KAMAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLE - KANCHIPURAM
The Kanchipuram Kamakshi temple is situated at
nealy about 5 acres of land and has four entrances. The Temple was built in the
14th Century by the great Chola artisans.
Significance of the Temple :
This Kanchipuram Temple is dedicated
to Goddess Kamakshi. Goddess Kamakshi here is workshipped in the form of a
chakra, placed in front of the idol. There is also an image of Sankaracharya,
whose statue is also been worshipped. It is in this particular temple
Sankaracharya defeated the Buddhist philosophers who had a debate about the
goddess. Shakti in India is worshipped in three places – Madurai, Varanasi
and Kanchipuram. There exists a golden tomb in the centre of the shrine. The
annual chariot festival is held in this temple.
The main entrance of
the Kamakshi temple has a Kalabhairavar deity onto its left and the
Mahishasura Mardini deity onto its right. On the centre of the temple complex
one can see a huge Dwajasthampa. Moving further from entrance of the Kamakshi
deity there is a view of Vinayaga deity. Moving on further, the great Goddess
Kamakshi is visible. Goddess Kamakshi is been surrounded by deities of
Ayyapan, Saraswati, Annaporani and Adisankaracharya on its outer prakaram.
The Goddess also consist of Varahi, Arupalakshmi Kalvarperumal (one of the
108 Divya Desam of Vaishanavities), Roopalakshmi and Arthanariswarar deities
surrounding the sanctorum of Goddess on its Gayatri Mandapam. There is even
the Santhanasthampam inside the prakaram of Goddess which is called the
Nabisthan of the Goddess. There is a Srichakra Yantra (Sri Kamakoti Peetam)
which is established by Jagadguru Sri Adisankaracharya in front of the
Goddess deity.
Devotees can also
find a temple tank inside the premises. The great Kamakshi temple has a close
relation with the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and also its successive
Sankarcharyas. The temple has a gallery of Adisankarcharya's life history
inside the temple premises itself. Goddess Kamakshi is the main deity and the
temple is one of the fifty one Shakti peetas. The temple is spelled as
Nabisthana - Ottiyana peetam. The temple also has a golden Gopuram on the
sanctorum of the Goddess Kamakshi deity which is visible to all devotees.
India has three main
cities where the Goddess Shakti is been worshipped. Kanchipuram holds the
most important rank among all 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'.
The main tower near the sanctum (Vimanam) of the temple is
gold plated. Also there is a great significance is the Golden Chariot in this
temple. The Golden Chariot is taken in a procession around the temple on
Friday evenings around 7.00 p.m. This temple also features an Art Gallery
with pictures depicting the history of Sri Adishankaracharya and the Shankara
Mutt. This imposing temple is also in the site of the annual car festival
which is held on the 9th lunar day in February/March.
Rules and
Rituals of the temples
The
pooja procedure in this temple is as follows:
Thanga Ratham
(Golden Chariot) is the chariot festival done only on specific days. In the
month of 'Maasi' there is an annual festival of the temple. On the 7th day of
this month there are processions which are taken out in a silver chariot.
Festivals like Navratri, Aadi, Aippasi Pooram, Sankara Jayanthi and Vasanta
Utsavam in Vaikasi are been celebrated with full fervor. Like other temples
of Tamil Nadu, the Fridays here falling in the month of 'Adi' and 'Thai' are
observed with grand ceremonies.
How to reach
the Temple :
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