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TamilNadu pilgrimage tour~ ROUTE 1
KANCHIPURAM ➡️ TIRUTANNI ➡️ TIRUPATI ➡️ SRIKALAHASTI
Previous blog~ Madras-café : living and working in Chennai
The land of a 1000 temples as it was called~ KANCHIPURAM traces its origins to the same period as that of the PALLAVA DYNASTY IN INDIA Ie. 3rd BCE. We know this through accounts of earlier Tamil literature. Kanchipuram was the capital city, while the coastal town of Mahabalipuram was the port city during the PALLAVAS.
Tip~ If you'd like to soak in the essence of this magnificent temple town, you will need at least 2/ 3 whole days.
Getting here: CHENNAI to KANCHIPURAM
By road~ Kanchipuram is a comfortable 2 hrs/ 70 km road trip from Chennai. There are frequent buses from Koyambedu in case you don't have your own vehicle.
By train~ There are train services between Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram.
Where to stay in Kanchipuram
There are several decent mid-range hotels with good amenities in the range of 1000 rs and above. In the bylanes of the town are some reasonably good lodges that cost less than 1000 rs.
On the first day we stayed at a mid-range hotel with good rooms and all comforts. They also had a cosy in-house restaurant that served vegetarian meals. The next day, we ventured into the bylanes and were lucky to find a smaller but reasonably comfy and clean lodge (500rs) which was good value for money.
< Day 1 >
Are you ready to travel back in time?
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| KANCHIPURAM~ of ancient temples and rich silk (blog) |
A spiritual quest
We've come a long way... MUMBAI, GOA, KARNATAKA, KERALA & finally TAMILNADU. Both Kerala and Karnataka also offer ancient temples and pilgrimage sites for those on a spiritual quest.
Upon reaching Kanchipuram, after a smooth check-in and later a shower, I spent the afternoon watching T.V. Temples reopen only in the evening, so I had ample time to even get some shut eye.
Around evening and a hot cup of coffee we set out to visit some temples.
KAILASANATHAR TEMPLE
Our first stop for the evening was Kailashnatha 685-705 BCE~ this is the oldest temple in Kanchi built during the PALLAVAS and dedicated to lord Shiva.
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| Kailasanathar temple Kanchipuram main entrance |
The temple is in typical Dravidian style. It is said that Dravidian style of architecture is intrinsically PALLAVA in nature. Later dynasties like the Cholas built their temples to follow the Pallava pattern.
Kailashnatha is the early version of Dravidian temples and hence, simplistic is style... but still more advanced than the earliest PALLAVA rock cut cave temples of Mahabalipuram. The carvings on the other hand are elaborate and interesting.
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| Note the lions at the pillar bases ready to pounce on anyone~ Kailashnatha temple, KANCHIPURAM |
Stepping into the inner courtyards is a step back in time. Nothing has changed. Murals depicting scenes from Hindu epics adorned the walls. I spent a lot of time slowly admiring the beauty of their artistic expression that time flew by.
Same place, Different people
Close by Kailashnatha was another old temple (don't remember the name). The ancient courtyard of smooth black granite was large with people seated here and there, or having a quiet chat during a pleasant evening. The place seemed the same as the time of the PALLAVAS, only the people had changed. The ambience was charged with the sound of temple drums being played during the evening puja~ such a powerful and uplifting experience! I truly feel pity for tourists who do a quick day-trip of Kanchipuram.
Tip~ Give yourself adequate time [2-3 days] to experience this Temple Town.
< Day 2 - first half >
EKAMBRANATHAR or EKAMBARESWARAR temple
Sri Ekambaranathar is also dedicated to lord Shiva who is worshipped as EKAMBRANATHAR. Out of the 5 elements in nature, the SHIVLING here represents EARTH (Prithvi) and hence it is a PANCH BHOOTA STHALA.
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EKAMBRANATHAR temple, KANCHIPURAM
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The temple is quite large with its 1000 pillared mandapam (hall) as the main attraction. The later Chola and Vijayanagara rulers contributed to making the temple what it is today.
Tip~ Auto rickshaws are easily available and a convenient mode for visiting these temples.
Tip~ Kanchipuram is divided into 2 parts~ Shiva Kanchi where lies the Shiva temples and Vishnu Kanchi where lies the Vishnu temples.
VARDARAJA PERUMAL KOIL
This temple dedicated to lord Vishnu is located in the Vishnu Kanchi area, about 5kms from Sri Ekambaranathar. VARDARAJ PERUMAL is a sacred temple for Vaishnavites, and the temple tank is where Sri Varadarajaswamy (Lord Vishnu) is said to have submerged himself after performing a yagna. You will certainly be transfixed by the elaborate and intricately carved pillars in the mandapams (halls).
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VARADARAJ PERUMAL KOIL, KANCHIPURAM
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A mandapam (hall) carved out of a single rock. Zoom in and feast your eyes on the intricate carvings of each pillar~ VARADARAJ PERUMAL KOIL, KANCHIPURAM
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The inscriptions found on the walls of this temple refer to contributions and donations from many dynasties like the Cholas, Pandyas, Hoysalas and Vijaynagaras.
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| An extraordinary interlocked chain carved completely out of stone is indeed mind-boggling~ VARADARAJ PERUMAL KOIL, KANCHIPURAM |
Also when you are here, do check with the temple priests for Kanchipuram idlis ie. big size idlis with a generous sprinkling of maligai podi (gun powder). I suppose you will get them only in the mornings.
After visiting 2 important temples in the first part of the day, it was time to take a break for refreshments and rest. I was pleased to find our new lodge comfy with a wide range of channels on T.V., and I could even watch a hollywood movie.
< Day 2 - second half >
The second half of the day was devoted to KAMAKSHI AMMAN alone. Goddess Parvati is called KAMAKSHI (goddess of love). Much against my expectations the temple was crowded, and the temple authorities had a tough time in keeping the crowd disciplined. We were a long way in the queue, but the huge surge of crowd propeled us further... we didn't need to use our legs any longer.
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| ornate pillars of KAMAKSHI AMMAN temple Kanchipuram |
< Day 3 >
Shopping for silk
Kanchipuram is famous for its signature Kanjeevaram silk sarees. At the very outset, I assure you these sarees don't come cheap. An authentic Kanjeevaram silk sari is hand-woven with elaborate border designs and patterns that can be customised as per request. The price of these sarees can range from 1.5k rs to 2/ 3 lakhs~ depending on the usage of zari (silk, gold and silver threads) in the weave and craftsmanship.
Look up 'TamilNadu Zari limited'~ to know more about zari
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A Kanjeevaram saree weaving unit at Kanchipuram
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A Kanjeevaram silk saree is a part of every South Indian bridal trousseau, and also worn on festivals and special occasions. As such there are as many shoppers as there are pilgrims in Kanchipuram. Chennai also has many Kanjeevaram silk saree retail stores at T.Nagar.
Conclusion
It took me 2 days to cover 4 important temples in Kanchipuram + 1 day for shopping (window-shopping in my case). But there are many more temples for those who want a satisfying spiritual experience.
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, comment below and I'll be happy to answer. Bye for now!
Follow my~ Journey across India
Continue to~ TIRUTTANI, TIRUPATI, SRIKALAHASTI
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