Kanchipuram

Overview

Kanchipuram, historically also spelt Kancheepuram and known in classical literature as Kanchi, is a city in the northern part of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Kanchipuram district and lies on the banks of the Vegavathi river, a tributary of the Palar. Long renowned as a centre of Hindu and Buddhist learning, temple architecture, and silk weaving, the city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban settlements in South India.

Etymology and names

The name Kanchipuram is derived from Sanskrit and Tamil sources, with several traditional etymologies linking it to the Hindu deities Vishnu and Shiva. In Tamil literature it is referred to simply as Kanchi. The city is one of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) of Hinduism, alongside Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Ujjain and Dwarka.

Geography

Kanchipuram is situated on the Coromandel plain in the southeastern part of India, roughly 70 km southwest of Chennai. The terrain is largely flat, and the city's water needs are historically met by the Palar river system and a network of temple tanks. The climate is tropical, with hot summers, a long dry season, and most rainfall arriving with the northeast monsoon between October and December.

History

Kanchipuram has a documented history spanning more than two millennia and has served as a capital, religious centre and seat of learning under several major South Indian dynasties.

Early period

References to Kanchi appear in early Tamil Sangam literature and in the writings of the grammarian Patanjali. The city was an important Buddhist and Jain centre in the early centuries of the Common Era, and it is mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, who visited the region in the 7th century.

Pallava capital

From around the 4th to the 9th centuries CE, Kanchipuram served as the capital of the Pallava dynasty. Under rulers such as Mahendravarman I and Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha), the city became a major centre of temple building, sculpture, music and Sanskrit and Tamil scholarship. The Kailasanathar temple and the Vaikunta Perumal temple, both built during this period, are landmark examples of early stone temple architecture in South India.

Chola, Vijayanagara and later periods

After the decline of the Pallavas, Kanchipuram came under the Medieval Cholas, who expanded several existing temples and added new shrines. It later passed through the hands of the Pandyas, the Vijayanagara empire — under whom many gopurams and mandapas were added — and subsequently the Nayaks, the Mughals' southern outposts, the Carnatic Nawabs, and finally the British, becoming part of the Madras Presidency.

Modern era

Following Indian independence in 1947, Kanchipuram became part of Madras State, which was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969. It is now the headquarters of Kanchipuram district, which has been reorganised administratively over the years, with parts carved out to form Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts.

Religious significance

Kanchipuram is one of the most important pilgrimage centres in South India and is unusual in being sacred to both major Hindu sectarian traditions. The city is traditionally divided into Shiva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi, reflecting its dual religious heritage.

• Ekambareswarar Temple — one of the Pancha Bhuta Sthalas, representing the element earth in Shaiva tradition.
• Kamakshi Amman Temple — a major Shakti pitha dedicated to the goddess Kamakshi.
• Varadharaja Perumal Temple — one of the 108 Divya Desams of Vaishnavism.
• Kailasanathar Temple — the oldest surviving temple in the city, built by the Pallavas.
• Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham — a Hindu monastic institution traditionally