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INTRODUCTION
The golden town of Kanchipuram is
one of the seven sacred cities in India. Easily
visited. It lies 71 Km from Chennai. An erstwhile
capital of the Pallavas and Cholas, the town is dotted
with the soaring spires of a thousand temples. A seat
of learning and a centre of culture since early times,
it was at Kanchipuram, that Adi Shankracharya set up
his Kamakotipeetam.
Notable among its many temples is
the imposing Ekambareswarar temple, a Saivaite shrine,
where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of 'Prithvi'
(earth). The temple is famed for its thousand pillared
hall. Dedicated to goddess Parvati is the Sri Kamakshi
Amman Temple. Its ornately carved wooden chariot
carrying the icon of the deity, is taken out in
procession on the ninth lunar day in February - March.
The Sri Vaikunta Perumal Temple, is one of the holy
Vishnu shrines here. Numerous inscriptions and battle
scenes portrayed in bas-relief, embellish the
structure.
The Kailasanathar temple, built in
the 8th century Ad, by the Pallavas, is an excellent
example of early Dravidian architecture. The
Devarajaswamy Temple or the Varadaraja Temple is
another impressive edifice. The shrine here is built on
an elephant shaped rock, Hastagiri. In its thousand
pillared hall is a huge ornamental chain carved out of
a single piece of stone.
Kanchipuram is famous for its hand
woven skills and the timeless appeal of its vibrantly
coloured saries make them prized possessions.
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General Section
