Please Wait...
Jambukeswarar temple, Thiruvanaikaval(also Thiruvanaikal, Jambukeswaram) is a temple of lord Shiva in Tiruchirapalli district of TamilNadu. It is one of the five major Shiva temples of TamilNadu representing the Panchabhutas(water, air, fire or Agni, Earth & Sky).
This temple represent the element of water, or neer. The inner temple here has an underground stream. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams and has inscriptions from the Chola period.
Once Parvati made fun of Shiva's meditation for betterment of the world. Shiva wanted to oppose her act and directed her to go to the earth from Kailasa (Shiva's home place) to do penance.
Goddess Parvathi is in the form of Akilandeswari as per Shiva's wish found Jambu forest(Thiruvanaikoil) to conduct her penance. She made a lingam out of water of river Cauvery (also called as river Ponni). The lingam is known as Appu Lingam (Water Lingam). Shiva at last gave darshan to Akilandeswari and taught her Siva Gnana.
A spider with deep devotion constructed his web over the linga to prevent dry leaves falling on it. Elephant thought it as dust and tore the web to clean the lingam with water. It was continued daily. The spider became angry one day and crawled into the trunk of the elephant and bit the elephant to death, killing itself. Siva, in the form of Jambukeswara, moved by the deep devotion of the two, relieved them from the bad luck.
Thiruvanaikovil bus stop is the nearest bus stop from the temple with a distance of 400m and can be reached easily by walk.
