kanniyakumari: Harikumar Arts. pp. 22–23.
- ^ "Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959". Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
References
- Ayyar, P. V. Jagadisa (1991). South Indian shrines: illustrated. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-0151-3.
- Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007). Historical dictionary of the Tamils. United States: Scarecrow Press, INC. ISBN 978-0-470-82958-5.
- Knapp, Stephen (2005). The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment and Illumination. NE: iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-35075-9.
- M.K.V., Narayan (2007). Flipside of Hindu Symbolism: Sociological and Scientific Linkages in Hinduism. California: Fultus Corporation. ISBN 978-1-59682-117-0.
- Bajwa, Jagir Singh; Ravinder Kaur (2007). Tourism Management. New Delhi: S.B. Nangia. ISBN 978-81-313-0047-3.
- Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu (2007). Tourist guide to Tamil Nadu. Chennai: T. Krishna Press. ISBN 978-81-7478-177-2.
- Hunter, Sir William Wilson (1908). Imperial gazetteer of India, Volume 23. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Yadava, S.D.S. (2006). Followers of Krishna: Yadavas of India. New Delhi: Lancer Publishers and Distributors. ISBN 81-7062-216-6.
- Archaeological Survey of India; G. R. Thursby (1903). Annual report of the Archaeological Department, Southern Circle, Madras. Madras: Government Press.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 749; see penultimate line.
Not far distant is the smaller but more beautiful Jambukeswaram, a temple dedicated to Siva.
- Hastings, James; John Alexander Selbie; Louis Herbert Gray (1916). Encyclopædia of religion and ethics, Volume 8. ISBN 9780567065087.
- Hunter, W.W. (1881). Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. 5.