Kanchipuram, “the golden city” (from kanchi, gold, and puram, city), is one of India’s seven sacred cities. Former capital of the Pallava, nicknamed “the city of a thousand temples”, it still has about a hundred and draws thousands of Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava pilgrims.
The city is also renowned for its silk saris, prized for weddings — but a tip: don’t buy them here (pricier than in Chennai); a visit to a weaving workshop, however, is worthwhile. A dusty old town, it owes its magic entirely to its temples.
Good to know: temple entry is free (open 6:30 am–12:30 pm and 4 pm–8 pm); bring small change for the shoe-keepers and priests. Here are the three must-see temples.
The Kailāsanātha temple
Dedicated to Śiva (Pallava, 700–728), 2 km west of the city: the oldest and finest Pallava temple, almost intact, considered a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture for its restraint. You reach it through a garden, then a small gopuram; facing the entrance, a magnificent Nandi (Śiva’s mount). The inner cloister, its cells adorned with statues and traces of 8th-century frescoes, is the most interesting part. Śiva is worshipped here as the lingam, with Pārvatī.
The Ekāmbareśvara temple
A vast 9-hectare temple dedicated to Śiva; you enter the courtyard through a colossal 60 m gopura (1509). The “thousand-pillar” mandapa (540 in fact) unfolds finely carved granite columns. In an inner court stands the famous sacred mango tree, a 3500-year-old axis of the world whose four branches (the four Veda) bore different fruit — only two remain. It was here that Śiva and Kāmākṣī (Pārvatī) married… like JC and Anne.
The Varadarāja Swāmi temple
Dedicated to Viṣṇu, 1 km towards Mahābalipuram, ringed by a high wall. Past the gopura, a wonderful 96-column mandapa shows fine depictions of Viṣṇu’s ten incarnations; a chain carved from a single granite block hangs from the roof. The interior is not open to non-Hindus.
Practical information
- 66 km from Mahābalipuram and 60 km from Chennai — better not to stay overnight (poor hotels, as at many pilgrimage sites).
- The temples are far apart: hire a bike or a rickshaw for the day (≈ 800 INR, after bargaining).
- Photo fee: 20 INR (100 INR to film) — keep the ticket.