| That
Lord Siva To Be Adored |
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| Temples
Of India |
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TIRUVANAIKAVAL
- THE SEAT OF JALALINGA |
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famous Jalalinga or Apolinga standing for Apomurti, one of the
Sivashtamurtis is installed in a small shrine, lying a little lower
than the flooring. It is said that water rises perennially from a
subterranean spring lying below the linga and submerges it
eternally. So the devotees standing in water have to perform pujas.
Admission to this is made on ticket, yet there is steady and heavy
rush for availing the darsan of this holy Apomurthi. As the sports
of Lord Siva are countless, so are the legends woven round to
illustrate His unique vatsalya. According to a popular legend, once
a spider and an elephant worshipped the Sivalinga simultaneously in
an exceptional manner -the spider weaving a fine web over the linga
to prevent the falling of dried leaves on it. And the elephant was
bringing the water in his trunk everyday to offer Jalabhishek. The
elephant annoying at the hinderance of the Spider's web was tearing
it with uncontrollable fury much to the hatred of spider. The
infuriated spider entered the trunk of the elephant oneday and stung
it. To get rid of it, the elephant dashed against a boulder
incessantly but died in the end. The spider too for being caught up
in the trunk. Bhagawan Bhaktavasankar conferred salvation on both.
So the place came to be known as Tiruvanaikka, meaning there by the
place where the elephant was emancipated.
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