Ekambareshwarar Temple

Ekambareshwarar Temple in Kanchipuram is counted as the earth shrine among the five Shiva temples of the south that Shaiva tradition links with the five great elements. The central form is the Prithvi Lingam, said to be fashioned of sand, and worship here is arranged around that idea: tradition holds that the lingam is not drenched in water, and offerings such as sandalwood paste are favoured so that the earthen form is preserved. The deity is Shiva as Ekambareshwarar, and the goddess is remembered here as Kamakshi, whose own shrine stands nearby.

The sthala purana, the temple's own legend, says that Parvati shaped a lingam from sand on the bank of the river and worshipped Shiva with it. When a flood rose, she is said to have held the lingam close to protect it. That tale explains why an earth lingam is found in the shrine, and why the place is called the earth sthalam. The sthala vriksha is a mango tree, and local tradition teaches that its branches stand for the four Vedas. The theertham is Sivaganga, with the river Kampa also named in the tradition.

The temple is among the sites sung by the Nayanar saints Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar, and its great gateway and pillared halls make it among the largest shrines in the town. For readers, the useful idea is the Pancha Bhoota scheme itself: earth, water, fire, air and space are each given a lingam, so that the whole of nature is understood as a form of Shiva.