Ekambareswarar Temple In Tamil Nadu, India Dedicated To Lord Shiva

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – Ekambareswarar Temple (Ekambaranathar Temple) is an outstanding Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, and located in Kanchipuram, an ancient city in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state, with a long history and many temples that found their home in this city.

Ekambareswarar TempleEkambareswarar Temple – Shrines inside the temple. source.

Five Elements Of Nature Play Important Role In Temple Architecture

According to Hinduism, life and various species originated by the combination of planetary globes and the five manifestations of nature: earth, water, fire, air, and space.

Pancha Bhoota Sthalam is ᴀssociated with five temples dedicated to Shiva. Each of them symbolizes these five prime elements of nature. It’s worth noting that Pancha indicates “five,” Bhoota means “elements,” and Sthala means “place.” Four temples are located in Tamil Nadu, South India, and one is in Andhra Pradesh.

The five elements are believed to be enshrined in the five lingams of the temples, with each Lingam named based on the element represented.

The Ekambareswarar Temple represents one of nature’s five elements – ‘Earth’. source.

The Ekambareswarar Temple is one of the representations of nature’s five elements – ‘Earth.’

Knowledge of the five elements is essential to the yogi because it allows them to understand nature’s laws and use yoga to achieve better health, power, knowledge, wisdom and, Ekambareswarar Temple is essential to the Hindu sect of Shaivism, which remains one of the significant Hindu traditions that worship Shiva (also called Rudra) as the Supreme Being.

To the cult’s followers known as “Shaivites” (or “Saivas”), this temple is of great importance as one of the Hindu religious buildings ᴀssociated with the five elements.

Gopurams – Prominent Features Of Ekambareswarar Temple

The temple is the biggest complex in the city of Kanchipuram and one of the largest in India. It houses four monumental, richly decorated gateway towers (gopurams or gopuras), which function as the entrances to the temple complex, especially in Southern India.

The tallest of the towers is the southern one, with 11 stories and 58.5216 meters (c.193 ft), so it is one of the tallest temple towers in India.

Stucco image of the legend of Mango tree and the Mango tree behind the sanctumStucco image of the legend of the Mango tree and the Mango tree behind the sanctum. source.

The temple houses numerous prominent shrines and many halls; the most notable is the thousand-pillared hall (“mandapa”) built when Vijayanagar Empire was founded in 1336 and lasted for more than two centuries as the leading power in south India.

As to Hindu temples, the Vijayanagar architecture merged various elements of the Chalukya Dynasty (ruled from the 6th century and the 12th century AD) and Chola Dynasty’s art and produced spectacular beautiful gopuras and mandapas.

So, the present masonry of the Ekambareswarar Temple was built during the Chola dynasty in the 9th century, while later expansions or additions are attributed to Vijayanagar rulers. The mandapa – either a pillared hall or pavilion adorned with elaborate carvings for public rituals –  is one of the main features of Hindu temple architecture. Decorated with intricate carvings, ‘mandapa’ is used for the public’s religious practices.

An Old Mango Tree In The Temple Is Believed To Be Sacred

The mango tree in the Ekambareswarar Temple courtyard is sacred, and one of Lord Shiva’s тιтles is “Lord of Mango Tree.” Generally, Lord Shiva and represented by a lingam, which symbolizes the divine, procreative energy, with his idol referred to as Prithvi lingam.

Ekambareswarar Temple

Ekambareswarar Temple – Image credit: Ssriram mt – CC BY-SA 4.0

The legend narrates the story of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, doing penance under the temple’s ancient Mango tree to appease Lord Shiva. It also tells how he tested her before accepting her as his wife. To test her devotion, Shiva sent fire on her. Goddess Parvati prayed to her brother, Vishnu, for help to prevent any break in her penance from the fire. Next, Lord Shiva sent Goddess Ganga for the same purpose. Goddess Parvati prayed to Goddess Ganga that they are sisters and that she should be protected. Goddess Parvati made a Shiva Lingam out of the sand, and thus, she united with Lord Shiva, who emerged from the Lingam.

Therefore the presiding deity of this temple is also known as Ekambareswarar, which means “Lord of Mango Tree.”

In another story related to the Ekambareswarar Temple, we learn that once Goddess Parvati meditated on the Prithvi Lingam under the Mango tree, the neighboring Vegavati River overflew and threatened the Prithvi Lingam. To protect the Lingam, Parvati embraced it, and Shiva witnessed her deed. Pleased by her devotion, he appeared before her and married her.

Written by – A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com

Related Posts

Andalusia Was First Inhabited By Neolithic People From The Southern Part Of The Iberian Peninsula 6,200 Years Ago

Andalusia Was First Inhabited By Neolithic People From The Southern Part Of The Iberian Peninsula 6,200 Years Ago

Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – The island of San Fernando, Cadiz in Andalusia, was home to the first Neolithic farmers and shepherds who decided to permanently settle there around 6,200 years ago. They practised shellfish collection and consumption all year round, with a preference for winter. Location of Campo de Hockey site in southern Iberian […]

Unknown Bronze Age Settlement Discovered Accidently In Heimberg, Switzerland

Unknown Bronze Age Settlement Discovered Accidentally In Heimberg, Switzerland

Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Sometimes, when archaeologists look for one thing, they find something entirely different. This is exactly what happened in Switzerland when researchers were excavating, hoping to find an ancient Roman brick workshop, but they unearthed a previously unknown Bronze Age settlement instead. The excavation in Heimberg, on the right edge of […]

Unexplained Mystery Of The Dangerous Invisible And Unidentifiable Enemy In A French Town

Unexplained Mystery Of The Dangerous Invisible Enemy In A French Town

Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – It was an ordinary day in a small, sleepy town in France. There were no indications anything strange was about to happen. Yet, an inexplicable and extraordinary event left the unsuspecting residents completely bewildered and unsure of what was unfolding. The situation that unfolded was indeed unusual, if not bizarre. […]

Rare 2,800-Year-Old Assyrian Scarab Amulet Found In Lower Galilee

Rare 2,800-Year-Old ᴀssyrian Scarab Amulet Found In Lower Galilee

Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Erez Avrahamov, a 45-year-old inhabitant of Peduel, made an incredible discovery while hiking in the Tabor Stream Nature Reserve located in Lower Galilee. He stumbled upon an ancient seal shaped like a scarab that dates back to the First Temple period. Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority This ancient artifact is as […]

Dinas Powys: Late ‘Antique Hillfort Phenomenon’ In Post-Roman Western Britain

Dinas Powys: Late ‘Antique Hillfort Phenomenon’ In Post-Roman Western Britain

Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Dinas Powys, Glamorgan, located about 9km southwest of Cardiff, is a small inland fort of approximately 0.35ha. The hillfort was first excavated by a team of archaeologists led by Leslie Alcock from 1954 through to 1958. The site is often referenced as a prime example of elite settlements in post-Roman […]

Puzzling Vasconic Inscription On Ancient Irulegi Hand Resembles Basque Language

Puzzling Vasconic Inscription On Ancient Irulegi Hand Resembles Basque Language

Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – A few years ago, archaeologists excavating an Iron Age site known as Irulegi in northern Spain discovered a flat bronze artifact shaped like a human hand. After careful cleaning, they found it bore inscriptions of words from a Vasconic language. This language family includes Basque and several other languages that […]