Ekambareswarar Temple located in Kanchipuram is one of the five Shiva temples called Pancha Bhoota Sthalams (each representing a natural element). This temple represents the element Earth.
The other four temples in this category are
Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara - Apaha or Water
Chidambaram Nataraja - Akasha or Sky
Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara - Agni or fire
Srikalahasti - Vayu or Air.
It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all of the four most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung the glories of this temple.
The Sthala Vruksham is a 3,500 year old mango tree whose branches are said to yield four different types of mangoes. Once Parvati was doing tapas under the temple's ancient Mango Tree. In order to test her devotion Lord Shiva sent Agni to disrupt her tapas. Goddess Parvati prayed to her brother, Lord Vishnu, for help. In order to save her, he took the Moon from Lord Shiva's head and showered the rays which then cooled down the tree as well as Parvati from the fire which engulfed them.
Lord Shiva again sent the river Ganga (Ganges) to disrupt Parvati's tapas. Parvati devi prayed to Ganga and convinced her that both of them were sisters and so should not harm each other. And so Ganga did not disturb her penance.
According to another purana, Parvati worshipped Shiva in the form of a Prithivi Lingam (or a Lingam made out of sand), under a mango tree. The neighboring Vegavati river overflowed and threatened to engulf the Shiva Lingam and Kamakshi embraced the Lingam. Shiva touched by the gesture appeared in person and married her. In this context he is referred to as Tazhuva kuzhainthaar ("He who melted in Her embrace") in Tamil.
There is a shrine for Lord Vishnu named Thiru Nilaaththingal Thundathan. Here, the Lord Vishnu is prayed as Vamana Murthy. This shrine is hailed by the Alvar saints as one of the 108 Divya Desams.
Ekambareswarar Temple located in Kanchipuram is one of the five Shiva temples called Pancha Bhoota Sthalams (each representing a natural element). This temple represents the element Earth.
The other four temples in this category are
Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara - Apaha or Water
Chidambaram Nataraja - Akasha or Sky
Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara - Agni or fire
Srikalahasti - Vayu or Air.
It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all of the four most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung the glories of this temple.
The Sthala Vruksham is a 3,500 year old mango tree whose branches are said to yield four different types of mangoes. Once Parvati was doing tapas under the temple's ancient Mango Tree. In order to test her devotion Lord Shiva sent Agni to disrupt her tapas. Goddess Parvati prayed to her brother, Lord Vishnu, for help. In order to save her, he took the Moon from Lord Shiva's head and showered the rays which then cooled down the tree as well as Parvati from the fire which engulfed them.
Lord Shiva again sent the river Ganga (Ganges) to disrupt Parvati's tapas. Parvati devi prayed to Ganga and convinced her that both of them were sisters and so should not harm each other. And so Ganga did not disturb her penance.
According to another purana, Parvati worshipped Shiva in the form of a Prithivi Lingam (or a Lingam made out of sand), under a mango tree. The neighboring Vegavati river overflowed and threatened to engulf the Shiva Lingam and Kamakshi embraced the Lingam. Shiva touched by the gesture appeared in person and married her. In this context he is referred to as Tazhuva kuzhainthaar ("He who melted in Her embrace") in Tamil.
There is a shrine for Lord Vishnu named Thiru Nilaaththingal Thundathan. Here, the Lord Vishnu is prayed as Vamana Murthy. This shrine is hailed by the Alvar saints as one of the 108 Divya Desams.
The other four temples in this category are
Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara - Apaha or Water
Chidambaram Nataraja - Akasha or Sky
Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara - Agni or fire
Srikalahasti - Vayu or Air.
It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all of the four most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung the glories of this temple.
The Sthala Vruksham is a 3,500 year old mango tree whose branches are said to yield four different types of mangoes. Once Parvati was doing tapas under the temple's ancient Mango Tree. In order to test her devotion Lord Shiva sent Agni to disrupt her tapas. Goddess Parvati prayed to her brother, Lord Vishnu, for help. In order to save her, he took the Moon from Lord Shiva's head and showered the rays which then cooled down the tree as well as Parvati from the fire which engulfed them.
Lord Shiva again sent the river Ganga (Ganges) to disrupt Parvati's tapas. Parvati devi prayed to Ganga and convinced her that both of them were sisters and so should not harm each other. And so Ganga did not disturb her penance.
According to another purana, Parvati worshipped Shiva in the form of a Prithivi Lingam (or a Lingam made out of sand), under a mango tree. The neighboring Vegavati river overflowed and threatened to engulf the Shiva Lingam and Kamakshi embraced the Lingam. Shiva touched by the gesture appeared in person and married her. In this context he is referred to as Tazhuva kuzhainthaar ("He who melted in Her embrace") in Tamil.
There is a shrine for Lord Vishnu named Thiru Nilaaththingal Thundathan. Here, the Lord Vishnu is prayed as Vamana Murthy. This shrine is hailed by the Alvar saints as one of the 108 Divya Desams.