Vrischika Rashi : Ekambareswarar Temple - Kanchipuram

House : Scorpio ( Vrischika Rashi )
Lord of the House : Kuja
Best Day to Visit the Temple : Tuesday

People's whose star sign is Scorpio ( Vrischika Rashi ) have to visit Ekambareswarar Temple - Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu twice in an year or atleast once in an year. Should stay in the temple or premises for two and half hours.

Ekambareswarar Temple - Kanchipuram

Ekambaranathar Temple is one of the oldest temples in the city. The architecture of this temple is amazing. The gopuram of this temple stands as a massive landmark, spanning a height of 57 metres - one of the tallest in South India. The vast temple premises introduce you to many wonders, one after another.
The first is the "Aayiram Kaal Mandapam" or the hallway with a thousand pillars. The next is the array of 1008 Siva Lingams that decorate the inner walls of the temple. The most important, of course, is the "sthala-virutcham", a 3500 year old mango tree whose branches give four different types of mangoes. This temple bears the work of practically every dynasty which ruled Kanchipuram.

This temple, unlike the Kailasanathar temple, lies right in the middle of the busiest intersection in the city and is filled with people almost all the time. It is located diagonally opposite to the Sankara Mutt. It will be extremely crowded on Sivaraathri.

According to legend, this temple is located around the 3500 year old mango tree. Hindu mythology says that Kamakshi Amman performed a penance here under the mango tree to get married to Lord Shiva. In Sanskrit, "Eka" means One, and "Amaram" means "Mango Tree". Hence, Ekambaram literally means "One Mango Tree".

Because of its age and vastness, not all places in the temple are accessible to Tourists. Some places can be accessed with special permission.

Recently, this temple hit the news owing to the visit of Queen Elizabeth in October 97, to see the 3500 year old mango tree and the weaving of Silk Sarees in handlooms. Silk Sarees of Kanchipuram have apparently been one the the Queen's favorites for a very long time.

Vinayagar, Murugan, Dakshina moorthy and Rahu Kala Kaliamman are other major god and goddess placed along with the main idols in this temple

HISTORY OF THE TEMPLE: Goddess Parvathi in a playful mood closed the eyes of Lord Paramasivan. This created darkness in the whole universe. Every creature came to an abrupt stop as they could not see.

Lord Shiva opened his third eye and gave light to the whole universe. To make her realise the folly of her action Lord Shiva renounced Goddess Parvathi. She then left her abode in 'Kailash' and came down to Kancheepuram. She was pining to be reunited with her Lord. In order to atone for her sin, she moulded a Sivalingam out of sand and installed it under a mango tree on thd bank of River Kampa. She prayed to the Lord daily requestinf that she be forgiven and taken back. Lord Shiva wanted to test her devotion and caused the river to swell. Parvathy fearing that hdr Sivalingam would be washed auay clasped it tn her bosom to ppotect it. Lord Shiva waq pleased with her dediaation and devotion and took her back to her rightful place.

How to Reach Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram is one of India's most visited sacred cities, with innumerable devotees and tourists making their tour to the city each year. The city is easily connected by air, rail and road. The city is just 75 kms from Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu, which ensures its easy accessibility.

By Air
The nearest airport from Kanchipuram is in Chennai, which is 75 kms away. One can take flights for most of the important Indian cities and for abroad from Chennai.

By Rail
Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore. Kanchipuram is connected to both broad gauge that leads to western parts of Tamilnadu and North India and meter gauge that connects to the southern most part of Tamilnadu.

By Road
Kanchipuram is well connected by a good network of roads. Many of the major transport corporations of Tamilnadu operate buses connecting Chennai and Kanchipuram.

Local Transportation
Bicycles can be an exciting mode of moving around this temple city and you can have them on rent. However, for an easier and less laborious ride you can also opt for cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.