Kanchipuram Temple Trip

Location : 70 kms from Chennai
Area : 11.6 Sq. Kms
Attractions : Kanchipuram temples
Ideal Time to Visit : September to May

¤ Kanchipuram, The City of Temples

One of the most sacred sites in India, Kanchipuram is the seat of the Shankaracharya. The city is situated around 70 kms from Chennai in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kanchipuram was the capital city of the early Chola kings in the 2nd century BC and a Pallava capital between the 6th and 8th centuries.

Known as the city of thousand temples, it is one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centers for the Hindus. Kanchi has about 126 temples remaining in total and a few more in its outskirts.

Besides its temples, Kanchipuram is also known for its growing hand loom industry. This beautiful small city has many silk weavers residing here from more than 400 years ago. This has made it the best the producer of some of the finest silk sarees in the country. The Kanchipuram silk sarees are exotic pieces of art, woven from pure mulberry silk. Available in a variety of designs, these sarees have blazing colours and are decorated with fine gold thread (zari).

¤ History

The ancient city of temples, Kanchipuram, is one of the most important centers of Hindu religion. It is also one of the most picture perfect towns. It is considered one of India's seven sacred cities and the second holiest city after Varanasi.

It was once the capital city of the Pallavas, Cholas, and the Vijayanagar rulers. Many of the temples situated here are built by the Pallavas and later Cholas.

A few Buddhist stupas remining here indicate the presence of Buddhism in earlier centuaries. The Kanchi Kamakotti Peetham situated here is one of the four seats of Sri Adi Shankaracharya (a great Hindu sage). It has been a center of Tamil learning and culture for centuries and presents the glorious Dravidian heritage of the Vaishnavites (worshippers of Vishnu) and Shaivites (worshippers of Shiva).


¤ Attractions At Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram is a scared pilgrimage with many beautiful temples, the holy town is one of the holiest places in India. The temples found here are grand and majestic. They are very popular among devotees, who flock this temple in huge numbers. Some of the most important temples here are the Ekambaranathar Temple, built by the Pallavas and later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijayanagar kings, that makes excellent trip to Kanchipuram. This temple owns 11 stories and one of the tallest temple towers in South India. It is beautifully decorated with sculptures. Another sacred temple here is the Vaikunta Perumal Temple which dates back to the 8th century. It was built by Nandivarma Pallava. There are scenes from battle carved on the panels encircling the main parikrama of this Vaishnavite temple. These scenes depict the bravory of Pallava kings. Anothere temple, the Varadaraja Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is worshipped as Devarajaswamy here. This temple has a 100-pillared hall, built by the Vijayanagar kings presenting the skillfulness of their artists.

Other important temples of the region are the Kailasanathar Temple and the Kamakshi Amman Temple. The Kailasanathar Temple was constructed by the Pallava kings in the 8th century AD. It has a captivating panel portraying Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in the midst of one of their many dance competitions. The architecture of this temple resembles the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram. At the same time the Kamakshi Amman Temple has a grand structure, dedicated to goddess Parvati in her incarnation as Kamakshi, the goddess of Love.


¤ Excursions

Kanchipuram extends its sacredness and beauty to its nearby areas also. Thus, offering a number of excursion trip options. Some of these are Tiruttani near Kanchipuram, one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya, situated on a hilltop. The temple has 365 steps, leading to the hill, these steps represent the days of the year. Another important trip is to the Sriperumbudur, situated about 29 kms from Chennai on the way to Kanchipuram. It is the birthplace of Saint Ramanujar, the father of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy of Vaishnavism and hence an important pilgrim center for the Vaishnavites.

One of the most vital places around Kanchipuram is the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary sitauted about 60 km from Kanchi. On your bird sighting trip to Kanchipuram, one can find many migratory birds like the sandpiper, white ibis, spoonbill, swan and gray wagtail etc. Definitely, a worth visiting place. Another destination around Kanchi is the Elagiri Hill. This hill is a detached and a popular picnic spot in the Eastern Ghats situated at a height of about 1000 m. The healthy climate, natural beauty and a Murugan temple makes it a must visit place.


¤ Fairs & Festivals

Kanchipuram, the city of temples celebrates fairs and festivals all round the year. Some important festivals include the Brahmothsavam, Garudothsavam, and Car (rath) festivals, celebrated in the months of January, April, and May respectively.


¤ Reach Kanchipuram

By Air : Chennai (75 kms) is the nearest airport from Kanchipuram. One can take flights for most of the important Indian cities and for abroad from Chennai.

By Rail : Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore.

By Road : Kanchipuram is 75 kms away from Chennai and is well connected by a good network of roads.

Local Transportation : Tourists interested in visiting the temples can rent bicycles or use cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.