Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Temple

The ancient temple was mostly built in the 6th century by one of the Pallava kings, in the then capital of their empire, Kancheepuram. The ancient Kamakshi Devi shrine:The old shrine of Kamakshi Devi can be found close to Kumarakottam. It is also located a close distance from the temple of Goddess Kamakshi. A renowned 8th century scholar and sage, by the name of Adi Shankaracharya constructed Sri Chakra in the old temple inside the manger-like construction inside the temple, which went on to hold prime significance.The Acharya transformed the violent way of devotion into a rather sombre one. The idol of the Goddess in this temple possesses four hands and in every hand she holds an Ankusa, a pasa, an abhaya, a kapala. The representation of the Goddess has a close similarity to the description of the Goddess in the ancient tantric texts. Sundaramurthi Nayanar, a saint belonging to the Saiva sect belonging to the twelfth century, knew of 'Kamakottam' and he stated that it came into existence during that time in one of his works. The Modern Kamakshi Devi shrine:The modern Kamakshi devi shrine possesses the Sri Chakra that was erected in the sixteenth century. There is an epitaph made of stone inside the modern day temple, near it, which talks about the same. A legend pertaining to the modern day temple acknowledges 'Bangaru Kamakshi' as 'Dharmadevi'. She is the metal doppelganger of the illustration of Dharmadevi, that is composed of stone which is, today situated at Thiruparuthikunram after it was displaced from the modern day Kamakshi Devi temple following which the Tara Devi shrine of the Jains was converted into the Hindu tradition of Sakta became stronger.