Thiruvanaikaval: the temple of water
Among the five great elemental temples of Shiva, Thiruvanaikaval is the one tied to water, with a spring at its sanctum and an elephant in its legend.
Tamil tradition speaks of five temples where Shiva is worshipped as one of the five great elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. They are called the Pancha Bhuta Sthalams. In Tiruchirappalli, on the Srirangam island, stands the one that belongs to water.
A temple for the element of water
This is the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikaval, also spelled Thiruvanaikoil. The goddess here is Akilandeswari. The central form of Shiva is the Appu lingam, appu being water.
Devotees believe the water element is present in the sanctum itself, and that a spring rises there. It is a fitting thought for a place set on an island between the Kaveri and the Kollidam, where water has always been the main fact of life.
The elephant and the tree
The name is traditionally linked to a legend. Aanai means elephant, and the story tells of an elephant that worshipped Shiva here, bringing water from the river to wash the lingam. In the legend, a small spider also served the deity beneath a jambu tree, which is where the name Jambukeswarar is said to come from.
These are stories told by the faithful, and they are told with affection. The point, as in many such tales, is that devotion comes in every size.
A very old place
Tradition credits the early Chola king Kochengannan with building the temple, and the age of the shrine is usually placed around the early centuries of the common era. Later rulers added to it over many hundreds of years, which is why the complex has the layered look of a place that has never stopped growing.
It is a living temple, still full of worship and festival. The streets around it feel like the rest of Srirangam island: busy, rooted and unhurried.
Here the element is water, and the island is made of it.
A good pairing
Visitors often see this temple on the same day as its neighbour, the great Ranganathaswamy temple, since both are on the island; the story of that one is in Srirangam: a whole town inside a temple. Check the current timings and customs before you go, dress modestly, and allow time to simply stand and look.
If water is the theme, you may also enjoy the story of the stone dam that spreads this same river across a delta, in Kallanai.
Stay a while
If you are in Tiruchirappalli for more than a day and still have work to do, Teapot Coworks in Woraiyur offers fast Wi-Fi, power backup, air conditioning and a meeting cabin with video conferencing. A daily plan makes it easy to try it for a day. Details are on the book a desk page.