VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Sri Jalakandeswarar Temple / ஜலகண்டேஸ்வரர் கோயில், வேலூர், Vellore Fort, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu.

Friday 14 September 2018

Sri Jalakandeswarar Temple / ஜலகண்டேஸ்வரர் கோயில், வேலூர், Vellore Fort, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu.

09^th September 2018.

This Sri Jalakandeswarar temple is inside a 16^th Century Fort built during Vijayanagara Period, before 1566 CE by Chinna Bommi Nayakar son of Virappa Nayakar and Father of Lingaboobalan. He ruled under Mahamandaleshwar Thirumalai devar and Maharaja Sada Siva devar.

Moolavar : Sri Jalakandeswarar

Consort : Sri Akhilandeshwari

Some of the important details are..

The temple is facing east with an entrance 7 tier Rajagopuram on South side. From base up to the ceiling was constructed with granite and tower was with brick and mortar. The Rajagopuram has no stucco images except dwarapalakas on each tiers. From the adhisthana to the ceiling, Hindu deities of various forms and postures are carved.

ARCHITECTURE
The 3^rd prakaram is immediately after the 7 tier Rajagopuram. In this prakaram Kalyana mandapam ( Thiru kalyana mandapam) is on the south west corner, s small mandapam is on the north west corner and another mandapa on the south east corner. The prakara floor is elevated to a height of 4 feet. The pillars are caved with deities, Rishis, Munis, animals, birds etc.

The second level Rajagopuram is with 4 tiers with stucco images on all tiers. A Vinayagar Sannidhi is immediately after the Rajagopuram. In this prakaram sannadhi for Selva Vinayagar, Sri Venkatesa Perumal, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Akhilandeswari, Holy well Ganga Palaru, Bairavar, Navagrahas, Saneeswaran, 63var in stone, Sapthannis, Dwajasthambam, Nandi and Palipedam. On the north side prakaram, there are reliefs of solar and lunar eclipse on the ceiling, ie snake with sun and moon. To touch, a fee of Rs 5 is charged. It is believed that, sarpa dosham will be relieved if one touches and pray.

The sanctum sanctorum consists of sanctum, antarala, Ardha mandapam and a Mukha mandapam. In the Mukha mandapa, Natarajar is in a separate sannadhi. In the inner or 1^st prakaram, 63var in metal & Urchavars. In koshtam Nardana Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Lingothbavar, Brahma and Durgai. The outside sanctum is of moat type. In the sanctum moolavar is in the form of Shiva Lings looks beautiful.

A brief details about the kalyana mandapam. The mandapa is supported by 48 pillars, of which 8 pillars are intricately carved with 3 layers of soldiers riding on horse, Yazhi, Soldiers at the bottom. Each pillar is unique in carving. Each detail is also unique and could not be compared with other. Hindu both Saiva and vaishnava deities are carved with minute details. The carving of bas-reliefs depicts the Shiva’s stories with Nayanmars and Shiva's various forms like, Bairava, Dhakshinamoorthy, Natarajar, Veerabhadra, Etc. Bas-reliefs of Ambal, as Kali, Durgai, Mahishasura mardhini, Etc. Vishnu's various forms like, Ramar, Vamana, Narasimhar, Lakshmi Narasimhar, etc,. The Pillar bas-reliefs also consists of Normal man,women, animals, birds. The Adhistanam has the reliefs of boothaganas and in between boothaganas, the reliefs depicts the story of Hindu mythology. An awesome reliefs, no words to explain the beauty.

The center of the third level has a raised platform of about 1 meter height sits on a tortoise. Ashta dhik balakas with animals like Simha, Elephants, snakes are on all four sides of the platform. The first and second level mandapa ceilings has the extensively carved square panel consists of ashta dhik balakas, dancers. At the center a full bloomed lotus and the parrots holding with their mouths are shown. Most of the reliefs were disfigured by the muslim rulers. It was told that these pillars are planned to export to UK, during British rule, which was abandoned due to the ship had sunk in the sea.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

There is a story about Moolavar. During muslim invasion, Adil Shahis, ruler of Bijapur in 17^th century, moolavar was shifted to Sathuvacheri Vinayagar Temple a nearby Village, for safe keeping. The temple was without main deity Shiva Linga for about 400 years ( one of the 5 proverbs of Vellore "The Temple without God"). After independence, in 1921 this fort with the temple was handed over to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and it maintained status quo till 1981. In 1981, the moolavar from Sathuvacheri Vinayagar temple was brought back secretly and installed forcibly by a aggressive section of Shiva devotees. The kumbhabhishekam was also performed in 1982. In 2013 The temple administration has been taken over by HR&CE from the private trustees, after high court's verdict, but ownership was retained by the ASI.

As per the inscriptions of 7 Villages around Vellore, the villages were gifted to this Temple, mentions moolavar as “Jvarakandeswara”, which latter turned to Jalakandeswarar.

The inscriptions on the pillars installed on both sides of the Rajagopuram entrance records that the entrance was built by Kumarasawamiyar ( Lakshitha katteri ) Chandra Pillai, an official or his official. ( Thanks to Anbu Vathiyathevan ) The inscription reads as ....