Tamilnadu Tourism: Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Kanchipuram Town in Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu. Presiding Deity is called as Ekambareswarar / Ekambaranathar and Mother is called as Elavarkuzhali / Kamakshi Amman. The Temple is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhootha Sthalams, and specifically the element of earth, or Prithvi. The temple is the largest and one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the city.

Thirugnana Sambandar, a 7^th Century Tamil Saivite poet, venerated Ekambareswarar in ten verses in Thevaram, compiled as the First Thirumurai. Appar and Sundarar, contemporaries of Sambandar, also venerated Ekambareswarar in 10 verses in Thevaram compiled as the Fifth Thirumurai and Ninth Thirumurai respectively. As the temple is revered in Thevaram, it is classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam, one of the 276 temples that find mention in the Saiva canon. Manickavasagar, a 9^th Century Tamil saint and poet, revered Ekambareswarar in his writing. Thus, the temple is revered by all four Saiva Kuravars. This is the 1^st Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam in Thondai Nadu.

Nilathingal Thunda Perumal Shrine in Kanchipuram Ekambareswarar Temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Thirumangai Azhwar in one hymn. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. The temple is one of the two rare Divyadesams, with the other being Govindaraja Perumal Temple, that are housed in a Shiva temple. Only Saivite priests perform rituals in the temple. This temple is administrated by The Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department, Tamilnadu.