Temples

Ekambareswarar Temple Originally built by the Pallavas, this large Shiva temple was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijaynagara kings. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Earth or Prithvi, one of the five elements. The dimensions of this temple are reflected in its 20-acre spread and its tall south gopuram, which soars to a height of 58.5m. The eleven-storey structure that is adorned with beautiful sculptures is one of the tallest temple towers in South India. Childless couples revere the ancient mango tree in the courtyard. They faithfully string small cradles to the branches of the tree with the hope that their desire for an offspring will be fulfilled. Also in the temple, there is a small panel depicting the story that tells of the temple's existence. Parvathi incurred Shiva's wrath when she made the mistake of playing a mischievous prank on him by covering his eyes for a second. Hindering Siva's vision for that one second led to years of darkness for the mortals, Shiva bade her to perform penance to obtain his forgiveness.It is believed that the temple was built on the spot where the lord forgave her. Kamakshi Amman Temple This is an important shakthisthalam, known as parabrahmaroonpini. The main deity is seated on brahma, vishnu, rudra, eswara and sadasiva. The Cholas built the temple in its present from in the 12th century A.D. The temple has beautiful gopurams, pillars, mandapams and tanks. Masjids This is a mosque built 450 years ago by the Nawab of Arcot near the Ekambareswarar temple. There is another mosque near the Vaikunta Perumal temple. The beauty is that the mosque and the temples share a common tank, true to the spirit of tolerance that India is renowned. Muslims share in the Brahmatvasam festivals of the Varadaraja temple too. Christ Church a Britisher named Mclean, in1921, built this church. The brick structure was typically Scottish, with arches and pillars. Kanchi Mutt The Kanchi Mutt is one of the mutts or peetams established by Adi Sankara, who lived from 788 to 820 AD. It has established a modern centre of learning, which has been given a deemed University status. This is at Enathur,5 kms from Kanchi. The centre has a library with ancient books and palm leaf manuscripts.