Kanchipuram was the capital of the
Pallavas rulers from the 1st to 9th centuries. It was also important during the
Chola,
Vijayanagar, and
Nayaka
periods. It is an ancient place. It was mentioned in the Mahabhasya,
written by Patanjali in the 2nd century BC. The term "nagareshu Kanchi"
in the above verse attributed the famous
Sanskrit poet,
Kalidasa, means that
Kanchi was the best amongst the cities of medieval
India.
[10]
Kanchipuram is one of the oldest cities in
South India, and was a city of learning for
Tamil,
Sanskrit, and
Pali. It was believed to be visited by
Xuanzang (Huan Tsang) also known as Yuan Chwang. It was during the reign of
Pallava
dynasty, from the 4th to the 9th centuries that Kanchipuram attained
its limelight. The city served as the Pallava capital, and many of the
known temples were built during their reign. The founder of Zen
Buddhism,
Bodhidharma is said to have been born here, as was the famous Sanskrit writer
Dandin who wrote
Dashakumaracharita. The Sanskrit poet
Bharavi hailed from Kanchi and wrote the famous
Kiratarjuniya here under the patronage of the Pallava king
Simhavishnu. Great Buddhist scholars such as
Dignaga,
Buddhaghosa, and
Dhammapala lived here too.
The king of
Kanchi,
Pallava Mahendravarman I was a great scholar and musician, a man of great intelligence and also a great Sanskrit satirist and playwright.
Xuanzang,
the great Chinese traveler, visited the city in the 7th century and
said that this city was 6 miles in circumference and that its people
were famous for bravery and piety as well as for their love of justice
and veneration for learning. He further recorded that
Buddha had visited the place.
As regards learning, Kanchi stood second in glory only to
Banaras.
The history of Kanchi can be traced back to several centuries before
the advent of the Christian era. The place finds its name in
Patanjali's
Mahabhashya written in the 2nd century BCE
Manimekalai, the famous Tamil classic, and
Perumpanatru Padai, a great Tamil poetical work, vividly describe the city as it was at the beginning of the Christian era.
Pattupattu, belonging to the
sangam literature, records that the king
Thondaiman Ilandirayan ruled the town around 2,500 years ago.
From the 3rd to the 9th century, Kanchi was the capital of the Pallavas who ruled over the territory extending from the
river Krishna in the north to the river
Kaveri
in the south. The Pallavas fortified the city with ramparts, moats,
etc., with wide and well laid out roads and fine temples. They were a
great maritime power with contacts with far-off China, Siam, Fiji, etc.,
through their chief port
Mahabalipuram. The
Cholas ruled the city from the 10th to the 13th century. Kings of
Vijayanagara dynasty
ruled from the 14th to the 17th century. The temple tower, 192 feet
high in the Ekamabaranadhar Temple and the 100-pillar mandabam in the
Varadaraja Perumal Temple are famous for the architectural techniques of
Vijayanagara dynasty.
Muslim Rulers and Architecture
Kanchipuram was ruled by the Nawab of Arcot in early 1700 AD, many
Mosques and Islamic Shrines are here which were built by the Nawabs.
There are nine mosques in Kanchipuram. Nawab Sathathullah Khan Mosque
and Vaikunda Perumal Temple are situated very close.
Both the mosque and the temple share the same tank. It shows the
communal harmony in Tamil Nadu and especially in Kanchipuram. The Hameed
owliya dargah was also constructed by the Nawab and is a great work of
architecture.
British Rule
Kanchi was a major seat of
Tamil and
Sanskrit learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists,
Jains and Hindus. Once the seat of learning and religious fervour started its climb down from the
Mughal
invasions followed by three centuries of colonial rule under the
British. Kanchipuram has over one hundred temples today, but it is said
to have had over 1,000 temples at its prime.
Prominent People from Kanchipuram
Bodhidharma (520 CE), who went to
China to spread
Buddhism, is said to be from Kanchipuram.
Based on a specific pronunciation of the Chinese characters 香至 as Kang-zhi, "meaning fragrance extreme",
Tstuomu Kambe identifies 香至 to be Kanchipuram, an old capital town in the state Tamil-Nadu. According to Tstuomu Kambe:
"Kanchi means 'a radiant jewel' or 'a luxury belt with jewels',
and puram means a town or a state in the sense of earlier times. Thus,
it is understood that the '香至-Kingdom' corresponds to the old capital
'Kanchipuram'."
Bodhidharma stayed at the
Shaolin Monastery and preached Buddhist ideologies. At that time he supposedly trained the monks in the art of
Varmakkalai.
However, historians have proven that he had no historical connection to martial arts.
Annadurai
Economy of Kanchipuram
Being near the large industrial estates of Sriperumbudur, the face of
the town has changed in recent years. Real estate has picked up well.
Traditional industries such as silk saris and pilgrim visitors are still
making significant contributions to the local economy.
Kanchi silk sarees
Silk Sari Weaving at Kanchipuram
Today, apart from its temples, this small town is also known for its thriving
hand loom industry. Kanchipuram town is also known as
Silk City since the main profession of the people living in and around is
weaving silk sarees, more than 50,000 families are engaged in this industry.
| Silk Industry |
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| The temple city of Kanchipuram is
also the silk city of India. The sarees manufactured here are famous
across the globe. The glamour of the Kanchipuram silk sarees in its
colour contrasts. Temple borders, checks, stripes and floral "buttas"
are traditional designs you will find in a Kanchipuram sarees. In a
genuine Kanchipuram sarees, the border, body and border are woven
separately and then interlocked together. The joint is woven so strongly
that even if the sarees tears, the border will not detach. |
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Kanchipuram has more than thousands of handlooms
and skilled weavers that make its silk sarees one of the best in the
entire world. About 75% of Kanchipuram's population is dependent on the
Silk Sarees industry, either directly or indirectly.
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The Kanchipuram does not manufacture Silk or any other
raw material that goes into its silk sarees. The Silk industry is
entirely made up of Handloom weavers and merchants. The raw materials
that make go into the making of these wonderful sarees in Kanchipuram.
The major raw materials are mulberry silk thread and metallic thread
(Zari) and dye. The mulberry silk thread comes from the neighboring
state of Karnataka, the metallic thread which is interwoven with the
silk to give the metallic look comes from Gujarat, and none of the dyes
are manufactured in Kanchipuram itself. But all these materials are
brought here, and the skilled artisans weave these sarees on handlooms,
each sarees becoming a unique hand-made work of art.
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Temples in Kanchipuram
| Kailasanathar Temple |
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| The Kailasanathar Temple is
one of the oldest temples and it was constructed by the Pallava kings in
the 8th century AD. It also contains numerous panels showing lord Siva
as Nataraja in various postures. The architecture of this temple
resembles the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram.The temple is built of red
sandstone and has innumerable carvings of Pallva art, of which the
Urdhva Thandava dance of Siva and the laughing face of Parvathi are
worth seeing.
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| The Kamakshi Amman Temple is
one of the three holy places of Sakthi worship in India, The temple has
an imposing structure and is dedicated to goddess Parvati in her
incarnation as Kamakshi, the goddess of Love. The temple in the present
form was built by the Cholas during 14th centuary A.D. The Kamakshi
Amman temple is the hub of all religious activities in Kanchipuram. The
temple is also in closer control of the Sankara Mutt.
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| Kamakshi Amman Temple |
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| Ekambaranathar Temple |
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| The Ekambareswarar Temple is
one of the famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The 57 metres
(188") high Rajagopuram is one of the tallest towers in South India
which was built by the Vijayanagar King, Krishnadevaraya. The temple
covers an area of over 40 acres. The temple's inner walls are decorated
with an array of 1,008 Siva lingams.The sthala-virutcham is a 3,500 year
old mango tree whose branches give four different types of mangoes.
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| The Vaikunta Perumal Temple
is built by the Pallava ruler, Nandivarman in the 7th century AD. It is
dedicated to Lord Vishnu and its inner walls are decorated with lion
shaped pillars. Inside the temple the presiding deity (Lord Vishnu) is
shown in the sitting, standing and reclining postures.
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| Vaikuntaperumal Temple |
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| Varadarajar Perumal Temple |
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| The Varadaraja Temple is one
of the important shrines of Sri Vaishnavites, also known as
"Hastigiri".The main deity here is Varadaraja Perumal in a standing
posture facing west and the Lord here is also known as "Devaraja",
"Pranatharthihara", "Deva Perumal", "Athiyooran" and "Perarulalan".
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| The Kumara Kottam Temple is
located in between the Kamakshi and Ekambareshwar temples in the
Somaskanda formation in the town of Kanchipuram.
In the sanctum, Muruga is in a seated pose. Valli, Deivayani are absent
here, but their festival idols are kept here. In accordance with the
function of Creation he has assumed, his right arm is in Abaya pose, the
upper hand holds the rosary, and the lower left arm is on the thigh in
Katyavailambita pose with the left arm holding the Kamandalam. The
posture is also called "Brahma Chattam".
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| Kumara Kottam Temple |
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| Ulagalandha Perumal Temple |
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| The Ulahalanda Perumal Temple
was bulit in chola period and its situated about half a kilometer from
the centre of the town near Kamakshi Amman temple is one of the oldest
temples in Kanchipuram. The main deity of this temple is 35 feet high
and 24 feet wide posing with one foot on earth and the other on the sky.
This form is called Trivikrama.This temple is one of the 108 Divya
Desam's of Lord Vishnu.
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| The Kacchapa Eswarar Temple
was built by Pallava Dynasty. In this temple, siva appears as being
worshipped by vishnu in the form of turtle (kurmemerali). "Kacchapam" is
Sanskrit for "Turtle". Hindu mythology suggests that the main deity in
this temple (Lord Shiva) was worshipped by Lord Vishnu in the form of a
Turtle.
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| kacchapaeswarar Temple |
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Tourist Spots around Kanchipuram District:
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| Anna Memorial |
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| Kanchipuram is the birth place of
Dr. C.N. Annadurai, the scholar statesman, affectionately called Anna by
the general public. The former and Late Chief Minister of Tamilnadu,
Arignar Annadurai house located in Kanchipuram and It has been converted
into a memorial. This house is located at No.54, C.N.A. Street,
Kanchipuram-631502.
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| Rajiv Gandhi Memorial is located in
Sriperumbudur which is 29 km away from Kanchipuam (On the way to Chennai
from Kanchipuram). The former prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi was
assassinated here on May 21, 1991. A memorial was built on this spot.
There are no holidays for this memorial. The visiting hour is between 10
AM and 6 PM.The Sriperumbudur is the birth place of Saint Ramanujar,
the Father of Visishtadvaida philosophy of Vaishnavism and hence an
important pilgrim centre for the Vaishnavites.
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| Rajiv Gandhi Memorial |
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| Arignar Anna Zoological Park |
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| This zoological park is located in
Vandalore which is 35 km away from Kanchipuam. It covers a land area of
1,265-acre, the biggest in South India, has, among other species, a good
collection of tropical birds, mammals, and reptiles. It was in the year
1855 the first Zoo in India was established in Chennai, later on in
1979 shifted to this 510 ha sprawling complex. The Natural environment
in this zoological park helps the animals to move around freely without
any disturbance. Vehicles operated through batteries are run to go
around the park. Tuesdays are holidays.
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| It is one of the major Water Bird
Sanctuaries in India. It is 48 Km away from Kanchipuram. . The season
for birds which migrated from other countries is during the months from
October to March. The variety of birds includes Herons, Darters,
Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White Ibis and Cormorants, Blue winged
teals and Swans.
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| Vedanthangal (Birds | Sanctuary) |
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| Mahabalipuram is located on the
Coromandel Coast facing the Bay of Bengal.The most famous and
magnificent monument here is the Shore Temple. This temple looks
absolutely mesmerizing when lit by moonlight.Special about
mahabalipuram, cut caves, temples made from a single rock, temples and
strives of different structures, and bas-reliefs which are so artistic
and sheer creativity.
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