Anekathangaa Padeswarar temple, Kachchi Anekathangaapatham
Location
Kachchi Anekathangaapatham
Deity
Anekathangaa Patheeswarar
Female Deity
Kamakshi
Pathikam
Sundarar - 1
Gallery - Anekathangaa Padeswarar Temple
How to Reach
The temple is located at Pillaiyarpalayam, approximately 3 kilometres northwest of Kanchipuram. Visitors can reach the temple by taking the road leading to the Kailasanathar Temple via Putheri Street from Kanchipuram. A small lane situated beside a prominent school along this route provides direct access to the temple. Bus services are available from Kanchipuram, making the temple easily accessible to devotees. An important aspect to note is that the temple is open only between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM each morning, during which the daily pooja is conducted. As the temple receives relatively few visitors, it may remain closed outside these scheduled worship hours. Despite its limited opening time, the temple attracts devotees due to its unique spiritual significance, particularly the presence of a Shiva Lingam believed to have been consecrated by Vinayaka and the longstanding belief that prayers offered here help remove obstacles related to marriage and facilitate suitable alliances.
Temple Address
Pillaiyarpalayam
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram District
PIN – 631501
Temple Hours
Morning : 9:00 - 10:00
Nearby Paadal Petra Shiva Temples
Travel Tips
All the 'Paadal Petra' temples of Kanchipuram in Thondai Nadu are situated within a short distance of one another, making it possible for devotees to visit all five temples comfortably in a half-day pilgrimage. The yatra can begin early in the morning with darshan at Kachchi Anekathangaavatham and Tirukkachchi Mettrali, both of which are located within the Kanchipuram town limits. From there, proceed to Onakaanthanthali at Panjupettai. The pilgrimage may then be concluded with visits to Kachchi Ekambam (Arulmigu Ekambaranathar Temple), one of the most celebrated Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, and Kachchi Neri Kaaraikkadu, thereby completing the circuit of the 'Paadal Petra' temples of Kanchipuram.
Temple History
There are two temple bearing the name Anekathangaapatham—one situated near Gowrikund on the pilgrimage route to Haridwar and Kedarnath in North India, and the other located in Kanchipuram. To distinguish it from the northern shrine, the temple in Kanchipuram is traditionally referred to as Kachchi Anekathangaapatham. The name of the temple itself has an interesting origin. The word “Anekatham” is associated with an elephant, and according to temple tradition, Vinayaka, consecrated a Shiva Lingam at this sacred site and worshipped it with great devotion. In remembrance of this divine act, the shrine came to be known as Anekathangaapatham, making it one of the few temples whose name is directly linked to the worship of Shiva by Vinayaka.
Temple Architecture and Layout
This temple has two entrances: a northern gateway crowned with a modest gopuram and an eastern entrance. Both gateways lead into a spacious outer prakaram, creating a welcoming approach to the sacred precincts. Within the outer prakaram, the Nandi and Balipeetam are aligned with the eastern entrance, facing the main sanctum. The southern side houses the Thevara Moovar Sannidhi dedicated to Appar, Sundarar, and Gyana Sambandhar, while the south-western corner enshrines Vinayaka and the north-western corner contains the Subramanya Sannidhi. The main sanctum enshrines Anekathangaa Patheswarar in the form of a well-proportioned Shiva Lingam set upon a circular Avudayar. The sanctum walls feature beautifully sculpted goshta murthas, including Dakshinamurthy, Vinayaka, Brahma, and Goddess Durga, enhancing the temple’s spiritual and architectural significance.
Temple Significance
Anekathangaa Patheswarar is believed to have been worshipped by Kubera, the celestial treasurer of the gods. Temple tradition also associates this sacred shrine with an important episode in the life of Vinayaka, who is said to have received the divine blessing here to marry Vallabhai, the daughter of the demon king Keshi of Hiranyapura. According to the Kanchi Purana, worshipping Anekathangaa Patheswarar, who was revered by Vinayaka himself, frees devotees from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth and ultimately grants union with Shiva in the divine abode of Tirukailash. The temple is further sanctified by the hymns of Sundarar, whose Pathikam on this shrine is preserved in the 7th Tirumurai of the Thevaram canon.
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