Appu Lingam

Tiruchirappali or Trichy, as it is called now, is at the geographical centre of the state ofTamilnadu and is a great pilgrim centre. Here is situated the temple dedicated to Lord Jambukeshwara and Goddess Akhilandeshwari. A forest of Jambu trees existed near a tank here and Lord Shiva is said to have manifested under one of the trees as a Linga. The sthala vruksha is the jambu tree and hence the name Jambukeshvaram for the place itself. The Puranas say that Goddess Parvati made a linga out of water particles and worshipped it here. Water is always present in the inner shrine of Lord Jambukeshwara even during peak summer testifying to the nature of the element the Lord represents here.