Kanchipuram temple town near Chennai

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Kanchipuram or Kancheepuram is a sacred temple town of India - the Kashi of the South. It is also well known for its famous weaving industry. Kanchi "pattu podavai" or pure silk sarees, and fine Kanchi cotton sarees and textiles are well known.

A mere 2 hour drive from Chennai, along the NH-4, enables a comfortable day trip with enough time to soak in the sights and / or worship, as well as to partake of the culinary delights of the Kanchipuram Saravana Bhavan on Gandhi Road!

For those on a pilgrimage visit, it may be preferable to stay in Kanchi itself. A wide selection of hotels are available at budget to mid range. In festival seasons, these should be booked well in advance.

Kanchipuram was the political capital of the Pallava emperors from the 7th - 9th centuries, and an important city in the succeeding Chola and Vijayanagara periods. Today, Kanchipuram is better known as a pilgrimage destination, and for the Dravidian architecture of its hundreds of temples.

Kanchi is broadly divided into two sections - Shiva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi. The Ekambaranathar Shiva temple is one of the five Panchabootha Sthalams representing the earth element. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams and among the 3 foremost Vishnu temples. The Kamakshi Amman Temple dedicated to the Mother Godess is a Shakthi Peetham.

The Kailasanathar temple is an architectural delight from the Pallava period. Uniquely, it is made of sand stone unlike the other temples which are made of granite.

There are several minor temples, equally ancient, scattered all over the city. These are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

I am creating separate entries for the temples we visited in September 2009.

Getting there: Car, taxi, public bus or train from Chennai. Auto rickshaw or bus locally in Kanchipuram if you do not have your own transport.

The state tourist department TTDC offers an economically priced day tour from Chennai, covering Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram, for those who are on a budget.

More details at http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/Places/citiestowns/Kanchipuram.aspx?CatId=010106P01