Ekambareswarar Temple - Aminjikarai, Chennai

Aminjikarai is an old locality situated on the banks of the river Cooum in Chennai city. It was initially called Amaindakarai. Shenoy Nagar and the famous Anna Nagar were part of Aminjikarai once.

In a lane near the Lakshmi bus stop in Aminjikarai, the twin temples of Ekambareswarar and Prasanna Varadaraja Perumal are located. There are many twin temples across Chennai, such as T Nagar, Koyambedu and Tambaram. Similarly, Aminjikarai also has twin temples, but they are less popular than the other twin temples of Chennai. As Ekambareswarar and Varadarajar temples are located in the same locality, like Kanchipuram, some call Aminjikarai North Kanchipuram.

This article focuses only on Ekambareswarar temple among these two temples.

As per historian Sri. Muthiah, this temple is hardly 150 years old. However, as per the temple authorities, this temple was built by Sri. Sengalvarayar Mudaliar from the Poonamallee Kondai Kati Vellalar family in the 1650s or 1660s. As per them, Prasanna Varadaraja Perumal temple was older than Ekambareswarar temple.

The temple has two entrances; the east side entrance has Raja gopuram; the west side entrance is used by many people as it would help them to visit the other temple in the opposite direction. Technically, both the temples are located in parallel lanes, and both of them face east direction.

The east-facing sanctum enshrines a small-sized Shiv Linga called Ekambareswara. The Goddess Kamakshi is found in a separate south-facing shrine.

There are two prakaras. The flag staff, bali pettha, and Nandi mandapa are found facing toward the sanctum.

Ganesh, Dakshinamurti, Vishnu, Brahma and Durga are found as Koshta deities.

In the inner prakara, the sub-shrines of Nataraja-Sivakami (utsava), Bhikshatanar (utsav) and Chandikeshwara are located. The icons of 63 Nayanmars, Bhairav and Surya are also found in the same prakara.

In the spacious outer prakara, the sub-shrines of Maha Ganapati, Shanmukha-Valli-Devasena, Somaskanda (utsava), Navagraha and the utsav murtis of Shanmukha-Valli-Devasena are found.

Happy travelling.