Places to visit in and around Kanchipuram


Kanchi is known as the city of temples. This is very near to Chennai. The town is well connected by road and air. The town is having good hotels and restaurants to stay and eat. There are many temples which are worth to visit. The Silk Sarees made in this place are very famous. The details of this place are discussed in this article.

Introduction

Kanchipuram is also known as Kanjeevaram or Kanchi. It is a medium-sized town in Tamil Nadu and the place is very near to Chennai. It is one of the most important spiritual centres of Hinduism. It is a major pilgrim destination also. Kanchipuram has several medieval temples with excellent architecture. It was the capital of the Pallava kingdom from the 4th to the 10th century. Many Hindu temples are there in the city and everyday lakhs of people will be coming to this place to visit these temples. There are archaeological remains of Jain temples. The present-day Kanchipuram is a very well known weaving centre and the Kanchi silk sarees are very famous with all the Indian women and people who visit this place will never leave this place without purchasing at least one or two sarees.

The Kanchi Kamakoti mutt in this place is a must visit the place. Every Hindu will definitely want to have the darshan of the seer here.

How to reach here

  • By train: Kanchipuram is very near to Chennai. Reaching Kanchipuram by road from Chennai is the best way. There is a railway station in this town. EMU trains from Chennai will be running through this station. The railway station here is connected to the Chennai suburb of Chengalpattu. There are trains from important places like Tirupathi, Mumbai etc. to this place.

  • By Bus: The Tamil Nadu state government transport corporation runs buses from Kanchipuram to all most all the important towns of Tamil Nadu. There is a good bus station located here. There are buses from Chennai, Bangalore to this place. There are buses which are very comfortable including sleeper buses and AC buses. There are many private buses from different cities of South India to this place.

  • By car: The distance between Kanchipuram and Chennai is 69 Km. It is about 280 Km from Bangalore. The roads are very good and if we start by a car by the Chennai-Bangalore expressway, we can reach Kanchi in about an hour and a half from the outskirts of Chennai and in about four and half hours from Bangalore. The road from another pilgrim centre Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh to this place is also very good and travelling time by car will be about 3 hours.

  • By Air: The Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport and from there this place is well connected by buses and cabs.

  • Transportation within the town

    Google Maps is a very good guide for orientation and the location of major temples in this place. Once we know the general direction, we can spot temples easily due to their tall stone entry towers called gopuram. It is better to start early in the morning and see the temple and reach back by late morning. Again you can go out in the evening. Mornings and evenings are the best times to have good photography.

    Auto-rickshaws are also available and you will find them anywhere in the town. You have to talk to the driver and finalise the cost before you start travelling in these rickshaws. You can talk to the driver and fix up a rate to show you all the important places in the town.

    A good number of taxis are available near the bus stand. You can fix up a taxi for the total travelling in the town and you can cover all the major temples and places here.

    Places to visit:

  • Kanchi Kamakshi Temple. This is a very important temple in the city. The temple is a very old temple with see-worthy architecture excellence inside the temple.

  • Vaikunta Perumal Temple: This is a beautiful temple with pillared corridors around the sanctum. This is also a very old temple. The Gopuram in this temple is of 3 tier

  • Varadaraja Perumal Temple: This is also a very important temple and one should visit this temple when they visit Kanchi without fail

  • Kailasanathar Temple: The architectural excellence of this temple is worth seeing. The architecture of this temple resembles more that of Mahabalipuram temple.

  • Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam of Sri Sankara Matam: This is also one of the important places in this place. They have rooms for accommodation for pilgrims and free food is also offered here daily. Kanchi Mutt holds South Indian classical music concerts in the evening

  • International Library, Enathur: This library contains many ancient manuscripts written on Palm Leaves. The 60ft high statue of Adi Shankar Acharya in the centre of the library is a special attraction. The Kanchipuram Shankara University maintains this library.

  • Ekambeshwarar Temple: This is a temple of Lord Shiva. This is the highest of all the temples in this place. The temple is spanning in around 40 acres. This temple is believed to be of Pallava period. The temple has huge quantities of carved stonework. There is a mango tree in the temple area which is believed to be 3500 years old, embodying the four Vedas and bearing fruits of four different tastes.

  • There are many other temples in the town and the town is very well known as the city of temples. Based on our interest and the time we have we can visit as many temples as possible. But one should not miss Kanchi Kamakshi temple. Ekambeshwarar temple and Vaikunta Perumal Temple.

    The Non-Governmental Organization RIDE India is located in Kanchipuram. RIDE conducts Eco-Tourism program which includes visiting of silk-weaving families, temple tours around Kanchipuram and tailor-made tours.

    What to Buy

    Kanchipuram is the best silk-weaving centre in India. The market is full of silk clothes for men and women. There are many silk shops in Mahatma Gandhi Road. Going directly and bargaining in the shops is the best course of action. Some people will try to cheat by showing inferior quality material which can't be identified by us and offer at a very low price. So don't get cheated by such people. Go to good shops and bargain. If you take the help of an auto rickshaw driver or cab driver they will take to certain shops where they will get some commission. So it is better you go on foot to these shops and select the pieces you like and bargain.

    Where to Stay

    There are very good hotels with good facilities in the town and you will get good accommodation here. The prices are reasonable and you can choose as per your requirement. But it is better to book rooms in the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt online in advance so that the stay will be comfortable. There are very good restaurants which will serve good and hygienic south Indian food.

    Reaching there-
    Nearest Railway Station: Kanchipuram Railway station
    Nearest Bus station: Kanchipuram Bus Station
    Nearest Airport: Chennai International Airport.
    Good lodges and restaurants are available to stay and eat.


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