Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Kanchipuram Temples Part II

Our second temple visited was the Ekambareeshwar Temple. There has been a short delay as we sorted out which temple we visited first and have made our edits.
The entry to the temple was via a massive gate. Rather than build new temples rulers often added to the old and built new entry gates, always higher than the old. You ended up with multiple entry towers.


                                                            The temple was magnificent.


                            The buildings have survived the centuries.


                              The ladies preparing the flowers are always worth a photo..or two


The temple tank also looks good in a photo. The reflections hide the sludge and pollution.


People sitting around in the temple. In the past they could sleep overnight.


                               A Lingam. Male and female phallus. Too complex to explain here!


                                                  Robert with a line of lingam.

Today was a special holy day and the temple was adorned with lots of small oil lamps. There were corridors of lights and special designs.


                                          You could feel the heat from the little ghee lamps.



                                                             Inside the temple.


In the courtyard you can see the entry gate and the temple. It has a mango tree that was 3,500 years old but it died a few years ago. It has been replaced. The old one bore fruits of four different flavours each season. Not sure what special qualities the new one will have.


These nine figures represent the nine planets. Astrology plays a very important place in Hindu religion and Indian lives. The planets are a little different from ours and include Sun, Moon, Mars and Saturn.


                                         Every good temple should have an elephant!




                      

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