Tourist Attractions : The Ekambaranathar Temple, The Vaikunta Perumal Temple, The Varadaraja Temple, The Kailasanathar Temple, The Kamakshi Amman Temple.
Best Buys : Kanchipuram Silk Sarees, local handloom products.
Best Hangouts : The Temples
Best Activity : Visiting the temples
Nearby Tourist Destinations : Chennai, Pondicherry, Mamallapuram.
When to Visit : September to May
About Kanchipuram
Situated in the northern part of Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram is the city of thousand temples and one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centres for the Hindus. Even today, there remains about 126 temples in Kanchi and a few more in its outskirts. The city was the capital of the early Cholas as far back as the 2nd century BC and a Pallava capital between the 6th and 8th centuries.Given its notable past, it is not surprising that Kanchi was a major seat of Tamil learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Kanchipuram templeJains and Hindus. Today, apart from its temples, the small town of Kanchipuram is also renown for its growing handloom industry and lovely silk sarees.
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.
Kailasanatha Temple
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).
Major Tourist Attractions in Kanchipuram
The Ekambaranathar Temple
The Ekambaranathar Temple in the city was built by the Pallavas and was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijayanagar kings. Lord Shiva is worshiped here as Prithvi (earth), one of the five basic elements of the physical world. The dimensions of the temple are reflected in its 20-acre spread and its tall south Gopuram, which soars to a height of 58.5 m. The temple has 11 stories and one of the tallest temple towers in South India. The structure is decorated with beautiful sculptures.
The Vaikunta Perumal Temple
The Vaikunta Perumal Temple was established in the 8th century AD by Nandivarma Pallava. There are beautiful carvings of battle scenes depicting Pallava valour on the panels surrounding the main parikrama of this Vaishnavite temple.
The Varadaraja Temple
The Varadaraja Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu who is worshipped as Devarajaswamy here. This temple, which has a 100-pillared hall, was built by the Vijayanagar kings and displays the mastery of their artists.
The Kailasanathar Temple
The Kailasanathar Temple was erected in the 8th century AD by the Pallava kings and has an attractive panel depicting Shiva and Parvati in the midst of one of their innumerable dance competitions. The architecture of this temple is very similar to the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram.
The Kamakshi Amman Temple
The Kamakshi Amman Temple has an imposing structure and is dedicated to goddess Parvati in her incarnation as Kamakshi, the goddess of Love.
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.
Getting There
Air : Chennai is the nearest airport to Kanchipuram. One can take flights for most of the important Indian cities and important cities abroad from Chennai.
Rail : Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore.
Road : Kanchipuram is 75 km away from Chennai and is well connected by a network of roads. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.
No comments:
Post a Comment