Thiruvanaikoil is a village located in
Tiruchirapalli District of
Tamil Nadu. Situated on the banks of
Cauvery River, it is about 3 km north of
Tiruchirapalli. It is also known as Thiruvanaikaval, Thiruvanaika, Thiruanaikaa.
According to legend, an elephant worshipped Lord Shiva here and thus got the name Thiru Aanai Kaadu (In Tamil Thiru means Holy, Aanai means Elephant and Kaa referred for Kaadu means Forest).
The prime attraction is the famous Sri Jambukeshwarar Akilandeswari Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. In this region, Shiva is worshipped as water. The temple is 2 km east of Srirangam.
