CHENNAI: The ancient and famous Kamakshi Amman temple in Kanchipuram is one of the Shakti Pithams (centres of Shakti worship) in India. This is the only temple in Kanchipuram which has a goddess exclusively enshrined in the principal sanctum. Goddess Kamakshi is seated in padmasana with four hands holding the rope (pasa), elephant goad (ankusa), a sugarcane bow (bana) and a bunch of five flowers as arrows (pushpa bana).In front of the sanctum is the Sri Chakra installed by the famous Advaita preceptor, Adi Sankaracharya. It is said that Goddess Kamakshi was a ferocious deity and after the consecration of the Sri Chakra, She became benign (sowmya).The Bilaakasha in the main sanctum is very sacred as it is believed that Goddess Kamakshi came out of this Bilaakasha to slay demons. Sundaramurti, one of the famous Nayanmars,who lived in the 8th Century AD, refers to this temple as Kamakottam.
An important deity enshrined here is Adi Varaha Perumal (Vishnu), also known as Kalvar, which is one of the one hundred and eight Divya Desams as it has been praised in the Tamil hymns (pasurams) of Thirumangai Azhvar (one of the twelve Azhvars or important Vishnu devotees). Worshipped in the famous Gayatri Mandapam are Goddesses Varahi, Rupalakshmi, Arupalakshmi and Ardhanarishwara. The pillar worshipped as Santhana-stambham near the Kamakshi Amman shrine, is connected to the story of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya, who is said to have prayed to Goddess Kamakshi for progeny.
Adi Sankaracharya was closely connected with this temple and his image is enshrined in a separate sanctum. Sankara Jayanti (the birth anniversary of Adi Shankara), in the Tamil month of Chittirai, is celebrated annually here. Other important deities are Utsava-Kamakshi, Bangaru-Kamakshi and Kasi Vishwanatha. The Navaratri Mandapam and the Vasanta Mandapam deserve special mention.
The sacred tank is called Pancha Ganga Tirtham and nearbyis a unique vertically aligned triple-sanctum shrine with Vishnu in the standing, seated and reclining poses. Closeby is sanctum for eight-armed Durga. Navaratri; the annual festival (Brahmotsavam) and Pournami or full moon of every month are among the many festivals celebrated in this temple.
Numerous inscriptions have been discovered here, the earliest dated 708 AD belonging to the reign of Narasimhavarman II Pallava. Later inscriptions include those of Chola Emperors like Rajaraja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I and a very large number of Vijayanagara epigraphs.