Ekambaranathar Temple – Lord Shiva (TamilNadu)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Chamundeswari Temple (Mysore)

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Chamundeswari Temple is located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 13 km from the palace city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka in India. The temple was named after Chamundeswari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity held in reverence for centuries by Mysore Maharajas. Chamundeswari Temple is located on the top of Chamundi Hills about 13 km from the palace city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka in India. The temple was named after Chamundeswari or Durga, the fierce form of Shakti, a tutelary deity held in reverence for centuries by Mysore Maharajas.

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At the temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva). There is a huge granite Nandi on the 800th step on the hill in front of a small Shiva temple a short distance away. This Nandi is over 15 feet high, and 24 feet long and around its neck are exquisite bells. The temple has a seven story tall ‘gopuram’ decorated with intricate carvings. The idol of the Chamunda Devi is said to be made of solid gold and the temple gates are made of silver.

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A flight of one thousand steps built by the Maharaja Dodda Devaraja in 1659 also leads up to the summit of the hill which is at a height of about 3000 feet. Chamraja Wodeyar IV is said to have worshipped here in 1573 and was miraculously saved from a lightning hit. Krishnaraja III  (late 18th century) built the temple tower and presented the Nakshatramalika  jewel with sanskrit verses inscribed on it.

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Chamundeswari, or Durga is the fierce form of Shakti who vanquished the demon Mahishasuran. A colorful image of the demon greets visitors as they reach the summit of the hill.

Bull Temple (Banglore)

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The Bull temple of Mysore is located in the Southern part of India in the state of Karnataka. It was constructed in the 6th century and is dedicated to Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva. The Structure of the holy bull is carved out of a single block of Granite rock. The temple reflects the specimen of the Dravidian architecture. The Gigantic bull measure 4.57 meters in height and 6.10 meters in length. The temple houses Nandi the Vahana or vehicle of Shiva, along with sculptures of God Surya and goddess Candra on their chariots drawn by horses. Also there is a small lingam shrine bedecked with the exquisite Gopuram. The Bull temple, Mysore comes to liveliness during the Shivratri festival.

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The temple built by Kempe Gowda, a typical example of the Dravidian-style temple, is situated in Basavanagudi. The temple has a huge monolithic bull 4.5m tall and 6m long. It is believed that the source of the river Vishwa Bharathi originates from the feet of the Nandi.

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The bull has a small iron plate on its head to prevent it, as tradition says, from growing. Also there is a Ganesh temple, with a large deity made of 110 kilos of butter. The deity of butter is broken up and distributed every four years. In Kannada, Basava means bull, which gives the name Basavanagudi to the locality.