ABOUT

The Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple in the village of Chettikulam in Perambalur District, Tamil Nadu, in southern India. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The Thai Poosam festival celebrated in January is an important event for Hindus. The temple is famous for its Kubera sculpture showing the Lord of Wealth on His Fish vehicle, installed in 12 places in the temple to represent the 12 signs of the zodiac. When viewed from an elevated position, it is said that the idols combined together looks like the OHM letter shape. According to Vedic scholars from Tiruvannamalai, no temple in India has such Kubera installations. People come to the temple to worship Kubera for wealth.In earlier days, the place was a forest of Kadamba trees. In legend, a trader on his way had to stay here at a night. About midnight, he saw a fire ball splitting light, in the midst of which was a Shivalinga being worshipped by Devas and Rishis. The trader informed the Chola king of what he saw. The Chola king rushed to the spot, along with Kulasekhara Pandiyan, who was his guest then. They saw an old man walking there with a red sugarcane as his walking stick. He showed the king the place where the Shivalinga was hiding and disappeared in the form of a fire ball. When they looked in an easterly direction where the old man disappeared, they saw Lord Dhandayuthapani on a hill. In ecstasy, the kings built a temple for Lord Ekambareswara and a temple for Lord Dhandayuthapani, according to the history of the place.