Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple – One of the Shakti Peethas
Spread over an area of 5 acres of land, the famous Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple is a cultural gem of the South Indian town. Set in the City of Temples, the temple is a beautiful portrait of its cultural heritage, and at the same time one of the 51 Shakti Peethas dedicated to the Goddess Sati.Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple – A Quick Glance
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Main deity: Kamakshi (Goddess Parvati)
Built by: Adi Shankaracharya (under the Pallava dynasty)
Timings: 5:30 am - 12:15 pm, and 4:00 pm - 8:15 pm (Friday till 9:30 pm and Pournami day till 10:30 pm)
Visiting duration: 2-3 hours
Entry fee: free
Address: New No. 6, Old No. 144/A, Kamakshi Amman Sannathi Street, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu 631502, India
Best time to travel: November to February
Festivals: 4 worship services are offered each day. The annual festival falls in spring, in the Tamil month of Masi, which runs from mid-March to mid-April.
Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple – An Overview
Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple is the heart of Kanchipuram, in every possible way. The city literally surrounds the temple, along with depiction of idols like Shiva and Vishnu encircling the temple and extending outwards from this temple.At one side of the temple is Shiva Kanchi (also known as big Kanchi) where several Shiva temples are located along with few temples devoted to Vishnu. On the opposite side is the Visnu Kanchi with huge temples of Lord Vishnu and some small Shiva temples.
Legends of Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple
As per legends and local beliefs, Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram has been here since time immemorial. Kamakshi is the combination of three words – Ka (Saraswati), Ma (Lakshmi) & Aksh (eyes). In other words, the name of the temple denotes a deity whose eyes are symbolized by the Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati.Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram is a major one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and is considered as a revered one. It is believed that the navel (Nabhi) of the Goddess Sati had fallen here at this spot when Lord Shiva was doing Tandava (destructive dance form) carrying the body of the goddess. As per mythology, the place is believed to be the Nabhisthan or the centre of the earth.
It is believed that the Goddess took birth to kill the Asur Bhandasur. She took the form of Kanya Swarup and resided in this temple. For the same reason, she is believed to have appeared and never been created, and is known as Swayambhu. The Goddess is believed to be in the temple in three incarnations or Swarupas, namely Sthula, Sukshama, and Shunya.
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History of Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple
The history of Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram dates back to the 7th century when it was established under the prophetic token of Adi Shankaracharya, the popular Indian spiritual guru. Historical statistics say that the guru had set up the Sri Chakra of this temple, and as per this data, the dates of the establishment of Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple goes back around 1,600 years ago when Pallava dynasty ruled this region with Kanchipuram as their capital.It was under the reign of Pallava dynasty in that era that the temple was built during 5thBCE to 8thCE, as per archaeological proofs. The Chola and Vijaynagar rulers expanded the complex by adding smaller shrines around the main Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple.
The sanctum of Kamakshi is among the major places of worship for the Goddess Shakti, while the other two remain at Madura Meenakshi in Madurai and Kasi Visalakshi in Varanasi.
Architecture of Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple
Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram is a spectacular religious place with a multi-layered structured spread over an area of 5 acres. The entrance is remarkably denoted with a gopuram in the typical signature style of the temples in the South India. The gopuram is a towering structure ornamented with murals and images of ancient gods and goddesses in different mudras or poses.There are some tiny sculptures carefully carved to narrate stories of the main deity inside the temple. This is the symbolic style of the Dravidian architecture most commonly found in the temple of Kanchipuram and other South Indian cities.
There is a gold-embellished Vimanam (spire) placed in the courtyard in the greeting posture with the idol of the deity placed on that. There are four entrances with one each sides of the spire from where the deity can be seen and worshipped.
Inside the sanctum, the idol of the Goddess Kamakshi sits in Padmasana, which is a Yoga posture resembling the form of a lotus. It is assumed that the goddess is in meditating inside the temple sanctum. She is holding a sugarcane bow in her upper left arm, a parrot in her upper right arm, and her divine chakras of Pasa and Angura in her lower left and right arms respectively.
The main shrine is decorated with several religious structures, images and figurines including a hundred-pillared hall and a sanctuary exclusively for elephants that offer prayers and worship the deity every morning at 5:00am.
The sanctum is full of multiple smaller shrines surrounding which a large pond adds to the tranquillity and spirituality of the premise.
Festivals at Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple
The month of “Maasi” is considered auspicious for worshipping Lord Shiva, as per the Tamil Hindi calendar. The month generally follows from mid-February to mid-March when an annual festival is celebrated here at the Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram. The 7th day of the month is specially celebrated when the Goddess Kamakshi is taken out of the sanctum and carried in a procession in a silver chariot.Some of the other major festivals are Navratri, Rath Yatra, Sankara Jayanti, Aadi, and Aippasi Pooram which are also celebrated with much pomp and show within the temple complex.
How to reach Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple
Nearest Airport: Chennai
Kanchipuram is located around 75km (47mi) from Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. You can take a public transport, or can hire a taxi or book an app cab to reach Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple.
Nearest Railway Station: Kanchipuram
The shrine is located around a kilometre south of the city railway station of Kanchipuram. You can avail several modes of transport from there, including cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, bus, cabs and even private cars on hire.
Nearest Bus Station: Kanchipuram
The city bus service is quite frequent and convenient to reach Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram.