According to the historical background, this Sivalingam Statue was brought here in late 1989 by Jeyadevan Nachitram a Lawyer from Negeri Sembilan. A few years before that, he visited the Panching Cave in Pahang ( Panching is a small town which is located on the road from Kuantan to Sg. Lembing-an old tin underground mining town), where a Buddhist Temple was built nearly a hundred years ago. During one of his visit there, he met an Indian Sage in the cave who told him to bring a Siva Statue to install it there. He immediately took upon the idea and flew to India to buy the Sivalingam Statue.
When the Sivalingam Statue was brought in late December 1989 and stored in Mr. S.Vijayagiri’s workshop. Dr. C. Sethugavalar, an O&G Consultants in Kuantan was requested to take it up and have it installed in the cave. Dr. C.Sethugavalar, the Protem President of the (Siva Lingeswrar Thiruthalam) Jalalingam Temple, paid RM 10,000.00 and Mr. Jayadevan paid RM 10,000.00 to a group leader Mr. T.Yogarajah and with the help of 25 Indonesian & Indian Workers in early Janauary 1990 to haul the 9 feet tall and weighing several tons of the Sivalingam up to the entrance of the cave which is more than 150 feet up. From there on, it had to be rolled into the cave for distance of another 100 meters for installation. They nearly took 15 days to take up the Sivalingam inside the cave an on the 14 January 1990 they placed the Sivalaingam at the present place facing North.
The path up to the temple was very steep with its twists and turns, making it very hazardous for anyone to make the climb up to the cave. At that time, Mr. Yap Kannan a Civil Engineer had harbored the idea of making proper steps up to the Sivan Temple just like how the steps for Batu Cave Murugan Temple were constructed.
In early January 2007 a Protem committee was formed to have the temple registered with ROS. With the help of Mr. K.Balakrishnan who drafted the constitution of the Temple and on 28 February 2008 the temple was officially registered under the name of Pertubuhan Penganut Agama Hindu Lingeswararan. No. 0409 – 08 – Pahang.
The management committee got the help of few priest in the country to consult the construction of a Bramapaham for Sivan. Then Mr. Raman Chettiar got the help of Thannirmalai, Penang Temple Sthabathy Mr. M.Thannirmalai for help. Then he came to the temple and told the management committee that the position of the Sivalingewarar is facing North. Then he advises the committee that the Sivan stature must face East and the committee agreed to his suggestion. The he also said there is no Bramapaham then gave an ordered for the Bramapaham from India. At the same time the committee felt that the Nandhi was too small and then ordered a New Nandhi in April 2008. The Maha Kumbabhishegam was fixed on 8 August 2008 and total of 2,000 devotes attended the function.
In 2008, Mr. Yap Kannan appealed to an old friend in Kuantan who was an ex-JKR officer, Mr. Venudurai, to help build the steps up to the cave and he kindly agreed to contribute RM 20,000.00 for the purpose. He started the survey work to find the easiest route to construct the staircase up to the Caves. At the same time, our Beloved Lord Shiva decided to land a helping hand. He appeared in a vision towards end of 2007 to Ir. A. Sivabalan who was doing some work in Kedah. In this vision, he clearly saw a Sivalingam Statue up in cave atop a hill somewhere in Kuantan. He was amazed and puzzled with the vision and on Mr. Venudurai’s information Ir. Sivabalan visited Panching temple. When he finally visited the Buddhist Temple in Panching Cave, he knew this was the place that he saw in his Vision a few months ago.
With this resolved, Mr. Sivabalan immediately brought his complete team of workers from Selangor down to Panching Cave in early 2008 to do up the Siva Temple properly including erecting a steel staircase structure leading up to the entrance of the Cave. The Steel Staircase alone was built at an estimated cost of RM150,000.00 all expenses being met by Ir A. Sivabalan and his sub-contractor friends Mr. Venudurai, Mr. Raveen, Mr. Appu and Dato S.Selvarajoo. All this is History now because the first Maha Kumbha Abhisegam was held in late 8th. June 2008. More than 40 buses from all over the country joined in the grand celebrations!
The Temple Management also wishes thanks Dato’ Selarajoo Sinnaiyah from Iswara Bena Sdn. Bhd., for donating the THIRUNEERU PATTAI which we had grand ceremony on the 18 December 2010. The cost is around 75,000.00. He also donates towards making the steps to the Temple.
The Temple Management also wishes to thank Mr Suriakumarn (Australia) and Dato Viji for donating the AGASA GANGGAI. This function was held on 28 December 2010.
On 16th December 2020, Ir. Sivabalan returned to Lord Shiva and his selfless service towards mankind and betterment of Jalalingam temple will be cherished forever by Temple Management and all devotees. His thoughts, work and presence will be always be with Jalalingam temple.