“Architecture is a visual art, and our mandirs speak for themselves.”

Jambukeswarar Temple in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu.

One of the five major Shiva mandirs or Pancha Bhoota Stalam representing water.
This mandir was built by Kochenga Chola, one of the Early Cholas around 1800 years ago.

There were two Siva Ganas
(Siva's disciples who live in Kailash):
'Malyavan' and 'Pushpadanta'. Though they are Siva Ganas they always quarrel with each
other and fight for one thing or other. In one
fight 'Malyavan' cursed 'Pushpadanta' to
become an elephant on earth and

The latter cursed the former to become a spider on earth. The elephant and the spider came to Jambukeswaram and continued their Siva worship. The elephant poured water over the linga with his trunk, and the spider constructed
it's web over the linga, to protect it from sunlight.

One day, the elephant saw the spider web, assumed it to be dust; cleared it. The spider became angry & one day crawled into the trunk of elephant & bit the it to death, killing itself. Siva in d form of Jambukeswara, moved by the deep devotion of the two, relieved them from curse