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The Ultimate Source of Information on Indian Temples

Temples of Tamilnadu
Temples of Kerala
Temples of Karnataka
Temples of Andhra
Pradesh

Temples of Orissa
Temples of Central India
Temples of Maharashtra
Temples of Western India
Temples of the Himalayas
Temples of the Gangetic Plains
Temples of North Eastern India
Temples of Bengal


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Pancha Bhuta Stalams
Temples of Tamilnadu

Five ancient temples in South India enshrine Shiva as the manifestation of the five basic elements of wind, water, fire, earth and space respectively. The origin of each of these five temples is buried in antiquity. Although not conceived of and built at the same time, there is a tremendous extent of similarity between these temples. All of these five temples are widely visited centers of worship and are repositories of ancient worship traditions.

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Chidambaram in Tamilnadu enshrines Shiva in the form of Nataraja and in the form of the formless element space - Akasham.   Sree Kalahasti in Andhra Pradesh is where the manifestation of Shiva  in the form of the element air is celebrated.
Tiruvannamalai in Tamilnadu is an ancient center of Shiva worship. The Annamalai hill is symbolically regarded as a tall column of fire or the Tejolingam. Tiruvanaikkaval or Jambukeswaram near Tiruchirappalli is where the ancient temple holding Shiva in reverence as a personification of the element water is located. Kanchipuram near Chennai in Tamilnadu is home to the Ekamreswarar temple enshrining Shiva as a prithvilingam symbolizing the element earth.