Tuesday, 15 January 2019

Sri Jambunatheswarar / Jambukeswarar Temple, Jambai, Thiruvannamalai /Kallakuruchi District ( Tiruvannamalai District ), Tamil Nadu.

30th December 2018.
The visit to this temple is a part of the Thiruvannamalai Heritage visit organized by the Tiruvannamalai District Historical Research Center on 30th December 2018. Jambai is a 1000-plus-year-old ancient Village. Saivam, Vainavam, Jainism, Buddhism, and Saktham were flourished in this village. The temples like Shiva Temple, Ayyanar Temples, Jain sculptures, Sangam period (1st Century BC) inscriptions on the rocks and the remains prove that Jambai is an ancient Village. During our Heritage Walk, we went to this Shiva Temple,  and the Presiding deity is called by different names.


Moolavar  : Sri Jambunatheswarar, Sri Jambukeswarar, 
                 Sri Thanthondreeswarar
Consort    : Sri Akilandeswari.

Some of the Salient features of this temple are….
The Temple is under renovation some of the images are removed and kept outside the sanctum and the details of the sannadhis may not hold good after Kumbhabhishekam. The Temple faces east with balipeedam, Dwajasthambam, and Rishabam with a two-tier Rajagopuram on the northern banks of river Thenpennai. In the sanctum, moolavar is on a round avudayar. 

In Koshtam, Vinayagar ( not in the niche now ) with Venkotrakudai and Samaram, Dakshinamurthy Lingothbavar, Brahma, and Durgai. In the praharam, sannadhi for  Vinayagar, Vishnu with Sridevi and Bhoodevi, Linga with Nandi, Subramaniar with Valli Devasena, Bairavar, Thavvai (Jyeshta Devi with Manthan and Manthi), Lakulesar, Navagrahas, Mahishamardini (in the front Mandapam), Chandikeswarar. Dwarapalakas look cute like Pallava sculptures. Ambal sannadhi is immediately after the entrance and looks like a separate Temple facing east. There are two Navakanda statues kept abutting the main Sanctorum muka mandapam.

ARCHITECTURE
The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, Maha mandapam and a Mukha mandapam. The two-tier Nagara  Vimana is over the sanctum without any sculptures. The Adhisthana is of prati bandha ( virutha / round Kumudam ). The walls are supported with square pilasters.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The temple was built in the 10th Century during the Chozha period. The temple has contributions from Rashtrakutas, during the middle of the 10th Century. Murugan, Jyeshta Devi, Kalabairavar, and Durgai  are the original Rashtrakuta sculptures. The temple also has the contributions of Medieval Chozha, Vijayanagaras, and Nayaks. The mukha mandapa of the main shrine has the simha pillars and the Ambal sannadhi mandapa pillars are yazhi pillars.

The sanctum walls have the inscriptions of Parantaka-I, Rajararaja, Rajendran-1, Kulothunga Chozhan, and Koperunjingan. The Parantaka-I, period  inscriptions mainly speak about donations made to the temple in terms of money, coins, Gold coins, land for conducting regular poojas Naivedyam, and burning of perpetual lamps with the donor’s name. The inscriptions also mention the original name of this temple’s Moolavar Shiva is Thanthondreeswarar. How this name was changed to the present name of Jambukeswarar, is not known.

   inscription
  
 Vijayanagara Dynasty symbol – a signature for their contribution is in scrap
 Bootha vari with inscription below

TEMPLE TIMINGS:
Since the temple is under renovation, the time of opening and closing is unpredictable.

CONTACT DETAILS:
The mobile numbers of Venkatesan are 9443815936, Shanmugam +91 9965206975, and Elumalai +91 9597140997 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH:
Jambai is about 19 km from Thirukovilur and 25 km from Thiruvannamalai.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE


 Indira's relief on a Pillar
 Simha Pillar 
 Thavvai – Jyeshta Devi
  Lakuleesar
  Dwarapalakas
  Navakanda Statues - Hero stones 
 Yazhi pillar
 An inch sculpture on the floor!!!! 
---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

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