Ekambareswarar Temple

As the Prithvi (earth) lingam, Ekambareswarar is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams representing the elements, giving it a special place in Shaivite cosmology. Kanchipuram itself is one of the seven Mokshapuri (cities granting liberation) and a supreme centre of both Shaiva and Vaishnava worship. The legend of Parvati's earthen lingam beneath the mango tree is central to its devotion.

The Ekambareswarar temple, spread over some 25 acres, is among the grandest of Kanchipuram's many great shrines, its southern gopuram soaring nearly 59 metres. Here Shiva is worshipped as the element of earth (Prithvi), and the sanctum's lingam is traditionally left uncovered by water. The temple's most beloved feature is its ancient mango tree (said to be thousands of years old), under which Parvati is believed to have worshipped a lingam she fashioned from earth and embraced to protect it from a flood of the Kampa river — winning Shiva as Ekambara ('lord of the mango tree'). The vast pillared corridors and thousand-pillar hall are masterworks of Vijayanagara architecture.