Kanchipuram Divya Desam Tour - Kanchi DivyaDesam Yatra

A beautiful city of Tamil Nadu which is often called as “Golden city of a thousand temples” and is located on the western bank of the Palar River in the southern state, Tamil Nadu. Kanchipuram, also known as Kanchi is proclaimed as one of the seven sacred cities in India and is greatly known for being a popular seat for culture and philosophy. The city is also reckoned for producing one of the finest qualities of silk in the world and is known for commercial values too apart from being a religious and cultural destination. You can buy the hand-woven silk at the whole rates in Kanchipuram. If you visit this elegant city you can spot the archaeological remains of various Jain Temples and Buddhist temples which were once known as the center of Buddhism in Southern India.

History

According to historical records, the city is believed to be more than a thousand years old. The historical records reveal that the city was once ruled by the Cholas and the Pandavas Dynasty. The city is believed to be developed around 2nd century BCE as an early capital of the Chola Dynasty. From 1361-1645, the city was ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire whose early inscriptions were found in the domain of Kailasanthar Temple and the Varadaraja Perumal Temple respectively.

How to Reach Kanchipuram

This enigmatic city of Tamil Nadu is connected well with other cities via rail, air, and road.

By Air- Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport to Kanchipuram which is located at a distance of 75 km from this commercial city.

By Rail- It has a railway station which is well frequented with trains. There are many passenger trains running from Kanchipuram Railway Station which goes to the suburb of Chengalpattu and some go to Tirupati which is a pilgrimage center. Trains coming from Mumbai to Madurai stop at Kanchipuram Railway Station twice a week. The most convenient and the best way to reach Kanchipuram is to reach Chennai Railway Station and then from there move by road.

By Bus- There are many inter-state and intrastate buses plying from the major cities of Tamil Nadu. From Koyambedu interstate bus terminal there are frequent buses just at an interval of 15 minutes. If you are coming from Bangalore then you can take any of the seven buses as the bus leaves from Bangalore seven times a day.

By Car- Located at a distance of 69 km from Chennai and 280 km from Bangalore respectively. It takes around one and a half hour to reach Kanchipuram from the outskirts of Chennai if you come by car via Chennai-Bangalore expressway and it takes around four and a half hour to reach from Bangalore.

Attractions of Kanchipuram

There are ample options to select when it comes to select the popular destinations in Kanchipuram. It has a wide range of sightseeing destinations in its platter to offer the tourists including the wide ranges of temples, wildlife sanctuaries, and the Kanchipuram fort. Being a city of ample temples reflecting the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is mostly known for its spiritualism.

Kamakshi Amman Temple

This ancient temple of Kanchipuram had been discovered before Adi Shankaracharya’s time (788-820 AD). The temple is known as the landmark of Kanchipuram. Kanchi Kamakshi is one of the major Amman (Shakti’s) other than Kasi Visalakshi, and Madurai Kamakshi. Besides being a city of temples, it doesn’t have any other traditional temple rather than Kanchi Kamakshi Temple which is dedicated to Shakti in Kanchipuram. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi (a form of Durga) whose grand architecture leaves the pilgrims awestruck. It has a huge sanctum and a massive Mandapam which is supported by various beautifully carved pillars.

Vedanthangal Sanctuary

Spread over an area of 30 hectares the sanctuary is located at a distance of 75 kilometers from Chennai on NH 45. Tourists can spot around 40,000 species of locals as well as migratory birds every year among which 26 species of birds are rare to find. In the early 1700s, it was the favorite hunting ground of the landlords who used to do hunting usually for sport. There is a tank in Vedanthangal which is called as a rain-fed tank. It gets dried up in summer months and in monsoon, it gets filled up with rainwater. Indian cormorant, Grey Herons, and Purple Herons are found in large numbers in this wildlife sanctuary.

Ekambareswarar Temple

This popular temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is enshrined in the form of a Prithvi Lingam. This beautiful temple of Kanchipuram is considered as the most famous and the largest temple of the city. There are 1000 pillars constructed in the temple which are beautifully carved out. It also has 5 super spacious corridors, a huge outer stone wall. The inner walls of the temple are very eye-catching and are adorned with around 1008 Shivalingams. There is a unique and ancient mango tree standing in the courtyard of the temple which yields 4 kinds of mangoes.

Best Time to Plan Kanchipuram Trip

Summer-In summer months the temperature ranges from 21 degree Celsius to 37 degree Celsius. So you can experience little hot in this season.

Monsoon- Monsoon is the ideal time to visit Kanchipuram as the heavy rainfall resulting in cool breeze accompanies you at the sightseeing destinations and make your journey pleasant and enjoyable.

Winter-The winter temperature in Kanchipuram ranges between 19 degree Celsius and 29 degree Celsius which makes it little chilly, however, amazing.