Sri Jalakandeswarar Temple is well within the boundaries of the Mettur Dam, and for over nine months, the public can see it partially from the 16-sluice bridge that connects Mettur Dam R.S. to Salem Camp, or completely submerged in the dam’s water.
An incarnation of God Shiva, Sri Jalakandeswarar Temple, Mettur Dam is the Presiding Deity of this dilapidated temple. It is said that the Mysore Kingdom’s rulers built this temple some 300 years ago or more ago. At the time, the area was known as Nayampadi Village, and the Mettur Dam did not exist.
The Stanley Reservoir, also known as the Mettur Dam, was built, and the dam’s waters eventually swept the entire Temple Premises. As a result, the Temple is currently only partially visible to the general public, and only in the height of summer.
During this period, the Nandhi and the Temple top were partially or completely visible in the slushy waters. It is necessary for the Mettur Dam’s water level to drop below forty feet in order to partially view the Temple. In any case, because most of the Temple is hidden by the slit for the majority of the year, most of it will never be seen by anyone.
The public and devotees could only view the temple from the bridge and were forbidden from attempting to enter the premises as it would be a potentially fatal activity. Therefore, the Police and the Revenue authorities forbid the Public and Devotees from attempting to enter the Temple.
Notable Nandi Statue:
During the Mettur Dam’s low water stage, a few people go to these open-air places of worship. Vandalism resulting from anti-social acts caused one of the Christian Twin Towers to collapse at that time. Additionally harmed was the Nandi idol. Since June 12, water from the Mettur Dam has been made available for the Cauvery Delta’s irrigation.
However, the water level progressively dropped because the dam’s water supply was insufficient. There were 2,406 cubic feet of water entering the dam yesterday. The volume of water entering the dam as of this morning has risen to 3,077 cubic feet. 9,000 cubic feet of water are released per second from the dam to irrigate the Cauvery Delta. The water table is 22.83 TMC.
The entire Nandi idol, submerged in the Pannavadi reservoir, the Jalakandeswarar temple’s entrance area, has begun to become visible due to the dam’s declining water level. The temple is fully visible as the dam’s water level continues to drop. When a Nandi idol is displayed, crowds swarm to see it.
Jalakandeswarar Temple Temple Timings & Distance:
Temple opens 24 hours
It is 362 kilometers from Chennai to Mettur Dam.
Jalakandeswarar Temple kovil Location:
The Sri Jalakandeswarar temple is situated in the Tamil Nadu, India, Salem district in Nayampadi village, close to Mettur. The temple is situated inside the Mettur Dam area and is partially visible for more than nine months from the 16-sluice bridge connecting Salem Camp and Mettur Dam R.S., or completely submerged in the water.
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