At Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, Mother Goddess Shakti appears as Goddess Kamakshi. She is worshipped here as an incarnation of Goddess Parashakti. Her story is associated with her wish to marry Lord Shiva.
Legend has it that Goddess Kamakshi came to Kanchipuram and sat under the shade of a mango tree. Here she offered prayers to a Shivling made of sand.
Through her austerities and devotion she was able to please Shiva who promised to marry her.
Goddess Kamakshi sits in padmasana posture in Kanchipuram. It said that Goddess Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati reside in her eyes.
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Five Trees in the garden of Indra
Did You know?
- Kamakshi Devi of Kanchipuram is one of the Dasa Mahavidyas. She is considered as the Tripura Sundari form part of Dasa Mahavidyas.
- Near the door of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple there exists the Kamakoti Yantra or Sri Chakram. The Sri Chakram has the images of eight forms of Goddess Lakshmi.
- The eight goddesses are Adya Lakshmi, Vidya Lakshmi, Santan Lakshmi, Saubhagya Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi, Dhyana Lakshmi, Vidya Lakshmi and Vijaya Lakshmi.
- The temple also has murtis of Goddess Annapurna and Goddess Sharada.
- There are no shrines to Goddess Shakti in any of the temples dedicated to Shiva in Kanchipuram. Kamakshi is considered to be wholly present in Kanchipuram as the only Shakti Shrine.
- In the sanctum sanctorum, Goddess Kamakshi is enshrined in a seated posture and is known as Parabrahma Swarupini, seated with Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Eshwara and sada Shiva.
- It is believed that in its pure form Kamakshi was a fierce Goddess, Adi Shankaracharya established the Sri Chakra and converted her into a peaceful Goddess.
- The Kamakshi Temple is so distinguished by its glorious presence that all the other temples of that city face towards it as if in supplication for the endowment of Mother Goddess.
Five Trees in the garden of Indra