kanchipuram

The Kailasanathar Temple or the Kailasanath temple is perhaps the oldest temple in the city. The temple was built by the Pallava King Narasimhvarman in the eight century in reverence of Lord Shiva. The temple is visited every year by the devotees of Shiva. The temple consists of a compound made from sandstone and has exquisite carvings that are an example of the fine craftsmanship of the times. The architecture of the temple is in sync with the Dravidian architecture that was commonly used for constructing structures and buildings during the time. As a result, there are many half-animal deities that have been engraved on the walls and pillars of the temple. Along with the fine architecture, the temple is also known for its vimana or the tower that is directly above a small unlit shrine. The temple also has a number of panels that have engravings of Lord Shiva posing as Natraja.
 

The Ekambaranath Temple is the largest temple in Kanchipuram. It covers a massive area of 20 acres. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and was built by the Pallavas and then in turn was renovated by both the Cholas and the Rayas. One notable feature of this temple is the fact that the 1000 lingas are all carved out of one solitary stone. Also, there are one thousand pillared halls found within the temple. Outside of the Ekambaranatha Temple there is a mango tree that is around 3500 years old. There are four separate limbs found on the tree that represent the Four Vedas. Tradition has it that the fruit from each limb tastes different even though they all are on the same tree.
 

Ekambareshvara Temple is the temple of the Hindu God Shiva and every year thousands of devotees flock to the place for His blessings. The temple was built even before the 600 AD is located in the northern part of the city of Kanchipuram. The temple is one of the five most revered temples of Shiva and is symbolic of the element Earth of the five elements. It is one among the Panchabootha Sthalams. The round tower head of the temple is 59m tall making it one of the tallest such structure in India. According to a local legend Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, had once done penance under an old Mango tree that is still situated within the temple premises. The temple is believed to have been built by the Pallava Kings and is a supreme example of the fine craftsmanship of the times. Later, the temple was reconstructed and other additional work was also done by the subsequent rulers of Kanchipuram.
 

The Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt was established by Adi Sankara and is located in the city of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. The Kanchi mutt was founded on the lines of a monastic institution for the Hindus. There are five pancha bhutasthalas of the mutt and the Kanchipuram mutt is one of the five. Nobody knows when the mutt was actually built but archaeological evidence has shown that the institution has been in existence for over 2500 years now. This has been proven by the epigraphically evidence found on the walls of the mutt. Some historians claim that the mutt in Kanchipuram is more than three centuries old but there is no solid proof to support this claim. Initially the mutt was in Kumbakonam and was moved from there to Kanchipuram in the 18th century when Hyder Ali’s army marched into the area. Today, the mutt is revered all across South India and every year thousands of devotees of Adi Sankara visit the institution in search of peace and serenity.
 

The Madras Atomic Power Station is located in Kalpakkam that is a small town in the district of Kanchipuram. The main idea behind the construction of a power station in South India was to make the country more powerful in terms of its nuclear capability. In fact, the power station was the pioneer when it came to creating indigenous nuclear technology. The Madras Atomic Power Station was India’s first completely indigenized nuclear power station. The power station is fully equipped to handle nuclear power production, fuel reprocessing as well as nuclear waste treatment. It has a plutonium based fuel fabricator for fast breeder reactors or FBRs. The atomic plant was built under the leadership of India’s Prime Minister Srimati Indira Gandhi and became a part of the grid in 1983. A visit to the plant is a must if you are in the area because the technology used at the plant offers the common man a deep insight into the advancements that science has made in our country.
 

The Devarajaswami Temple is a fine example of ancient art and architecture. The temple was built by the rulers of Vijayanagar in reverence of Lord Vishnu. The temple is located in the eastern part of the city of Kanchipuram. This temple consists of exquisitely carved pillars that give us a deep insight into the architecture as well as the technology of the times. The pillars are all hand carved and depict Hindu deities in their various forms. Within the premises of the temple is a huge marriage hall that symbolizes the celestial union of Goddess Laxmi and Lord Vishnu. A unique feature of the temple is a humungous chain that is engraved on a stone. A statue of lord Vishnu of 10 mts lies immersed in a water tank built inside the temple. This statue of Vishnu can be viewed only once in forty years when the tank is entirely drained for the devotees to catch a glimpse of their Lord. The statue is immersed in water again only after 48 days.