Jalakandeswarar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Vellore Airport at Abdullapuram is 11 km from the city centre.

• By train

  Katpadi Junction is the largest of Vellore's three railway stations. The other two are Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town.

• By road

  Vellore is connected with major cities in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Why devotees come here

Jalakandeswarar Temple is a Shiva temple inside Vellore Fort, in the heart of Vellore city. The temple stands in the middle of a water tank, and its gopuram tower is over 100 ft tall. Shiva is worshipped here as Jalakandeswarar, with Akhilandeshwari Amma as consort.

Jalakandeswarar Temple is dedicated to Shiva, and a statue of his consort, Akhilandeshwari Amma, stands in the temple. Legend says Chinna Bommi Reddi, a Vijayanagara chieftain who controlled the fort, dreamt that Shiva asked him to build a temple here. In the legend, he demolished an anthill, found the lingam under it and built the temple in 1550 CE.

The temple has nine levels in all, a gopuram tower over 100 ft tall, richly carved stone pillars, large wooden gates and monoliths. It is built in the middle of a water tank called Agazhi, and water surrounds it like a garland.

The Archaeological Survey of India owns and maintains the temple structure. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department took over its administration. In 1981 devotees brought the deity back into the temple in a procession, and it was installed in its original place, despite opposition from the Archaeological Survey of India. The first kumbabhishekam of the temple was in 1982 and the second in 1997.

Tips for your visit

• Behind the Nandi statue is an earthen lamp that is said to revolve when some people place their hands on it.
• Inside, look for the richly carved stone pillars, large wooden gates, monoliths and sculptures.

Questions people ask