51 Shakthi Sthalam/Shakthi Peedam !! Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram !!


Jai Sriman Narayana !!
 
 
Jai Ambey Ma !!
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Sri Kamashi  Amman Temple /Sathyavratha Kshetra/ Nabhisthana-Odiyana Peedam is one of the 51 Shakthi Sthalam/Shakthi Peedam located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.  The grandeur of Goddess Sri Kamakshi were described in Markandeya Puranam (Devi Mahathmyam), Brahmanda Puranam (Lalithopakhyanam), Skandha Puranam (Sanathkumara Samhitha) and Kanchi puranam.  Goddess Sri Kamakshi is the embodiment of Tri Shakthis, which are Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi, Goddess Sri Saraswathy & Goddess Sri Parvati.

 

 

Presiding deity – Goddess Sri Kamakshi

 

 

Worshipped by – Deities & Sages, Adi Sankara, Mooka Kavi Shankara

 

 

Sri Adi Sankara arrived on this sacred temple and realized Goddess Sri Kamakshi in her fierce form; he installed a Sri Chakra to bring back her composed state.  The daily rituals are performed to Sri Chakra and the idol of Goddess as well.

 

Mooka Kavi Shankara was deaf and dumb by birth.  He worshipped Goddess Sri Kamashi and attained eternal wisdom.  He marvelously narrated the loveliness of Goddess in his composition Mookapanchashathi.  It explains the head to toe splendor of Goddess Sri Kamakshi into five chapters – Arya Sathakam, Sthuthi Sathakam, Kataksha Sathakam, Mandhasmitha Sathakam and Padharavindha Sathakam.

 

Sage Durvassa, Sage Parasara, Dhaumya Rishi and Mooka Kavi Sankara were praised Goddess Sri Kamakshi with their glorious verses in all four Yugas.

 

 

Theertham – Pancha Theertham

 

 

Sthalavruksham – Kanchi Vruksham

 

 

Sannidhis – Kalabhairavar, Mahishasura Mardhini, Lord Ganesha, Lord Ayyappa, Goddess Saraswathy, Aroopalakshmi, Goddess Annapoorni, Sri Adi Sankara, Varahi, Kalvar Perumal, Roopalakshmi (Soundarya Lakshmi), Ardhanareeshwara, Swarna Kamakshi, Lord Subramanya, Lord Kasi Vishwanatha, Goddess Durga,

 

 

Festivals – Navaratri, Brahmostavam, Pournami

 

 

 

There many interesting legends associated with this temple.  Goddess Sri Parvati arrived on this sacred land and sanctified a Linga made out of sand.  She worshipped Lord Shiva and re-united with him.

 

The demon Bandasura underwent severe penance praying to Lord Brahma.   Lord Brahma was pleased at the devotion of Bandasura and offered him several boons.  After obtaining boons, Bandasura started to harass deities and rishis.  All the deities appealed to Lord Shiva to save them from the atrocities of Bandasura.  Lord Shiva advised the deities to pray to Goddess Sri Bala Tripurasundari, who is capable to get rid of the demon.  All the deities travelled through Bilamarga and arrived at Kanchi, they underwent severe austerities praying to Goddess Sri Kamakshi.  Goddess was pleased at the devotion of deities and transformed herself into a ferocious form of Bala Tripurasundari and beheaded the demon.   It was joyous moment for all the deities, they were afraid to step forward to Goddess as she was in her furious form.  As per the advice of Goddess, Bandasura was buried and a Gayatri Mandapa was built on top of it with a Ratna Simhasana.  In this temple Goddess Sri Kamakshi can be seen in seated posture blessing her devotees with her wide beautiful lotus like eyes.

 

The legend has that there was a time the Mount Himalaya and its surroundings were under the abstract control of the demons.  They harassed the life of deities and sages, they all appealed to Lord Vishnu.   As instructed by Lord Vishnu, all the spiritual energies of the deities turned into a flame and as desired by the deities and Sages Goddess Sri Sati was rose from the flame and she was brought up by Daksha Prajapathi.  Later, she married to Lord Shiva against the will of her father.

 

A Grand Yagna was conducted by Dakshaprajapathi ended in disaster, his own daughter Goddess Sri Sati had to sacrifice her life in the sacrificial fire. This catastrophic incident brought trepidation amongst the deities. Inconsolable Lord Shiva carried the lifeless body of Goddess Sri Sati and wandered on the Earth for several years. The functions of Trinities to protect the Universe were shattered. All the deities were frightened about the terrible consequences and appealed to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu’ dice chopped off the lifeless body of Goddess Sri Sati into several parts to diffuse the grief of Lord Shiva and each part fell into the different parts of the Earth. The places where the body parts of Goddess Sri Sati fallen on the Earth were turned into ‘Shakthi Sthal/Shakthi Peedam’.

 

This is the sacred place where Nabisthanam of Goddess Sri Sati fell on the Earth and became one of the prominent Shakthisthalm/Shakthipeeadam of Goddess Sri Parvati.

 

 

This temple remains open from 5.30 AM to 12.30 PM in the morning and 4.30 PM to 9.00 PM in the evenings.




Jai Ambey Ma !!
 
 
 
 
 
Jai Sriman Narayana !!

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