File:Ekambareswarar Temple Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu - lingam row 1.jpg

English: An important Shiva pilgrimage site and a Chola-era temple. It celebrates the legends associated with engagement and then marriage of Parvati and Shiva.

The dating of the temple is in dispute, with local tradition attributing it to ancient times of early Cholas, particularly king Karikal Cholan – neither of which is supported by the physical or epigraphical evidence. The temple shows evidence of rebuilding, restorations and expansions, styles, inscriptions in scripts that changed over the centuries. This is likely a temple that was first built in the second half of the 1st-millennium CE, expanded into the current form around the 10th or 11th-century. One of the inscriptions is from central Indian Kakatiya era (Warangal, Telangana). The script and correct listing of Kakatiya rulers confirms the fame of this temple among kings and Hindu pilgrims living some 1000 kilometer away from this temple site in the medieval times.

The temple is famous for its 1000 pillar mandapam (hall with walkway) with intricate carvings and paintings. This mandapam has served as a rest area for pilgrims from far places and for religious poem recitals, a tradition that continues in the modern era. The poetic heritage of this temple is also evidenced by the historical link of this temple with Shiva bhakti Nayanar saints.

The temple features a famous mango tree, considered a sign of fertility and festivity. Some temple staff and a temple sign board claim that it is 3,500 years old. However, others Hindus dispute this as myth and state that the tree has been replanted over its history.

The temple is active, an important festival and pilgrimage site for Hindus.