The shrine is sung by Saivite Saint Tirunavukkarasar advising devotees to pray to Lord of Tiruvanaika day in and day out for a care free life singing His glory. This is the 60th Lord Shiva temple on the northern bank of Cauvery praised in Thevaram hymns.
Festival:
Panguni Brahmmotsavam in March-April and Aadi Pooram and Fridays in July-August are the festivals elaborately celebrated in the temple.
Temple's Speciality:
Lord Jambukeswarar is a swayambumurthy. Of the Panchabudhas-Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Space on which world exists, the temple place belongs to Water importance-Appu sthala.
Opening Time:
The temple is opened from 5.30 a.m. to 1.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
Address:
Sri Jambukeswarar-Akhilandeswari Temple, Tiruvanaikaval-620 005, Trichy district
Phone:
91-431- 2230 257.
General Information:
Mother Maha Saraswathi graces the devotees from behind
the Lord’s shrine in a standing form but without Veena.Nearby is Chandra the Moon with Karthika and
Rohini.Other important shrines are that
of Lord Panchamukha Vinayaka (with five faces) and Sani Baghwan with
Jeshtadevi.Kubera Linga worshipped by
Kubera is on the bank of Jambu Theertham to whom abishek is performed with
three fruits-plantain, mango and jack on Aani Poornima day-full moon in
June-July.
Prayers
Devotees pray for unity among husband and wife, for good matches for virgins, high yield in farming and for plenty of water for living.
Thanks giving:
Devotees perform abishek to Lord and Mother offering vastras
Greatness Of Temple:
Brahmma the Creator once loved a woman whom he created Himself, thus incurring Sthree Dosha. He approached Lord Shiva for relief. To help Brahmma Lord left Mount Kailas, when Mother Ambica expressed Her desire to accompany Him. Lord told Mother that Brahmma is weak towards women and advised Her to stay back. Mother suggested that She would come in His form with men’s dress and that Lord may follow in Her form. Agreeing to the suggestion, both set out in disguise. This event is described to prove the philosophy that Lord and Mother are but one. They granted darshan and pardon to Brahmma . During the Brahmmotsavam this event is celebrated on the banks of Brahmma Theertham. As it is time of Brahmma’s prayer to Lord and mother, no hymn music is played. Mother Ambica is praised as Akhilandeswar – Ruler and Protector of the world. This place is one of the Shakthi Peetas. It is said that Ambica performs puja to Lord during middays. The priest performing puja to Mother at this time, dresses himself in sari and wears the crown of Ambica, comes to Lord’s shrine with music plays to perform the midday puja thus showing Ambica Herself praying to Lord. He performs abishek to Lord and Gomatha (cow) and returns to Ambica shrine. Devotees worship the priest at this time considering him as Ambica Herself. It is also said that Mother Ambica performed penance on Lord here in the month of Aadi-July-August, hence Fridays in Aadi is celebrated grandly. On this Friday, the temple is open from 2.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. continuously. Mother graces as Mahalakshmi in the morning, as Parvathi in the afternoon and as Saraswathi in the evening. As Lord was a teacher-Guru and Mother a student in the place, there is more student devotees in the temple. There are no doors in the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Jambukeswara but a stone window with nine holes. Devotees have to worship the Lord through these holes only. The nine holes of the window represent the nine outlets in the human body which we have to keep under control while worshipping Lord Shiva. While traditionally Annabishek is performed on the full moon day in Aipasi-October-November, the ritual is followed here on the full moon day in Vaikasi-May-June. It is also noteworthy that there is a perennial spring in Lord Shiva shrine. There will be more water in the sanctum in the rainy season in Aipasi-October-November. As Annabishek is not possible at this time, the same is performed in Vaikasi when the floor would be just wet only. On the Aipasi Poornima-full moon day Lord is covered with sacred ash. Lord played a miracle here too as He did many in Madurai. A Chola king while constructing the fifth corridor-prakara of the temple, had to meet his enemy in war. Though duty compelled him to go to war, his mind was in the temple construction and with Lord. Lord Shiva came to the place in the guise of Vibhuti Chitthar and completed the work. Hence, this prakara is named Vibhuti Prakara and the walls around as Tiruneetran Tirumadhil. Sacred ash is Vibhuti in Sanskrit and Tiruneeru in Tamil and Madhil the wall in Tamil. There is a shrine for Vibhuti Chitthar on the banks of Brahmma Theertha. In the early days, Mother Ambica was in a frurious form. To control the fury, generally a Sri Chakra installed at the feet of the Goddess. As an alternative, Acharya Sri Adi Sankara prepared two ear rings in which he applied the Sri Chakra power and adored Ambica. Mother became all merciful and smiling to devotees. He also installed Her sons Lord Vinayaka and Lord Muruga before Her as a Mother cannot afford to be angry towards Her kids. Of the Shiva Ganas serving Lord in Kailash, two of them, Pushpadanda and Maliavan began to fight with each other to decide their rank in the service of Lord. At a stage, they cursed each other to be born as a spider and elephant. Maliavan was born as spider and Pushpadanda the elephant. Both prayed here for relief but not without fighting each other. The spider entered into the ear of the elephant to kill it. Lord Shiva granted salvation to elephant only and made the spider to be born again for its attempt to murder. Spider was born to Chola king Subaveda and queen Kamalavathi. He was the Chola king then as Kochengat Chozhan. He built Mada temples to Lord Shiva in which elephants cannot enter. He also renovated this temple preventing entry of elephants. There is a shrine for this king in the temple. It is also noteworthy that Wedding Festival (Tiru Kalyanam) is not celebrated in the temple. Lord Shiva granted darshan to Ambica when She was in penance here but did not marry Her. As such there is no Palli Arai Puja though the Palli Arai exists. Lord Chokkanatha and Mother Meenakshi in the temple are taken to this shrine at nights. No wedding festival is celebrated for other deities too in the temple. A Brahmin prayed to Mother Akhilandeswari to bless him to become a noted poet. To bless him, Ambica appeared before him as an ordinary woman chewing betel leaves. She asked him if she could spit the betel juice in his mouth as she could not spit in the temple. The Brahmin grew angry. Same time, another devotee, Varadhan by name came to the temple. He was very particular about cleanliness in the temples. Mother approached this man. He gladly said that she can very well do it and opened his mouth. He became a famous poet celebrated as Kalamegam in later days. Based on this event, those ambitious of becoming scholars, offer Thamboolam (betel and nuts) as nivedhana to Mother. Lord Muruga appears furiously on the banks of Jambu Theertha with a demon under His feet. Saint Arunagiriar prayed to Him that he should be protected from thoughts of lust etc. Lord Muruga has thus a demon under His feet personifying lust. This is a very rare form of Lord Muruga.
Temple History:
Mother Ambica was born as a human as directed by Lord Shiva. She made a Shiva Linga with the waters of River Cauvery. Lord appeared on the Linga and granted darshan to Mother. This is a miracle place. Of the Pancha Bhudas, the place became Appu sthala-water sthala. A sage Jambu by name performed penance in this place on Lord Shiva. Lord granted darshan to the sage and offered Naaval fruit (called blackberry) as Prasad. While consuming the Prasad, the sage swallowed the seeds too as he thought it a sin to spit the seeds. Reaching the stomach of the Rishi, the seeds began to grow into a tree and pierced his head thus leading to his salvation. Naaval is called Jambu in Sanskrit. The Water Linga created by Mother Ambica is under this tree. As Lord granted salvation to Sage Jambu, He is praised as Jambukeswarar.
Special Features:
Miracle Based:Lord is a swayambumurthy. Of the Panchabhudha sthalas, Tiruvanaika belongs to Water category.
Location : Tiruvanaika is 6 km far from Tiruchi Chathiram bus stand
Near By Railway Station :
Trichy
Near By Airport :
Trichy
Accomodation : Trichy:
Sharada: +91-431-246 0216 Breez Residency: +91-431- 241 4414 Hotel Vignesh; +91-431-241 4991-4 Hotel Annamalai: +91-431-241 2881-4 Hotel Mega: +91-431-241 4092, 241 6354
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