lord Shiva

Pancha Bootha Temples

According to Hinduism, life and the various species originated by the combination of planetary globes and the five manifestations of nature namely air, water, fire, land and sky. In Sanskrit, Pancha means five and Bootha means elements. Hence "Pancha Bootha" means five elements of nature. The five elements are believed to be enshrined in the five lingams and each of the lingams representing Shiva in the temple have five distinct names based on the elements they represent. Out of the five temples, four temples are located in Tamil Nadu and one temple in Andhra Pradesh. The temples are

 
1. Kalahastheeswarar Temple, Kalahasthi Air
2. Jambukeswarar Temple, Tiruchirapalli Water
3. Arunachaleswarar Temple, Thiruvannamalai Fire
4. Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram Land
5. Chidambareswarar Temple, Chidambaram Sky