It is quite ironic but I got a chance to spend some time in the same place that my father grew up in….Vellore. Even though, he left Vellore a long, long time ago, he must have spent at least 16 -17 years of his early stage of life here. It has been an absolute pleasure seeing the world through his eyes(and I am sure everything but the heat has changed!! :)) and experience Vellore life.
Amidst all this, I got to visit the very popular temple in Vellore known as the ‘Jalakandeswarar temple’. This temple is situated inside the Vellort Fort which is in the center of the city. Interestingly, the fort also has a church, Tipu Mahal, Haider Mahal and more structures. The chief deity of the temple is Lord Shiva and there are other Gods and Goddesses adorning the temple. One story says that it is supposed to have been constructed by Chinna Bommi Nayaka(1526 – 1595 A.D.) during the Vijayanagara empire.
Since the Shiva Linga was found to be submerged in water up to its neck, it is called as ‘Jalakandeswarar temple’. There is also a speciality of this temple in that all three Gods are found with their consorts here(Lord Shiva with Sree Parvati, Lord Vishnu with Sree Mahalakshmi, Lord Brahma with Sree Saraswathy)
It is said that the temple changed hands several times under the rule of Mughals, Marathas and then the British. Parts of the temple are supposed to have been mutilated and hence the main deity was moved to a nearby temple for safekeeping. The temple was used to store arsenal and prayers were stopped for close to 300 years. After a lot of happenings, the main deity was finally moved back to the temple in 1981 and prayers resumed. Now, the temple is like any other temple and prayers and all other activities are normal.
Today I see the temple and admire the architectural beauty and it is beautiful to see it standing tall and proud!
This post is for BlogchatterA2Z 2025!
I’m so thankful that the temple survived and continues to have daily prayers!
Yes!
South Indians should be thankful to the Vijayanagara kings and their Nayaka chieftains for safeguarding them from cruel oppression. I had heard about the temple, but your pictures really brought it to life for me.
True… I was amazed that the temple was closed for so many years and still looks normal today… they have maintained it well…
How lovely to reconnect with your roots through your father’s memories! The Jalakandeswarar Temple sounds fascinating—so much history and resilience in one sacred space.