|
Jambukeswaram – An Exalted Shrine Hidden in
Time
Tucked away near the major pilgrim centres of Thanjavur, Madurai
and Srirangam is a little known but beautiful temple of Jambukeswaram
at Tiruvanaikkaval. With a wealth of carvings on the façade as
well as inside the temple boasts of a rich heritages as colourful as
those of temples that are better known.
An overnight train
journey away from Madras, towards the south, lies the city of
Tiruchirappalli (Tiruchi or Trichy as it is popularly known).
Although it may not find a place in conventional tourists’
itineraries, it is ringed on three sides by very famous temple towns
that a draw a steady stream of visitors all through the year. An
hour’s drive east from Tiruchi lies Thanjavur; the imposing
Brihadeesware temple here built by Rajaraja Chola draws pilgrims and
tourists by the thousands and much has been written about its
intricate carvings and superb architecture. To the south of Tiruchi,
just three hours away by train and even less by road, is yet another
renowned temple town, Madurai, where the Meenakshi temple is a must
on all sight-seeing schedules. And to the north, just 10 kilometres
away on the outskirts of Tiruchi, is Srirangam, a hallowed place of
pilgrimage for all followers of the Vaishanava faith since time
immemorial. The 13th century shrine dedicated to Lord
Ranganatha here made news recently with the consecration of its new
gopuram (temple tower) of truly awesome proportions- soaring through
13 tiers to over 70 metres, the tallest temple tower in Asia. The
mammoth recling figure of Ranganatha has been immortalised by the
medieval Tamil saint-poetess Andal, known as the Meera of the south
and the only woman to be included in the exalted 12 alwar saints of
south India.
With three major temple
attractions thus clustered close by, all of them pilgrim centres for
several centuries, the spotlight seems to have been turned away, as
far as tourists are concerned, from another beautiful temple tucked
quietly away at Tiruvanaikkaval (pronounced Tiru-vaania-kaaval) a
mere nine kilometres out of Tiruchi; which is a pity, for this
hallowed shrine has some of the most exquisite samples of temple
carvings in stone that could turn a stopover here into a
serendipitous delights.
If Srirangam is among the
most exalted shrines for Vaishnavites, Tiruvanaikkaval is no less
special for the Shaiva sect (followers of Shiva) for it is the site
of one of the 12 holy jyotirlingams around the country that are
venerated as elemental manifestations of Shiva. Here it is the appu
or water lingam, with spring water oozing from underground in the
sanctum sanctorum which is venerated.
The bus plying from
Tiruchi drops the visitor on a dusty road that at first sight seems
no different from any other main road in the south. The ubiquitous
cool drink shops and flower vendors line the way leading to the
shrine a short distance away. As south Indian temple gopurams go,
this one may not lay claims to a Guinness entry, but the wealth of
carvings all over the façade as well as inside is marvellous
and the temple boasts a rich history and lore every bit as colourful
as those of temples that are better known.
This 12th
century temple is said to commemorate the spot where a sage, after a
severe and prolonged penance, took the form of a jambu tree in order
to spread shade over the Shiva lingam hence the name Jambukeswaram
that the temple is known by. This jambu tree still stands, rising
right in the middle of the build—up inner sanctum, and the
priest here tells me that the tree is over 2,000 years old. Another
story has it that a spider and a legendary elephant were also
devotees of Shiva at this spot (the spider spinning a web overhead in
order to shield the lingam from rain and sun) and this can stand at a
particular spot between two stone pillars and get a grand view of
all five gopurams within eye range on either side. Eight hundred
years ago, when the master builders who erected this temple had no
facilities like computers or sophisticated machinery, they were still
able to calculate with the precision the angles and distances that
would align the different portions of the edifice in order to lay
them in a line as straight as any laser beam could fashion. It is a
humbling thought.
As in other temples,
there are also a series of smaller shrines within the spacious temple
precincts, dedicated to Ganesha and other deities. The first time I
was taken here as a child, many years ago, the lingam in the sanctum
was visibly awash with the mysterious water that sprang from
underground; the priest performed the rituals of worship standing
ankle deep in the water. Today, thanks to pervasive drought
conditions in the region and the consequent drying up of all
underground water this year, the seepage is barely discernible; all
the same, the damp oozing underfoot is unmistakable.
While Shiva’s consort is depicted
in nearby Madurai in her bridal manifestation, Parvati here at
Tiruvanaikkaval is not married but worshipped as a yogini, ascetic in
penanc.e This shrine has been immortalised by one of the Trinity of
Carnatic music, Muthuswami Dikshitar, with two unusual compositions
in Sanskrit, one titled ‘ Jamboopate’ (the Lord of Jambu)
in Yamunakalyani raga and the other ‘Akhilandeswari’ (the
name given to Parvati at Jambukeswaram) in Dvijavanti Raga –
unusual because both compositions are in ragas that are not
indigenous to the south but borrowed from the music of the north.
These are among the earliest songs of the south Indian classical
repertoire that use Hindustani ragas. On Fridays in the month of Adi
in the south Indian calendar (July-August), an estimated 100,000
pilgrims turn up, the temple management tells me but on ordinary days
it seems to be largely bypassed by visitors probably because it is
not as widely known outside the region as some of the other temples
in the area. While I could see a large contingent of Gujaratis being
taken around the Srirangam temple, and several foreigners around the
Madurai Meenakshi temple, at Jambukeswaram in contrast there were
only a few scattered pilgrims, all south Indians who had come to
offer prayers. And yet I was glad that, having first decided not to
stop here on may way back from Srirangam (because I was tired), I
changed my mind or rather, Mr. Balasumbramanian who was showing me
round, made the decision for me to get off the bus here. The detour
was every bit worth it.
| 
