Kamakshi Amman Temple

The Kamakshi Amman Temple lies in Kanchipuram, south-west of Chennai, and is dedicated to Kamakshi, a supreme form of the goddess Adi Shakti. The Pallava kings founded the shrine between the fifth and eighth centuries, and it is counted among the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas; its Varaha shrine is also honoured by Tamil Vaishnavas.

The goddess is seated in the lotus pose holding a noose, goad, sugarcane bow and flower arrow, with a Sri Yantra before her that tradition credits to Adi Shankara. The temple was enlarged in the 1300s and 1600s.

After the fall of Vijayanagara in 1565 the golden image of Kamakshi was carried from place to place for safety, and kept at Tiruvarur from 1739 to 1781. It was finally installed in a rebuilt Kanchipuram temple in 1783, under the care of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.