The Sri Ekamparanatha temple is of hoary antiquity.
Beginning as a small fane, it has grown over the centuries into
a large one of over 12.14 hectares, with innumerable shrines,
mandapa, gopuras and tanks. A Siva Linga with 1008 small
lingas, idols of Vishnu and Nataraja are highlights of this
temple. This is one of the most ancient temples in India and
has been in existence even prior to 600 A.D. This vast temple
with high rising gopurams dominates the skyline of
Kanchipuram. Siva is the presiding deity here, worshipped as
Prthivi Lingam, symbolizing earth, one of the five primordial
elements. Kanchipuram is thus known as Prthviksetra. No
separate shrine for Parvati exists here. Pallavas, Cholas and
Vijayanagar kings especially Krishnadevaraya contributed
much to the construction and development of this temple. The
details of contribution of various dynasties are as follows
Karikala Cholan constructed a mandapam for
Ekambaranathar the single mango tree in 190 A.D. The palace
of Bappa was situated in front at a distance of a kilometer, on
the banks of Vegavati. Narasimhavarman - II renovated the
existing temple covering 30 acres with five prakarams. Varador
donated some villages to the temple Sarvatheertha kulam was
constructed near the temple bath. Sarvatheertha kulam is now
at the outskirts of the town. Krishnadevaraya built the main
gopuram in 10 tiers with 540 thittkal to a height of 188 feet,
the tallest tower among the
South India temples..
The name of the Lord Ekampara is derived from an
ancient mango tree of unusual properties with four branches
representing the four Vedas. Each leaf is of different shape,
and each branch bears fruits that taste differently. This tree
also grants boons especially to ladies for bearing children.
Although these mangoes were sold (each as high as rupees
forty) well at one time, today it is facing decay without bearing
any fruits. Adjacent to the trunk of this hallowed tree lies a mini
temple to kumaraswamy known as Mavadi Kandam, the Skanda of the
sacred mango.
The nomenclature of Ekampara is derived from “Kamba”
or pillar, a synonym for the pillar of fire or “Sthanu” a well
known name of Lord Siva. Further, Goddess Parvati once
worshipped a Linga of earth in the bed of streamlet the kampa,
flowing near the Kanchimayanam, now a shrine in the temple.
To test her devotion, the Lord causes freshen in the river.
In her anxiety to save the Linga from being washed away, she
hugged it to her bosom. Delighted by the act Lord Siva
married her. All the four principal Nayanmars have sung about
Lord Ekamresvara with Thevaram songs. Idols for 63
Nayanmars along with the Utsavamurthis (processional idols)
are also installed here.
The temple has five prakaras and a huge mandapa with
thousand pillars (only 616 survive today) near this were found
some columns with honorifics of Mahendra - I Pallava carved
on them they are now in the Chennai Museum. Elsewhere in
the temple there is a shrine for Sage Agasthya referred by King
Mahendra in his well known Sanskrit farce Matta Vilasa
Prahasana. The temple’s later history is equally glorious.
Epigraphs record donations by the Cholas, (among whom
Kulottunga - III was prominent the Telugu Cholas, and the
Vijayanagaraking. Krishnadevaraya built the massive outer
gopura of nine storeys (58.5m high) in 1509 A.D. An image of
him and another of his consort appear in the gopuras.
The temple was used as a fortress during the campaign
which culminated in Robert Clive’s famous defense of Arcot.
There are signs of hits by cannon balls on the main gopura. A
part of the wall near this tower was rebuilt in 1799 A.D. by
Hodson the then Collector of Chengalpattu district. There are
some join reliefs also on this wall.
The glory of Lord Ekampareswara has been extolled by
Saints Tirugnansambandar, Appar, Sundarar and
Manickavasagar known as the great four or Nalwar in their
divine songs, Muthuswami Dikshatar of the trinity of Karanatik
music and Pattinathar have also song in praise of his glory.
Details of this temple could be found in Periapuranam,
Kanchipuranam, Manimekalai and Matthavilasa Prahasanm.
The temple is very famous for its sculpture.
The temple has the tallest tower in Kanchi with a height
of 58 meters or 192 feet. This 9 tier Rajagopuram was
constructed by Sri Krishnadevaraya, the Emperor of
Vijayanagar in 1509. Pilgrims coming to Kanchi from Chennai
via Poovirundavalli and Sri Perumpudur could see this gopuram
even from a long distance.
In the first inner prakara, we come across the sannidhi of
Goddess Mahapralayabandhini. Adjacent to this, we have the
processional deity as Somaskandar. Adjoining this, we see the
trunk of the mango tree which is the sacred Sthalavriksha. The
four Vedas are supposed to be its branches. It is here that
Katyayani worshipped Siva. This 60 feet tall tree is more than
3500 years old. It yields fruits of four different tastes from its
four different branches. When Markandeya survived a deluge,
this tree, itself a manifestation of the Lord’s from, supported
him. At the trunk of the tree, Lord Siva with “Chinmudra”
dwells as Somaskandar. Under this peetam we have darshan
of Kamakshi in penance, Lingodbavar and the Goddess
embracing the Lord Mavadiseva. In the garbhagrha, Lord
Siva is seen as Prithivilingam, adorned by a silver Kavacham or
covering. As the idol is made of sand, it is only the pedestal of
the lingam that is anointed
During the periods of Chola, Pallava and Vijayanagara
Empires, Lord Hudson, Collector of Chengalpattu District, under
British rule in 1799 and Natukkottai Nagarathars in 1900
carried out many construction works in the temple. Recently, in
1979 and 2007 the Mahakumbabishekam was performed. With
the blessings of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya, Sri
Jeyandra Saraswathi Swamigal, the 69th Pontiff of Sri Kanchi
Kamakoti Peetam a number of kainkaryamas are carried out by
the devotees now and the along with the improvements carried
out by the H.R. & C.E. Department of the Government of Tamil
Nadu and by the
general public.
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