Pancha Bhoota Sthalam: 5 elements Shiva temples

Pancha Bhoota Sthalam are the five Shiva temples where the Universal Consciousness manifests as the five elements of nature – earth (Prithvi), water (Jal), fire (Agni), air (Vayu), and ether (Akasha).

Four of these temples are in Tamil Nadu and one is in Andhra Pradesh. After completing the yatra of all 12 Jyotirlingas and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, my next calling was a pilgrimage to these five ancient temples. It was a sacred journey of self-discovery that made me feel complete in the most profound ways.

Srikalahasteeswarar Temple (Sri Kalahasti)

My journey started with Srikalahasteeswarar Temple (Sri Kalahasti) in Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh. About a 45-minute drive from Tirupati at Sri Kalahasti, Shiva manifests as the Vayu Lingam. Vayu (air) is the life force (prana) that sustains all beings. A pilgrimage to Sri Kalahasti reminds us that Shiva lives in vayu (prana) as the life-giver of all creation. Vayu Lingam is revered here as the breath of Shiva. The lamp in the innermost sanctum always flickers without any wind.

Also known as the ‘Kailasa of the South’, the site of the temple against the backdrop of a hill with gigantic white statues of Shiva and Parvati is a wonderful sight to behold. It is located on the banks of the scenic Swarnamukhi River.

There was a lot of crowd, but my tour operator had arranged for a special darshan, which enabled me to reach the inner precincts of the temple quickly. The lingam is tall and cylindrical, unlike any lingam I had seen before. Despite the crowd, I felt for a moment I was alone beholding with my eyes the unusual form of my lord. The surroundings throbbed with a mystical energy that is difficult to explain.

After having darshan of the Vayu Lingam, all pilgrims have darshan of other deities within the temple complex – Goddess Gnana Prasunambika Devi, Ganesha, Kartikeya with his wives, Bhairava and the Navagrahas. All through the year, in fact, the temple attracts people from far and near for the Rahu-Ketu puja.

Ekambareswarar Temple

The drive from Tirupati to Kanchipuram (110 km) is about two and a half hours. En route is the must visit Tiruttani Murugan Temple, at a distance of 67 km from Tirupati – this temple is among the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan.

Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is a vast complex with multiple gates (gopurams) and ample parking facilities. The temple itself is a sight to behold with beautiful carvings and sculptures. Maa Parvati created the clay lingam and worshipped it here. As we made our way through the long queue of devotees to have a darshan of Lord Shiva’s Prithvi Lingam, representing the earth element, our eyes were mesmerised by the intricately carved pillars of the ancient temple. Both the general darshan and special darshan (Rs 50) lines are long; the latter gives a closer access to the dazzling garbhagriha.

Not to be missed within the temple complex are the Sahasra Lingam (1008 Shiv lingas) and the 3500-year-old mango tree. The temple tank itself is huge and has a mandapam.

Not too far away from the Ekambareswarar Temple is the Kamakshi Amman Temple. However, temples here are closed from about 12 pm to 4 pm, so all pilgrims must factor in the time as darshan queues are long at both places.

Arunachaleswarar Temple

On the auspicious evening of Magh Masik Shivratri, when we reached Arunachaleswarar Temple in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, we were delighted to know that the temple will be open the whole night. There was a huge crowd at the special darshan line (INR 50), where we had to wait for more than two hours before being let inside. Crossing many inner courtyards, serpentine lines and what looked like endless queues, when we reached near the garbhagriha, the resplendent sight of Mahadev as Agni Lingam reignited a new spirit in my heart.

Located at the base of the sacred Arunachala Hill, Arunachalesvara / Annamalaiyar Temple is where Annamalaiyar (Shiva) resides as Agni Lingam … the fire element … with Unnamulai Amman (Goddess Parvati), the Agni Yoni.

The vast temple complex, which dates back more than 1300 years, has many shrines, and it is not easy to navigate one’s way inside. The towering gopurams were a spectacle to behold in the muted light of the evening hours.

Many devotees do the sacred circumambulation of Arunachala Hill, which is regarded as a living embodiment of Shiva. Known as Girivalam, the circumambulation path around the hill covers about 14 km, and it takes most people around five hours to complete the walk, mostly done on Purnima (full moon night). Those unable to do this sacred trek on foot often take an auto and are able to complete it more quickly, stopping at the eight Ashta Lingam temples along the way.

Thillai Nataraja Temple

We started early the next morning from Thiruvannamalai with a prayer in our hearts, hoping for a miracle that we would not encounter too many crowds at the next Pancha Bhoota temple – the Thillai Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram. After a drive of almost two and a half hours, when we walked in through one of the majestic gopurams of the temple, we realised that in his infinite kindness, Mahadev had heard our prayers. Despite it being a Sunday, there was hardly any crowd at the temple. We were able to comfortably have the repeated darshan of the cosmic dancer Nataraja, representing the space element (Akasha).

The temple is an architectural marvel, and is believed to represent the human body – the roof with 21,600 tiles (the number of breaths a human being takes in a day), and the 72,000 nails corresponding with the number of subtle energy channels within a body. Also, like a human body, the temple has nine gopurams (entrance gates).

Located adjacent to the main shrine of Shiva engaged in his dance of bliss is the shrine of Govindaraja Perumal, the massive reclining statue of Vishnu. Considered as one of the 108 Divya Desams (sacred Vishnu temples), it gives a unique opportunity to pilgrims to worship Shiva and Vishnu together.

The pilgrimage, however, cannot be complete without visiting the Sri Sivagami Amman Temple within the vast 40-acre temple complex. Dedicated to Maa Parvati, it is an important place of Shakti worship. The beautiful dark vigrah of the Universal Mother was mesmerising and powerful, and I could feel profoundly peaceful and happy as I made my way out, carrying with me a lifetime of memories.

Jambukeswarar Temple

Jambukeswarar Temple in Thiruvanaikaval (Tiruchirapalli) was the last Pancha Bhoota temple on this sacred journey. The temple is believed to be about 1800 years old. Its architectural highlights are the intricately carved gopurams and majestic pillared halls.

Dedicated to the element of water, it is not surprising that the self-manifested lingam here is partially submerged, with a perennial spring constantly flowing under the sanctum sanctorum. I could constantly hear the sound of a running stream as I made my way to the garbhagriha, which had a very narrow opening. Inside, there was just enough space for five-six people, and the panditji was kind enough to allow us blessings of the sacred aarti.

For pilgrims, darshan of Lord Shiva as Jambukeswarar (Appu Lingam) is incomplete without seeking the blessings of his divine consort, Goddess Parvati as Akilandeswari.

Jambukeswarar Temple is located not too far away from a key Vaishnavite shrine – the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, one of the 108 holy temples of Lord Vishnu. Here also, early morning or afternoon hours are the best time to visit to avoid the massive crowd of pilgrims.

Important info:

How to reach: We drove down from Tirupati (for Srikalahasti) to Kanchipuram (110 km), Thiruvannamalai (118 km), Chidambaram (159 km), Kumbakonam (71 km), and Tiruchirapalli (95 km).

Accommodation:

Tirupati : Lemon Tree Premier

Thiruvannamalai: Hotel Himalayaa

Kumbakonam: Cholaa Dynasty

Tiruchirapalli: Hotel Blossoms

Tour operator: Hindu Devayala Yatra (Phone: +91 7995996555)

(Sudipta is an energy healer and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories, ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’,’ Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)