I wanted to write this for long, but it slipped. When I visited Kanchi a month and half back, I visited Ekambaranathar temple. Though I have visited this temple quite a manytimes in the past, this time I noticed one thing, strikingly. Behind the lingam on the wall is a somaskandar sirpam.
Once Dr.Kkvn has stated that all Pallava temple will have a somaskandar behind the lingam, on the wall. Does that mean, the sanctum sancotorium of Ekambaranathar koil belongs to pallava period? The rest of the temple structure are surely later period. Can Kamal,Ram, Gokul et al throw light on this?
Yes. Ekambarar temple is definitely a pallava temple. Mahendra period. It is mentioned in Mahendra's religious satire drama 'Matthavilaasam'. More about this will follow in this month varalaaru.com as it is Mahendra sirappidhazh.
It is not 'all Pallava temples'. Kalaikkovan said 'all Rajasimma temples'. Because, Rajasimma only introduced the concept of Somaskandha. So, this ekambarar temple might have been renovated by Rajasimma and Somaskandha took place. As I haven't seen ekambarar temple yet, not sure about architecture style.
There is one more very interesting thing in ekambareswara temple
The linga is hugged by devi. Only other place that I know of which has this icon is the thirchattimutram. The moorthy is called "Thazhuvak kuzhaidavar"
Not sure if ekambara shrine is a paadal petra sthalam (Venkat - kindly help). But the nearby katchi mayanam is sung by appar.
Dr.Nagasamy writes that he recovered a pillar with birudda names of mahendra in this temple and took it to chennai museum. This is the only surviving evidence to prove that mahendra built structural temples. We do not have any others