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Shiva (Ekambareswarar) temple · Kanchipuram, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Ekambareswarar (Ekambaranathar) Temple, at the centre of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams of Shiva, representing the element earth. Its linga is called the Prithvi Linga, and the deity is named after the mango tree, Eka Amra, still in the temple premises (Kancheepuram district administration; The Hindu).
Faith & Tradition
The single mango tree in the outer court is regarded as most sacred; childless couples worship it in hope of a child (district administration). Dinamalar records that the linga is a swayambhu said to have been made of sand by the goddess Kamakshi, and that the temple is the first Tevaram-hymned Shiva temple of the Thondai Nadu region, praised by Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundarar and Manickavasagar.
The 13-day Panguni Uthiram festival in March–April is its largest, drawing lakhs of devotees (Dinamalar).
Heritage
The 57-metre rajagopuram, one of the tallest in South India, was built by the Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya, and the thousand-pillared hall (Aayiram Kaal Mandapam) is also a Vijayanagara addition (district administration).
The temple's Mahakumbhabhishekam was held in December 2025 after 17 years, following repairs that took care not to alter the heritage structures (The Hindu). A 25-foot golden chariot dedicated at that time was first taken out in procession through the town's streets in July 2026 (The Hindu). In 2024 the Idol Wing CID traced a 16th-century Somaskandar bronze from the temple to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (The Hindu).
A 57-metre Vijayanagara rajagopuram, a thousand-pillared mandapam, and inner walls lined with 1,008 Shiva lingas (district administration).
Plan Your Visit
Confirm darshan timings with the temple before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Thirteen-day festival, the temple's largest (Dinamalar).
Location
The temple is in the centre of Kanchipuram, within walking distance of the bus stand (district administration).
Location: Kanchipuram, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Shiva (Ekambareswarar) temples
Questions
In the centre of Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, near the bus stand.
Earth; it is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, with the Prithvi Linga.
The sacred Eka Amra tree after which the deity is named.
About 57 metres, built by Krishnadevaraya.
In December 2025, after 17 years.
Further reading: Ekambareswarar (Ekambaranathar) Temple, Kanchipuram on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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