About Temple:
The Jalakanteswara temple is located inside the Vellore Fort , and is an exquisite piece of Indian Art. The temple is constructed of carved stone.
Vellore Fort, built in 16th century by Sinna Bommi Nayak, a vasal chieftain under the Vijayanagar kings,Sada Sriranga Maharaja. It is constructed of granite blocks and surrounded by a moat which is supplied by a subterranean drain fed from a tank. Later, it became the fortress of Mortaza Ali, the brother-in-law of Chanda Sahib who claimed the Arcot throne, and was taken by the Adil Shah sultans of Bijapur. In 1676, it passed briefly into the hands of the Marathas until they, in turn, were displaced by the nawab, Daud Khan, of Delhi in 1708. The British occupied the fort in 1760, following the fall of Srirangapatnam and the death of Tipu Sultan.
How to reach there: TTC buses run to and fro for Tiruchirappalli, Madras, and Madurai. Vellore’s main railway station is five km north at Katpadi. This is the junction of broad-gauge line from Bangalore to Madras.
HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE: The sculputes in the porch on the left of the entrance are connoisseurs. It has a big marriage hall adorned with elegant engravings and monolithic sculptures. The temple was used for long as an arsenal and remained without a deity. A few years back it was sanctified with a deity, Lord Siva that is worshipped by pilgrims.
DIVINESS OF THE TEMPLE: The temple inside the fort is dedicated to Jalagandeswarar and is noted for its sculptures, which speak volumes of the exquisite craftsmanship of the highly skilled artisans of that period. The sculptures in the porch on the left of the entrance entice the connoisseurs. It has a big marriage-hall adorned with elegant engravings and monolithic sculptures.
