What are the Pancha Bhoota Stalam? Five Shiva temples, one for each element: Ekambareswarar at Kanchipuram (earth), Jambukeswarar at Thiruvanaikaval (water), Arunachaleswarar at Tiruvannamalai (fire), Srikalahasteeswara at Srikalahasti (air) and Thillai Nataraja at Chidambaram (space).
The 5 temples
| Element | Temple | Place | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | Ekambareswarar | Kanchipuram | Tamil Nadu |
| Water | Jambukeswarar | Thiruvanaikaval | Tamil Nadu |
| Fire | Arunachaleswarar | Tiruvannamalai | Tamil Nadu |
| Air | Srikalahasteeswara | Srikalahasti | Andhra Pradesh |
| Space | Thillai Nataraja | Chidambaram | Tamil Nadu |
Srikalahasti is also the temple many families visit for Rahu-Ketu rites.
Timings and rules change through the year, so check with the temple before you travel.
Sources
- Tevaram, the Tamil Shaiva hymns that praise these temples.
If you can’t travel
A pandit can perform the same abhishekam of Shiva in your home.
Questions devotees ask us
What does Pancha Bhoota mean?
The five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) that tradition says make up the world, each worshipped here as a form of Shiva.
Which temple is for the fire element?
Arunachaleswarar at Tiruvannamalai, where Shiva is worshipped as a column of fire.