Jalakandeswarar Temple, Vellore — Attraction in Tamil Nadu

This temple is popularly called Jalakantesvara temple, but the inscription found in the nearby village mentions the name of the deity as Jvarahareshwara. This temple was built by Chinna Bommi Nayaka, a subordinate of Sadasivaraya of the Vijayanagara dynasty in the mid-16th century CE.oor” (“Vel maram” in Tamil for white-bark acacia trees, and “oor” means town in Tamil). Over time it came to be known as Vellore. The structures of this temple have been constructed in different periods and different regimes.

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Indian Temples  Shiva Temples  Travel & Places  Vellore

Jalakandeswarar Temple in Vellore Fort, Vellore : An 1,500 years old Lord Shiva Temple built by Vijayanagara Kings – Visit, Temple Timings, History, Travel Guide

temple with a grand representation vijayanagara architecture

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Jalakandeswarar Temple / Jalakanteshwara Temple in Vellore Fort, Vellore : An 1,500 years old Lord Shiva Temple built by Vijayanagara Kings – Visit, Temple Timings, History, Travel Guide (Updated)

– temple with a grand representation vijayanagara architecture



The great Jalakandeswarar / Jalakanteshwaratemple is one of the oldest Lord Shiva temple located in the Vellore Fort, in the Vellore district. This magnificent temple is a representation of grand Vijayanagaram Architecture which is around 1,500 years old.

The temple, facing east, consists of a Garbhagriha, an Ardhamandpa, and a Mahamandapa with two courtyards having two Prakaras and gopuras. There are Sub-shrines dedicated to Nataraja, Ganesha, Srinivasa, Subramanya, and Amman. Apart from these shrines, the temple has Madapalli, Yagasala, and a small stepped tank. The importance of the temple lies in its Kalyana mandapa. It stands as a testimony to the architectural workmanship of the Vijayanagara period.

The temple also has an idol of Sri Akilandeswari Ammaiyar, the consort of Jalakandeswarar. The specialty of the temple is we can get blessings from all three Lords with their consorts – Lord Vishnu with Goddess Mahalakshmi, Lord Brahmma with Goddess Saraswathi, and Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvathi grace the devotees in the temple.

History of Jalakandeswarar Temple Vellore

This temple is popularly called Jalakantesvara temple, but the inscription found in the nearby village mentions the name of the deity as Jvarahareshwara. This temple was built by Chinna Bommi Nayaka, a subordinate of Sadasivaraya of the Vijayanagara dynasty in the mid-16th century CE.



The lingam in this temple was consecrated by Athiri, one of the Saptarishis. It is said that there is water below this Shiva Lingam. Hence the name Jalakandeswarar was given to Lord Shiva who graces here.

After the time when Saptarishi Athiri consecrated and worshiped the lingam at this place, the location of the lingam is covered with white-bark acacia Trees, and the Lingam is covered with ant hill. Rain waters in the lower levels of the anthill made a tank there.

Lord Shiva appeared in the dream of a king Bommi Reddy who was ruling the region and asked him to build a temple. The king went to the tank, demolished the anthill and took out the Shivalinga, and installed the Lord in the water itself in 1550 BC. Stones were brought by elephants from Pallikondarayamalai for the temple construction.

King Bommi who built the fort and the temple, consecrated the Shiva lingam and named it ‘Sri Jevarakandeswarar. He built a separate shrine and named Ambal ‘Sri Akhilandeshwari’.

He destroyed the white-bark acacia groves around the temple and built the city. So, he named the city “Vella oor” (“Vel maram” in Tamil for white-bark acacia trees, and “oor” means town in Tamil). Over time it came to be known as Vellore. The structures of this temple have been constructed in different periods and different regimes. The temple is currently wonderfully managed and highly conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India under the guidance of the...

Jalakandeswarar Temple in Vellore is a historic and architecturally significant Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, also known here as Lord Jalakandeswarar. It is situated within the famed Vellore Fort and exemplifies grand Vijayanagara architecture dating back to the mid-16th century, with some sources mentioning it as around 1,500 years old. The temple complex features a large Shiva lingam, along with idols of Parvati, Vishnu with Lakshmi, Brahma with Saraswati, and Ganesha, highlighting the rich iconography and craftsmanship of the period.

Visitors appreciate the temple for its beautiful stone carvings, vast spacious corridors, and peaceful environment, away from crowds. The main entrance has a huge wooden gate with intricately carved stone pillars, and the architectural details, especially in the mandapam (porch), are considered exquisite examples of South Indian temple art. The temple also has a unique sacred tank fed by an ancient well, called Ganga Gouri Thirtam, used for ritual abhishekam (bathing of the deity).

The temple is well maintained under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India since 1921, ensuring its preservation. It remains a popular spiritual site where devotees perform rituals and seek blessings, especially noting the water element beneath the lingam, which is a rare and revered feature. The temple is generally regarded as peaceful, less commercialized, and offers a profound experience of traditional Hindu temple culture and ancient art.

However, some visitors note that the temple can be chaotic inside and recommend visiting barefoot as per tradition, though the red-hot pavement in summer might be uncomfortable. The temple is accessible inside Vellore Fort, with parking available nearby but limited amenities like cloak rooms or shoe guards.

In summary, Jalakandeswarar Temple in Vellore stands out for its historical significance, outstanding Vijayanagara architectural style, spiritual importance, and serene ambiance, making it a must-visit for devotees, history enthusiasts, and art lovers alike.

Deities at Jalakandeswarar Temple

Main Deity: Lord Jalakandeswarar, a form of Lord Shiva, is the presiding deity worshipped in the linga form within the sanctum. The name Jalakandeswarar means “Shiva residing in water,” referencing the legend of the lingam being found surrounded by water under an ant-hill.

Consort: Goddess Akhilandeswari (Parvati) is worshipped alongside Lord Shiva.

Other Deities: The temple also honors the Hindu trinity and their consorts:

Lord Vishnu with Goddess Mahalakshmi

Lord Brahma with Goddess Saraswati

Idols of Vinayaka (Ganesha), and other deities like Madeswari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, and Lakshmi.

Rituals at the Temple

Daily Worship: Rituals include daily pujas (offerings and prayers) to Lord Shiva and goddess Akhilandeswari, as is typical in South Indian Shiva temples.

Abhishekam: Water drawn from the temple’s ancient well, called the Ganga Gouri Theertham, is specifically used for anointing (abhishekam) the main Shiva lingam each day. This water is considered especially sacred, believed to have purifying properties much like the river Ganga.

Festivals: The temple celebrates major Hindu festivals and performs special rituals, though specific festival details are less frequently documented in brief overviews. Common Shiva festivals such as Maha Shivaratri and Pradosham are likely observed.

Ritual Timings: The temple follows traditional South Indian ritual timings, with opening hours in the mornings and evenings for devotees to witness ceremonies.

Notable Facts

The temple’s origin story is linked to local legends wherein a chieftain, guided by a divine dream, constructed the shrine after finding the lingam surrounded by water—this forms the basis for its unique rituals involving water in all core ceremonies.

Rituals are accompanied by traditional practices such as the removal of footwear, offerings of flowers and lamps, and...

ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுதுவதற்கு மன்னிக்கவும்.

We left koorathuazhwan temple and drove towards vellore to see this temple and the vellore fort. En route we had our lunch in Ranipet.

Like the other temples on our visit today, even this temple and the fort was there in our list of "must see places / temples". As we approached the fort, was so excited that we were able to visit this place finally.

As we drove inside the fort area, the first disappointment was there was no signage or board to tell, where to park the car. Such an historical / beautiful and most visited place without a signage was kind of sad.

Finally did find out that car park is available and it is inside the fort, and not outside as u can see many cars parked. The fees for car parking is 30 rs.

The second disappointment was when the parking attendant told us that the fort museum was closed today since it was a friday.

But as we parked the car and got down, we were totally mesmerized by the wonderful beautiful rajagopuram of the temple. As we waited for the temple to open ( opening time in afternoon is 3.00 p.m) we took pictures of the raja gopuram from different angles.

As the temple doors opened and as we went inside, we were literally stunned / astonished because it was so so so neat and clean. We knew before that the fort was under ASI control, hence the temple also has to be in ASI control.

Generally ASI controlled hindu monuments are not maintained that properly, since they have this age old restrictions imposed on people who visit.

But this temple, was so so clean, neat and the temple was alive, with priests doing pooja in every sannadhi. That was so shocking and stunning.

Felt goosebumps on my hand, since i felt the lord was surprising us in each of the temple that we visited so far today.

Came to know that though the temple is under ASI control, but a trust made up of 21 important / powerful / rich people of the area was made to run and oversee the day to day affairs of the temple.

This is the first time, i am seeing an ASI controlled temple in such a grandeur fashion, full marks to the "TRUST" that runs this temple.

Lord and Ambal face east, Ambal sannadhi on the left side of the Lord. Kodimaram present, Two beautiful Raja gopurams present and they face south, Temple pond present in the southern direction in the second parikrama. There are 3 praharams ( parikrama) present.

Lord name : Jalakandeshwarar Ambal name: Akhilandeswari

Both the lord and ambal were decorated so beautifully we were totally mesmerised in it. As the priest showed aarathi, we sang our Sivapuranam and Thevaram songs.

As we came out of the temple, felt so so happy for visiting such a wonderful and beautiful temple, that too we wanted to visit so long.

Would advice to visit the temple with some time at hand, to enjoy the beautiful sculptures and the fine artistic work inside the temple and also in the mandpam outside.

Definitely a must visit place in...