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Mango Tree at Ekambaranathar Temple at Kanchipuram – The Story of the Mango Tree at Kanchipuram Ekambaranathar Temple

Ekambaranathar Temple at Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu is famous for a mango tree which is more than 3500 years old. Symbolically the four branches of the mango tree represent the four Vedas. ‘Ek’ means one and Amra means ‘mango’ – Shiva is Ekambaranathar here. The story of the Mango tree is associated with the deep devotion of Goddess Parvati.


Legend has it that Goddess Parvati created a Shivling using sand under a mango tree on the banks of Vegavathy River. Shiva tried numerous methods to test the strength of the devotion of Goddess Parvati and each time her devotion won.

Once the Vegavathy River rose flooding the banks, to protect the Shivling Goddess Parvati hugged it tightly. She thus saved the Shivling. Touched by her devotion, Shiva appeared and married her under the mango tree.

A unique aspect is that the Mango Tree yields four different types of mangos – sweet, bitter, spicy and citric.