Deities: Goddess Kamakshi (Parvati)Location: Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Significance: One of the sacred abodes of Goddess Parvati
India has three main cities where the Goddess Shakti is worshipped. Kanchipuram holds the most important rank among the three. In the same order, the three places are Kanchipuram, where the Goddess Kamakshi is worshipped, Madurai, where the Goddess Meenakshi is worshipped, and Kashi, where the deity is Visaalakshi.
Kamakshi Amman Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi a divine form of Parvati. It is located in the historic city Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India and is popularly associated with Adi Sankaracharya, one of the greatest Hindu saints. The main tower over the sanctum (Vimanam) of the temple is gold plated. Also of significance is the Golden Chariot in this temple. This temple also features an Art Gallery with pictures depicting the history of Sri Adishankaracharya and the Shankara Mutt.
The Devas prayed to Siva to destroy Bandakasura who harassed them. Siva told the Devas to enter the tunnel at Mount Kailas, get up at Kanchi, and worship Kamakshi. Kamakshi tread upon the neck of Bandakasura who was sleeping at Kailas and returned to Kanchi. At Kanchi she changed her form into a benign figure and stayed there for devotees to her darshan. She presents herself in the same pose to this day. To prevent Eros from harassing the sages with his qualities of amour, she took away the Lotus, Asoka, Mango, Mallikai and Nilotpalam (five flowers) and kept them herself.
The temple faces east and has a big beautiful tank inside. The temple’s plan is quite unlike that of other temples, and the circuit is such that one cannot go round the sanctum but has to retrace the way in the same path after a darshan. The sanctum is located in the middle of the Gayatri Mandapa supported by 24 pillars. Wielding Pasa, Ankusa, Bow of Sugarcane and flowers arrows in her four arms, she is seated in padmasana.
The temple covers an area of about 5 acres, and the sanctum is crowned with a gold plated vimanam. Kamakshi is enshrined in a seated posture in the sanctum - and is referred to as the Parabhrama Swarupini, seated with Bhrama Vishnu Rudra Eswara and Sadasiva. A Sri Chakram has been installed in front of the image and worship is offered to it.
It is believed that Kamakshi was originally an Ugra Swaroopini, and that Aadi Sankaracharya, upon establishing the Sri Chakra, personified her as the Shanta Swaroopini is believed that during the days of Adi Sankara, the presence of the Ugra Swaroopini was felt outside the temple precincts, and that Sankaracharya had requested her not to leave the temple complex. Symbolic of this, the festival image of Kamakshi, takes leave from Sankaracharya, at his shrine in the inner prakaram, each time she is taken out in procession. The layout of the temple is rather complicated. The outer prakaram houses the temple tank, and several mandapams such as the 100 pillared hall, the dwajaarohana mandapam etc. Imposing views of the golden vimanam can be had from the outer prakaram, which is pierced with four entrances on all four sides. Images to Vishnu (Ninraan, Irundaan, and Kidandaan) are seen near the temple tank.
One enters the four pillared hall then the inner prakaram, and climbs a series of steps, and reaches the sanctum. Immediately surrounding the sanctum are small shrines to Ardhanareeswarar.
The sanctum here enshrines Kamakshi, and a Sri Chakram. Legend has it that Kamakshi performed severe austerities in a grove of mango trees. The processional image here is referred to as Raja Rajeswari.
Festivals:
Every day is a day of festivity at Kamakshi Amman Temple. The daily rituals include four worship services. However, the month of 'Maasi' offers an annual festival of the temple. On the 7th day of this month, processions are taken out in a silver chariot. Festivals like Navratri, Aadi, Aippasi Pooram, Sankara Jayanthi and Vasanta Utsavam in Vaikasi are also celebrated with full fervor. Like other temples of Tamil Nadu, the Fridays falling in the month of 'Adi' and 'Thai' are observed with grand ceremonies.
How to reach:
by Air: Chennai is the nearest airport to Kanchipuram.
by Rail: Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore.
by Road: Kanchipuram is 75-km away from Chennai and is well connected by a network of roads. There are frequent buses from the city to Chennai, Bangalore and other places.
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