Ekambareshvara Temple

Kanchipuram

Ekambareshvara Temple, the largest in Kanchipuram, dates mostly from the 16th-17th centuries. The tall (60m, or 180 feet high) gopura, shown here, straddles the south entrance to the temple enclosure. It was erected in 1509 by king Krishnadeva Raya of Vijayanagara. The entrance leads to a large mandapa. North of the mandapa is a tank; west of the mandapa is the main shrine which contains the earth lingam.

Kanchipuram is a pilgrimage city. A former Pallava capital (7th - 9th century), it is filled with temples dating from the 8th - 17th centuries.