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Kanchipuram Travel Guide
Kanchipuram, the Golden City of a thousand temples, and one of the seven sacred cities of India, is 71 km from Madras. It was, successively, the capital of the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Rayas of Vijayanagar. During the 6th and 7th centuries, some of the best temples in the city were built by the Pallavas.

The city was also a great seat of learning. Sri Sankaracharya, Appar, Siruthonder and the great Budddhist Bhikku lived, and worked here. Today, it is known not only for its temples, but also for its handwoven silk fabrics.
Given its illustrious past, it is not surprising that Kanchi was a major seat of Tamil learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Jains and Hindus. Today, apart from its temples, this small town is also known for its thriving handloom industry.

The silk weavers of Kanchi settled more than 400 years ago and have given it an enviable reputation as the producer of the best silk sarees in the country. Woven from pure mulberry silk, the sarees in dazzling colours are embellished with fine gold thread (zari) and are available in every imaginable design and variety, which can make the job of selection quite challenging.

Temple festivals are held throughout the year and apart from the temple car (ratha) festivals which are held in January, April and May, there are other days when the idols in the temples are taken out in procession on their respective vahanas or vehicles.

Temples of kanchipuram:

Sri Ekambareswara Temple

The most famous Siva temple at Kanchipuram is the Ekambareswara temple where he is worshipped in the form of Earth Linga and its 11 storey structure temple tower which is adorned with beautiful sculptures is one of the tallest temple tower in south india.

The sthalapurana says that when Lord Siva was deeply immersed in the task of creating, protecting and destroying the Universe, Parvati, his consort, in a jocular mood, closed his eyes.This resulted in staying the process of creation and destruction as well as obstruction to the natural law of things. It was a serious matter and Siva became angry and cursed Parvati to go to the Earth and expiate her misdeed.accordingly Parvati came to the banks of the river Kampa under a single mango tree at Kanchi and made a Shivalinga out of sand and worshipped it.


To test her sincerity Siva placed various obstacles and hindrances in the way of Parvati's penance. But with the help of Vishnu she could tide over all the difficulties. At last Siva hurled a deluge by taking out the Ganges from his matted hair, to wash away the Linga worshipped by Parvati. She clasped it with all veneration to her breasts and this pleased Siva who took her again as his consort. The temple is said to have been built at the spot where the lord forgave her. In the month of Phalguni on the 10th day of Uttiram the marriage of Siva and Parvati is celebrated with great pomp and splendor.

The ancient mango tree in the courtyard is worshipped by all even today with great veneration. It has got four branches representing the four Vedas. Each branch bears fruit with a different taste and the leaves are also different in appearance. It is a popular belief that if a childless woman takes the fruit of the tree she is blessed with children. In the prakaram round the mango tree is a lingam. Which is a composite of 108 small lingams and another one of 1008 small lingams. There are idols of the 63 Nayanmars also. There are two tanks in the temple, Kampa Nadi and Sivaganga.

There is a Vishnu shrine in the Siva temple and the name of the Vishnu is Nilatingal Tundattan. The temple has silver and gold-plated vahanams of considerable value. Originally built by the Pallavas, this large Siva temple was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijaynagara kings. Here, Lord Siva is worshipped as Earth or Prithivi, which is one of the five elements. The dimensions of this temple are reflected in its 20 - acre spread and its tall south gopuram which soars to a height of 58.5m.

Sri Kailasanathar Temple

Dedicated to siva ,the Kailasanathar Temple was built by the Pallava ruler Rajasimha Pallava, and was completed by his son, Mahendra Varma Pallava. Rajasimha Pallava ruled Kanchi during the period from 685 A.D. to 705 A.D.This temple is unique in its architecture.

It was constructed mostly of limestone. The walls and vimaanam of this temple are filled with great sculptures, and paintings. There are 58 small shrines situated around the main shrine. Paintings of Fresco-style adorn the inner walls of the shrines.It has an attractive panel depicting Shiva and Parvathi in the midst of one of their innumerable dance competitions. It is the only temple at Kanchipuram which is not cluttered with the more recent additions of the cholas and vijayanagar rulers.Fragments of the eigth century murals which once graced the alcoves are a visible remainder of how magnificent the temple must have looked when it was first built.


The locals believe that this temple served as a shelter for the king during wars. The architecture of the temple appears to confirm the belief. The remnants of an escape tunnel built by the kings is displayed with pride, even now. Once in a year, the temple is visited en-mass by the local people on the evening of the Maha-Sivaraathri. At that time, there could be hours of waiting in long queues. However, it is a Hindu faith that it is auspicious to visit this temple on the night of Sivaraathri.

The temple lies away from the commotion of the city, in a rustic suburb. It is under the maintenance of the Department of Archeology, Government of India. There isn't much of a security problem. Tourists are allowed to freely photograph the sculpures in and outside the temple, with the exception of the Sanctum and the main Deity.

Kanchipuram Travel Information

Area : 11.6 Sq. Kms (4.5 sq. miles)

Population : 130,926 (1981 census)

Altitude : Sea level



Climate : Summer - Max : 36.6°C- Min : 21.1°C
Winter Max : 28.7°C - Min : 19.8°C

Rainfall : 87cms (35") Average

Season : Throughout the year

Clothing : Tropical

Languages Spoken : Tamil, Telegu and English.