Pancha Bhoota Stalas ( THE FIVE LINGAS, TEMPLES OF FIVE ELEMENTS )

The Pancha Bhoota temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Pancha mean five and Bhoota means elements. The five basic elements are earth (dharti), water (neer), fire (agni), air (vayu) and sky (aakash). These set of five temples are considered to be of great importance in south India. According to hindu mythology the five Shiva lingas in these temples represent the five elements.

The first temple is Ekambareshwar temple. It is located in Kanchipuram in the state of Tamil Nadu. This temple signifies the element earth. The presiding deity here is Shiva who is worshipped here as Ekambareshwar. The Shivlinga here is known as Prithvi Lingam.

The second temple is Jambukeshwar temple which is in Tiruvanaika. The shiva linga here signifies the element water. This ancient temple is dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Jambukeshwar and goddess Parvati is worshipped here as Akhilandeshwari.

The third temple is Annamalaiyar which is in the town of Tiruvannamalai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The shiva linga here represents the element fire. It is believed that Lord Shiva appeared here in his ardhanarishwar form to bless his devotees.

The fourth temple is Srikalahasti temple which is situated in Chitoor district of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The shivalinga here represents the element air. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Srikalahastishwar and goddess Parvati is worshipped here as Gnanaprasunambika.

The fifth temple is Chidambaram which is in the town of Chidambaram in the state of Tamil Nadu. Lord Shiva here is in the form of the cosmic dancer Nataraj. This temple is dedicated to both Lord Shiva and Vishnu. The shivalinga here represents the  element sky.

These five temples were built by people of highest spiritual accomplishment.

Not only is Kalahasti, Kanchipuram & Chidambram in a straight line and longitude  but Kalahasti, Tiruvanaikoil and Tiruvannamalai are also on a straight line.

All five temples joined together form an isosceles triangle with the distance from Kalahasti to Tiruvanamalai equal to distance from Kalahasti to Chidambaram.

Tiruvanamalai dissects the distance between Kalahasti to Tiruvanaikoil. ie, it is in the exact middle of Kalahasti to Tiruvanaikoil.

Note that Kanchi Ekambareshwar temple is also one thirds distance between Kalahasti and Chidambaram.

Tradition says Seekers should visit these in natural order, ie Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space – namely Kanchi, Tiruvanaikoil, Tiruvanamalai, Kalahasti and Chidambaram.

Interestingly, the most significant point of this triangle is the where most holy shrine of them all, Chidambaram, is constructed.

Drawing a line from this point connects temples in Kanchi & Kalahasti.


Drawing a line from here to Tiruvannamalai bisects the line between Kalahasti and Tiruvanaikoil!!!!!

As we can see, the three of the pancha bhuta sthalas, Kanchipuram, Kalahasthi and Chidambaram are in same longitude.

SriKalahasti temple – A flickering lamp in the shows the play of wind

Tiruvanaikka temple – the water spring in the innermost sanctum shows the temple’s relationship to the element water

Tiruvannamalai – the annual Kartikai Deepam festival where a giant lamp is lighted atop the  manifestation as fire

Kanchipuram – the swayambhu lingam of sand shows the temple’s association with the earth

Chidambaram – the formless space shows the association of the Supreme being with formlessness or nothingness

The temples are magnificent in nature and they were built when there was no machinery. The temples construction took many generations that some people spent their whole lives in building one temple. The process of building temples meant so much to the kings and the people.