Kanchipuram
Ancient
Kanchipuram, the city of thousand temples, is one of the seven most sacred
pilgrim centres for the Hindus. There now remain 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.
Temples in kanchipuram are torchbearers of the glorious heritage of the
Kanchipuram District and are repositories of the magnificient art forms that
evolved over several centuries.
Sri Ekambareswara Temple: The most famous Siva temple at Kanchi is the
Ekambareswara temple. 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: Kailasnathar temple is built by Rajasimha of
the pallava dynasty during 'the first quarter of the eighth century. The
temple is built of red sandstone and has innumerable carvings of Pallava
art, of which the Urdhva Tandava dance of Siva and the laughing face of
Parvati are worth seeing. The architecture of this temple resembles the
Shore Temple at Mamallapuram.
Sri Vardaraja Perumal Temple: The centre of attraction in Vishnu Kanchi
is the temple of varadarajaswamy situated on the top of Hastigiri or
Elephant Hill.The Vijayanagar kings constructed this temple. The whole
temple covers an area of about 23 acres. The sculptural beauty of the
pillars is amazing. Ornamental rings carved out of single stone at the Four
Corners of the mandapam in the form of a chain are a delightful spectacle.
Sri Kamakshiamman Temple: Kanchi is sacred as one of the three Sakti
peethas of India. Kamakshi is said to be the Supergoddess, Parasakti, having
Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati as her eyes. She blesses all that dedicate
themselves to her. The sanctum sanctorum faces southeast in the centre of
Gayatri Mandapam. The tradition says that there was a delightful grove of
Champaka trees around the main temple now known as Gayatri Mandaparn.
Sri Ulagalandar Temple: This vaishnava Temple was bulit in chola period
.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.
Sri Vaikunda Perumal Temple: This temple is built by The Pallava ruler,
Nandivarman in the seventh century AD.Sri Vaikunda Perumal temple is famous
for its architecture. The Lord is in the sitting posture. The Goddess is
known as Sri Vaikunthavalli Tayar. It has great sculptures and inscription
which speak of its history and the history of the city itself. Its inner
walls are decorated with lion shaped pillars.
Sri Kacchapaeswarar Temple: 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 a Sanskrit word for
"Turtle".hence the name "Kacchapa Eswarar Temple".
Sri Vijayaraghava Perumal Temple: This temple of Vijayaraghava Perumal
is one of the 108 Divyadesams where Lord Rama is said to have performed the
funeral rites for Jatayu, the giant bird which valiantly fought to prevent
Ravana from abducting Sita, the wife of Lord Rama to Lanka.
Jain Temples at Tirupparuthikkundram: Kanchipuram is an important
landmark in the history of the Jains. Many of the Pallava kings belonged to
Jainism.The temples of the Jaina Tirthankaras were built in the Ninth
Century A.D. The temples contain several fresco paintings and a grand image
of Bhagwan Mahaveer.
Sri Subramaniya Swami Temple: Subramaniya swami temple was built around
1915. For Hindus on a pilgrimage trip, this temple is a mandatory place to
visit. It gains its significance due to its location. The way this temple is
located in the city is a rare phenomenon mentioned in Hindu scriptures. It
is called the "Soma Skandha" Posture.
