Ancient Shiva temple inside a fort

We were at the Jalakandeswarar Temple, in Vellore, around 140 kilometers from Chennai. Strange feeling. I was working in this part of the world in the late eighties and had passed the fort many a time but had never gone inside to the temple. The temple is situated inside Vellore Fort, which we entered after crossing a moat filled with water. No drawbridges, a road has been laid. The fort houses numerous government offices and, this Shiva temple with a very ancient shivling.

The temple was built by Chinna Bommi Nayaka, a chieftain of the Vijayanagar empire around 1550 CE. Additions to the temple complex were made subsequently, but this is one temple in Tamil Nadu, where the influence of the Cholas or Pandyas, is not seen. The entire architecture of the gopuram, the halls, pillars, flagstaff and sculptures are in the Vijayanagar style.

The presiding deity here is Shiva, worshipped as Jalakandeswarar (‘Jala’ meaning water). His consort, Parvati has a separate shrine inside the complex and is worshipped as Akilandeswari. Why the name ‘Jalakandeswarar’? Legend has it that, Lord Shiva appeared in Chinna Bommi Nayaka’s dream and asked him to build a temple for Him. Chinna Bommi went to the stated place and found an anthill surrounded by water (Jala). Bommi demolished the anthill and worshipped the lingam found inside. The lingam is said to have been consecrated by Saptarishi Atri, thousands of years earlier. Noticing a number of acacia trees with white barks covering the area, Chinna Bommi had them all chopped off and named the place as ‘Vela Oor( white town), that later became Vellore, and the lingam originally surrounded by water, came to be known as Jalakandeswarar.

Even though the lingam is thousands of years old and the temple itself, over 500 years old, we were surprised to learn that worship at this temple was restarted in 1981 only. Why? When the Vellore Fort came under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1921, no idols or moorthis were found inside the sanctum sanctorum. It was only in 1981, that it was discovered that, following Muslim raiders take-over of the Vellore Fort earlier, the temple was converted into an arsenal. Well-wishers had moved the lingam for safe keeping in Jalakanada Vinayagar Temple in nearby Sathuvachari. In 1981, the lingam was re-consecrated in the temple and made open for worship.

The temple complex is spic and span. We had a quick, good darshan, but the priest appeared more interested in negotiating rates for a pooja with some North Indian worshippers. The temple, we noticed, has a lot of visitors from north India, possibly families of people coming to the renowned CMC Hospital in Vellore for treatment. We had a darshan of the goddess too and stepped out into the beautiful courtyards to admire the massive marriage hall, the carved pillars and statues.

 

A good, soothing experience. If you happen to be in Vellore, do not miss this ancient temple. Most tourists to this town are now diverted to the newly built Golden Temple of a private Trust.