Defence
The Ekambareswarar Temple, the Pancha Bhoota Sthalam representing earth, is located at:
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Answer: Option B — Kanchipuram
Detailed Solution
The Ekambareswarar Temple is located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.
About the Ekambareswarar Temple:
- It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped as "Ekambareswarar" or "Ekambaranathar".
- It is one of the "Pancha Bhoota Sthalams", the five Shiva temples representing the five elements; here, Shiva is worshipped as "Prithvi Lingam" (the lingam of earth).
- The lingam is made of sand; therefore, it is not bathed with water (abhishekam), but only with jasmine oil.
According to legend, Goddess Parvati worshipped Shiva here by making a lingam of sand under a mango tree. When the Vegavathi river flooded, she embraced the lingam to protect it. Shiva, pleased, appeared and married her.
The temple's sacred mango tree ("sthala vriksha") is said to be about 3,500 years old (according to tradition). It is believed to bear fruits of four different tastes on its four branches, representing the four Vedas. The original old trunk is preserved, and a new tree has grown from it.
It is one of the largest temples in India, covering about 25 acres.
Its southern gateway tower ("Rajagopuram"), about 59 metres (192 feet) high with 11 storeys, is one of the tallest temple towers in India. It was built by the Vijayanagara king Krishnadeva Raya in the 16th century.
It has a "Thousand Pillar Hall" (Aayiram Kaal Mandapam), built by the Vijayanagara rulers.
The temple is praised in the "Tevaram" hymns of the Nayanar saints, and is one of the 275 "Paadal Petra Sthalams".
It was built and expanded over the centuries by the Pallavas, Cholas and Vijayanagara rulers.
The five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams:
- Earth: Ekambareswarar (Kanchipuram).
- Water: Jambukeswarar (Thiruvanaikaval, near Tiruchirappalli).
- Fire: Annamalaiyar (Tiruvannamalai).
- Air: Kalahasteeswara (Andhra Pradesh).
- Space (Akasha): Nataraja (Chidambaram).
Other important temples of Kanchipuram:
Kamakshi Amman Temple (Shakti), Varadharaja Perumal Temple (Vishnu), Kailasanathar Temple (Pallava) and Vaikuntha Perumal Temple.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Chidambaram has the Nataraja Temple (space).
- ✗Tiruvannamalai has the Annamalaiyar Temple (fire).
- ✗Thiruvanaikaval has the Jambukeswarar Temple (water).
Quick tip
Remember: Ekambareswarar Temple = Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu (Prithvi Lingam of sand, element earth; ancient mango tree; 59-metre gateway tower by Krishnadeva Raya); Chidambaram = space; Tiruvannamalai = fire; Thiruvanaikaval = water; Srikalahasti = air.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
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This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.