Ona Kantheeswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Ona Kantheeswarar Temple, or Onakanthali, stands in Panjupettai, about 1 km south-west of the Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram. Shiva is worshipped as Ona Kantheeswarar and Parvati as Kamakshi, and Sundarar praised the deity in the Tevaram, making it a Paadal Petra Sthalam. Legend says two asuras, Onan and Kanthan, found a lingam in the forest and became devoted to Shiva, joined later by a third, Jalandeeswaran; the temple's three Shiva shrines, named Onakantheeswarar, Salantheeswarar and Jalandeeswarar, are held to be the ones they built.

Sundarar is said to have recovered one of the eyes he lost at Ekambanathar here, and when he followed Shiva towards a tamarind tree singing his praise, Shiva turned the tamarind leaves to gold and showered them on him. The small temple has a single prakaram of about 80 sq m and a three-tier east-facing rajagopuram, with its shrines on a raised structure; the main lingam is believed to be self-manifested.