Kamakshi Amman Temple

Kanchipuram

Contents

 Introduction

 Legend

 Architecture

 Festivals

 Kamakshi as Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari

 Durvasa Maharishi

 Shakti Peeth

 Images
Introduction

The Kamakshi Temple is an ancient Hindu Temple dedicated to Kamakshi,

the ultimate Goddess Lalita Maha Tripura sundari. It is located in the historic city

of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India. The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, the

Akilandeswari temple in Thiruvanaikaval near Tiruchirappalli and this Kamakshi

temple are the important centers of worship of Goddess, in the state of Tamil

Nadu. The Temple was most probably built by the Pallava kings, whose capital

was Kanchipuram.

The Image of the main Deity, Kamakshi, is seated in a majestic Padmasana,

a yogic posture signifying peace and prosperity, instead of the traditional standing

pose. Goddess holds a sugarcane bow and bunch of five flowers in the lower two

of her arms and has a pasha (lasso), an ankusha (goad) in her upper two arms.

There is also a parrot perched near the flower bunch. There are no other Goddess

temples in the city of Kanchipuram, apart from this temple, which is unusual in a

traditional city that has hundreds of traditional temples. There are various legends

that account for this fact.

According to a local legend, Adi Shankaracharya established the Sri Chakra

in this Kamakshi Devi temple in the trough-like structure in that shrine.

As per Hindu scriptures, Kamakshi Amman is considered in line with

Meenakshi at Madurai and Visalakshi at Varanasi. Kamakshi is the only Shakti

shrine centered across all Shiva temples in Kanchipuram which do not have

separate shrines for Amman. Kamakshi is worshipped thus as Parabrahma

Swaroopini. She is none other than Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari herself. This can

be further supported in tantric texts such as Tripura Rahasya, Bahvrucha

Upanishad and most importantly, Brahmanda Purana which discusses how Lalitha

Devi resides in Kamakoti Peetha in Kanchi.

Ancient as it is, the sacred abode is rooted in the beliefs of civilisations gone

by. With its prominent artistic gopurams and the mythology surrounding its

origins, the Kamakshi Amman temple creates an enigmatic aura that draws in not

just ardent devotees, but also curious travellers from all over the world. Unlike

other holy places in Southern India, this temple is well-maintained and kept clean,

providing a pleasant atmosphere for prayer and worship.

Indian religious literature is wrought with stories of devotion and sacrifice

by the Gods and Goddesses of primeval times, and the narratives surrounding the

Kamakshi temple are no different. As per Hindu legend, it is believed that the
Goddess Kamakshi made a Shivalingam (a small statue of the universal Lord

Shiva) out of sand, and worshipped it for several years under a mango tree.

Impressed by her piety, the all-powerful Lord Shiva agreed to marry her, forming

one of the greatest alliances in Hindu mythology.

The Goddess is said to be ferocious, It was not until the saint Adi

Shankaracharya placed a Chakra before her to pacify her energy, and bring forth

Shanti Swaroopini, her kind, gentle-hearted nature. During worship, offerings are

first made to the Sri Chakra and then to the main deity. It is only when the deity's

sculpture is taken out for processions during festivals that she embodies her more

intense manifestation again.

Architecture

The temple occupies an area of 5 acres (2.0 ha). The sanctum houses the

image of Kamakshi in seated posture and is flanked by the trinity of Shiva, Vishnu

and Brahma. There are smaller shrines of Bangaru Kamakshi, Adi Shankara and

Maha Saraswathi around the sanctum. The picture provides a glimpse view of

Temple Pond and Gaja Shed. Everyday the temple rituals start with Go Pooja and

Gaja Pooja. There is a separate shed with Elephants, which performs pooja to the

deity by trumpeting every day early morning 5.AM. In front of the Grabagraha
there is a Gayatri Mandapam to the right of the shire we can see the deities arupa

lakshmi, swaropa lakshmi. The temple is maintained and administered by the

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of

Tamil Nadu. The Devi in Adi Kamakshi temple which is close by the present

Kamakshi temple, is called by various names like Kirtimati, Devagarbha in extant

Tantric works like Tantrachudamani. She has four hands containing in each of

them respectively, Ankusa, Pasa, Abhaya and a Kapala. This description

corresponds to those extant old tantric works.

The magnificent temple has a multi-layered structure spread over an area of

5 acres. Its entrance is marked with a signature gopuram, a towering structure that

is decorated with murals of ancient Gods and Goddesses. The tiny sculptures are

carefully shaped to depict stories surrounding the deity inside the temple. This

style is symbolic of the Dravidian architecture commonly found in the temples of

Southern India.

In the courtyard, one is greeted by the gold-embellished Vimanam (spire)

that houses the statue of the deity. To see the deity, one can enter from one of the

four sides of the spire, each with its own entrance. Inside the sanctum, the Goddess

sits in Padmasana, a Yogic posture that resembles the form of a lotus and is

assumed when in the state of meditation. She holds a sugarcane bow in her upper
left arm, a parrot in her upper right arm, along with the divine chakras of Pasa and

Angura in her lower arms.

The main shrine is flanked by various religious structures, such as the

hundred-pillared hall and a sanctuary for elephants that offer worship to the

Goddess by trumpeting every morning at 5:00. There are several other smaller

shrines surrounding the sanctum. A large tranquil pond adds serenity and peace to

the environment, completing the outer prakaram or boundary of the spiritual

destination.

Festivals

Four worship services are offered each day. The annual festival falls in

Spring, in the Tamil month of Masi, which runs from mid-February to mid-March.

During this time the chariot festival (Ther) and float festival, (Theppam) are held.

Other festivals include Navaratri, Aadi and Aippasi Pooram, Sankara Jayanthi and

Vasanta Utsavam in the Tamil month of Vaikasi. All Fridays are considered

sacred, though the Fridays in the Tamil months of Adi (mid-July to mid-August)

and Thai (mid-January to mid-February).

According to the Tamil Hindu calendar, the month of 'Maasi' - generally

from February to March - is considered auspicious for worshipping Lord Shiva. An

Specifically, on the 7th day of this month, the Goddess Kamakshi is taken out of

the sanctum for a procession, seated in a silver chariot. Other major festivals such

as Navratri, Rath Yatra, Sankara Jayanti, Aadi, and Aippasi Pooram are also

celebrated with equal enthusiasm.

Kamakshi as Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari

Shri Lalita Parabhattarika presides over the Kamakoshtha in five forms:

Shri Kamakshi Para Bhattarika – Sri Kamakshi is the mula devata of the

Kamakoti Peetha seated in the centre of the inner sanctorum of the shrine in

Kanchipuram known as the Gayatri mantapam. According to kamakshi rahasya,

this mandapa was built by the celestials with the four walls representing the four

Vedas and the twenty-four pillars representing the twenty-four syllables of the

sacred formula of gayatri. Shrividya Parameshvari, who forms the inner core of the

prakata gayatri and thus called rahasya gayatrI, is enshrined at the centre of the

gayatri mandapam as Shri Kamakshi. She is seated on pancha brahmasana and

sports in her four hands pasha, ankusha, iskhu kodanda and pushpa bana. Paramba

is seated in yonyasana and faces southeast. When tormented by asuras led by

Bhandasura, devas are said to have performed a penance to appease the Supreme
Shakti in the form of parrots, residing on champaka vrkshas at Kanchi. Pleased

with their penance, Paramba is said to have appeared from her residence in

Mahameru or Bilakasha through the bila dvara and destroyed the demons. The shri

vigraha of Paramba has been described as representing her three forms: sthula

(Dhyana yogya, Savayava), Sukshma (mantra and yantratmaka) and Karana or

Vasanatmaka. It is also said that Lord Mahadeva himself worshipped paramba in

the four yugas assuming the forms of sages krodha bhattaraka, parashurama,

dhaumya and Adi shankara bhagavatpada (and muka shankara, believed to be an

incarnation of krodha bhattaraka). The bila dvara leading to bilakasha can be seen

today in front of the tapomagna kamakshI sannidhi inside the garbhagrha. It is also

said that bhagavan rudra assumed the form of durvasas on her emergence from the

bilakasha and first worshipped her through the modalities of shrividya tantra by

consecrating a shrichakra here. He is thus the sampradaya guru of shrividya and

the credit for crystallizing paramba at Kanchipuram as Gurumurtisvarupini

(Charyanandanatha-para bhattarika mithunatmika) goes to this great seer. The

forms of vashinyadi Vagdevatas can be seen around the Shrichakra in their same

positions as in Shripura. A shrine dedicated to hayagrIva and agastya can be seen

in the third prakara of the temple, at the location where the teaching of Lalita

Trishati was imparted.[4]

mula devata and close to the bila dvara. Separated from mahadeva, uma appeared

first as annapurna in Kashi and then following the advice of sage Katyayana,

appeared in Kanchi to worship Ekamranatha under the mango tree in rudrakoshtha

and married him.

Anjana Kamakshi – Also known as Arupa , her shrine is situated to the left

of the mula devata, facing the north and in front of saubhagya ganapati. Rama is

said to have performed a penance to regain her lost beauty in this place and due to

the grace of paramba, kumkuma offerings of mula devata is offered to her here

before being accepted by the devotees. While she represents Rama in her form as

rama-bija, she represents Kamakshi in the form of Kamakalakshara that is inherent

in the rama bIja.

Svarna Kamakshi – The shrine of this deity, also known as Bangaru

Kamakshi is situated in the second prakara. It is said that this form was created by

Shrividya parameshvari from her third eye to serve as the shakti of ekamranatha

named ekambika. The original idol that appeared from the third-eye of paramba is

seen today in Tanjore, which was transported to Tanjore to protect the idol from

Muslim attacks by Kamakshidasa, an ancestor of Shri Shyama Shastrigal.

brought out during processions, is located in the second prakara. The idol is

accompanied on either side by idols of Sharada and Rama. While the devatas

generally are accompanied by their male/female consorts in most cases, on account

of Kamakshi being Shiva-shaktyatmika, there is no shrine devoted to Shiva here.

Sri Lalitambika, who appeared from Chidagni for the destruction of Bhandasura,

was presented to the world by Brahma with the special name – Sri Kamakshi.

Thus, ‘Kamakshi’ is the special epithet of the primordial Parashakti Sri Lalita. As

she brings joy to the mind of Sri Kameshwara, she is referred to as ‘Sri Lalita’.

Durvasa Maharishi

The shrine situated in front of Sri Kamakshi’s Garbha Grham is of Sage

Durvasas, also known as Krodha Bhattaraka. There are thirty-two chief upasakas

of Devi like manu, chandra, kubera etc. Among these, Kamaraja, Lopamudra and

Durvasa are the chief upasakas. Durvasa pranita vidya is called Sadi vidya.

Durvasa represents the power of sattvika krodha of Amba, used to protect and

correct her devotees, and thus her limitless kriya shakti. It is Sri Durvasa who

established the Kamakoti Peetha by consecrating a Bhu-Prastara Srichakra in front

of Amba. He composed Lalita Stavaratna, also called Arya dwisahti, describing the
Srinagara. He also composed Traipura Mahimna Stotra, a complete mantra shastra

in itself and also the Para Shambhu Mahimna Stotra. Due to a curse by Saraswati,

he was born as a deaf and dumb brahmana and was graced by Sri Kamakshi with

Anugraha Diksha

Misconception of Raudra Swaroopa

Another popular belief is about Adi Shankara pacifying the Raudra Swarupa

of Kamakshi. Sri Kamakshi is Purna Brahma Swarupini and she did not attain

Raudra. The shrine in the temple premises, referred to as Adi Kamakshi, is actually

Kalikamba. It is possible that this deity was pacified by Adi Acharya.

The Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple as a Shakti Peeth

The ancient story of Daksha yaga and Sati's self-immolation is the main

theme in the origin of Shakti Peethas.

Shakti Peethas are divine temples of Adiparashakti. The cause of the

presence of Devi's presence is due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati

Devi. The naval part of Sati Devi's body is believed to have fallen here. There are

51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. There are also arguments
that the old Kanchi temple is the Shakti peetha, where Sankaracharya has installed

the Shri Chakra.

Tirukkalvanur

In the shrine of Kamakshi Amman close to the sanctum, the Tirukalavanur

Divya Desam, the temples dedicated to Vishnu in his form of Varaha glorified by

the 7th-10th century alwars (Tamil saint poets) is present. The temple faced west

went to ruins and the deity is now placed inside the Kamakshi Amman temple.

There are shrines over the vimana