Ekambranath temple, Kanchipuram.
Kanchipuram (75 kms from Chennai) is one of the seven holy cities in the country, and a visit is believed to bestow salvation. It is said that Kanchipuram once had over a thousand temples. Today, there exist more than a hundred. Kanchipuram also has some notable churches and mosques. The city was the capital of the early Cholas and it was the Pallava capital between the 6th and 8th centuries.
Kanchipuram is a major seat of Tamil learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Jains and Saivite Hindus. Apart from its temples, this small town is also known for its thriving handloom industry.
Temple festivals are held throughout the year and apart from the temple car or the ratha festivals are held in January, April and May. There are other days when the idols are taken out in procession on their respective vahanas or vehicles.
The main deity (Photo source: Wikipedia)
Ekambaranathar Temple or Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in Kanchipuram in the state ofTamil Nadu, India. The temple is the largest temple in the town of Kanchipuram and is located in the northern part of the town.[1] The temple gopuram (gateway tower) is 59m tall, which is one of the tallest gopurams in India.
It is one of the five major Shiva temples or Pancha Bootha Sthalams (each representing a natural element) representing the element – Earth. The other four temples in this category are Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara (water), Chidambaram Natarajar (Sky), Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara (fire) and Kalahasti Nathar (wind). It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all the four most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung the glories of this temple.
A painting in the temple.
Some colourful houses near the temple.
Kanchipuram is an excellent tourist destination for the Fifty-Plustravels.
Useful Information:
Accomodation: State run Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) runs a hotel here: Hotel Tamil Nadu, Kamatehi Amman Sannathi Street, Opp. Old railway Station, Kanchipuram. Manager Mobile: 9176995831.
Package Tours: TTDCs Package tours http://www.ttdconline.com/index.jsp
Temple’s website:
http://www.ekambaranathartemple.org/needs.php#sthash.3hVaORiC.dpuf
Temperatures: Summer 36.6 – 21 C; Winter: 28.7 – 19.8 C.
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(Text with some inputs from the websites of TTDC, Ekambranath temple and some others)
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Photos, text and copyright: K.J.S.Chatrath
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