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Kanchipuram (
IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...
: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
in the Indian state of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple architectures, 1000-pillared halls, huge temple towers and
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
sari A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...
s. Kanchipuram serves as one of the most important inland tourist destinations in India. Kanchipuram has become a centre of attraction for foreign tourists as well. The city covers an area of and an estimated population of 232,816 in 2011. It is the administrative headquarters of
Kanchipuram District Kanchipuram District is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The area comprising the present day Kancheepuram district was earlier a part of Chingleput District (Madras Presidency), Chingleput district. The original Ching ...
. Kanchipuram is well-connected by road and rail. Kanchipuram is a
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
name formed by combining two words, "
kanchi Kanchipuram (IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''Ci ...
" and "puram," together meaning "the city of kaanchi flowers" (due to the abundance of kaanchi flowers in those regions). The city is located on the banks of the Vegavathy and Palar Rivers. Kanchipuram has been ruled by the
Pallavas The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The dynasty ros ...
, the
Medieval Cholas The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
, the
Later Cholas The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
, the Later
Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...
s, the
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
, the Carnatic kingdom, and the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
, who called the city "Conjeeveram". The city's historical monuments include the
Kailasanathar Temple Kailasanathar Temple is the name of several Temple, temples and ancient religious sites found in Southeastern India, all dedicated to the deity Shiva in its form of Kailasanathar or Kailashanatha (). The designation refers to the Mount Kailash, whic ...
and the Vaikunta Perumal Temple. Historically, Kanchipuram was a centre of education and was known as the ''ghatikasthanam'', or "place of learning". The city was also a religious centre of advanced education for
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
and
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
between the 1st and 5th centuries. In the
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
Hindu theology, Kanchipuram is one of the seven Tirtha (pilgrimage) sites, for spiritual release. Kanchipuram is associated with the Rishabam (Taurus) zodiac sign. The city houses the Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ekambareswarar Temple, Kamakshi Amman Temple,
Kumarakottam Temple The Kumara kottam Temple is a Hindu temple in Kānchipuram, Tamil Nādu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu war god and the son of the gods Shiva and his mother Pārvathi. The temple is also known as the Subramaniya Swāmi temp ...
, and Chitragupta temple, which are some of the major Hindu temples in the state. Of the 108 holy temples of the Hindu god
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
, 15 are located in Kanchipuram. The city is most important to
Sri Vaishnavism Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vi ...
,
Shaktism Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...
and then
Shaivism Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Para Brahman, supreme being. It is the Hinduism#Demographics, second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million H ...
. Most of the city's workforce is involved in the weaving industry. Kanchipuram is administered by a Special grade municipality constituted in 1947. It is the headquarters of the Kanchi matha, a Hindu monastic institution believed to have been founded by the Hindu saint and commentator Adi Sankaracharya, and was the capital city of the Pallava Kingdom between the 4th and 9th centuries. Kanchipuram has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.


Etymology

Kanchipuram was known in early
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
and
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
literature as ''Kanchi'' or ''Kachipedu''. In the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
the word is split into two: ka and anchi. ''Ka'' means
Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...
and ''anchi'' means worship, showing that Kanchi stands for the place where Varadharaja Perumal was worshipped by Brahma. Brahma has sculpted Athi Varadhar and worshipped here. In
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
the term Kanci means girdle and explanation is given that the city is like a girdle to the earth. The earliest Sanskrit inscriptions from the
Gupta period The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...
(early 4th century-CE to late 5th century-CE) denote the city as ''Kanchipuram'', where King Visnugopa was defeated by Samudragupta.
Patanjali Patanjali (, , ; also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra) was the name of one or more author(s), mystic(s) and philosopher(s) in ancient India. His name is recorded as an author and compiler of a number of Sanskrit works. The greatest of these a ...
(150 BCE or 2nd century BCE) refers to the city in his ''Mahabhasya'' as ''Kanchipuraka''. The city was referred to by various names like ''Kanchi'', ''Kanchipedu'' and ''Kanchipuram''. The Pallava inscriptions from (250–355) and the inscriptions of the
Chalukya dynasty The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of south India, southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The ear ...
refer the city as ''Kanchipura''. ''Jaina Kanchi'' refers to the area around Tiruparutti Kundram. During the British rule, the city was known as ''Conjeevaram'' and later as ''Kanchipuram''. The municipal administration was renamed ''Kancheepuram'', while the district and city retains the name ''Kanchipuram''. It finds its mention in Pāṇini's Ashtadhyayi as Kanchi-prastha and in several Puranas. It is also one of the seven cities that provides liberation.


History

The earliest references to Kanchipuram are found in the books of the Sanskrit grammarian
Patanjali Patanjali (, , ; also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra) was the name of one or more author(s), mystic(s) and philosopher(s) in ancient India. His name is recorded as an author and compiler of a number of Sanskrit works. The greatest of these a ...
, who lived between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. The city was part of the
Dravida kingdom Dravida is mentioned as one of the kingdoms in the southern part of present-day mainland India during the time of the Mahabharata. Dravida in the Mahabharata Dravida is listed among the ancient Indian (Bharata Varsha) kingdoms: "In the south ...
of the
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
and was described as "the best among cities" (
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
: ''Nagareshu Kanchi'') by the 4th-century Sanskrit poet,
Kalidasa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviv ...
. The city finds mention in the classical
Tamil language Tamil (, , , also written as ''Tamizhil'' according to linguistic pronunciation) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. It is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world,. "Tamil is one of ...
Sangam literature The Sangam literature (Tamil language, Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil language, Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cā ...
dated 300 BCE like Manimegalai and
Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai ''Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai'' () is an ancient Tamil poem in the ''Pattuppattu'' anthology of the Sangam literature. It contains 500 lines in the ''akaval'' meter. It is one of five ''arruppatai'' genre poems and was a guide to other bards s ...
. While it is widely accepted that Kanchipuram had served as an
Early Chola The Early Cholas were a Tamil kingdom of the Chola dynasty - pre and post Sangam period (600 BCE–300 CE). It was one of the three main kingdoms of Tamilakam. Their early capitals were Urayur or Tiruchirapalli and Kaveripattinam. Along wit ...
capital, the claim has been contested by Indian historian P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar who wrote that the Tamil culture of the Sangam period did not spread through the Kanchipuram district and cites the Sanskritic origins of its name in support of his claim. Kanchipuram grew in importance when the Pallavas, wary of constant invasions from the north, moved their capital south to the city in the 6th century. The Pallavas fortified the city with ramparts, wide moats, well-laid-out roads, and artistic temples. During the reign of the Pallava King
Mahendravarman I Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) was a Pallava emperor who ruled over realm covering the southern portions of present-day Andhra region and northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India, in the early 7th century. He was a schol ...
, the
Chalukya The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...
King Pulakesin II (610642) invaded the Pallava kingdom as far as the
Kaveri River The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari and Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin is estimated to be and encompasses the states o ...
. The Pallavas successfully defended Kanchipuram and foiled repeated attempts to capture the city. A second invasion ended disastrously for Pulakesin II, who was forced to retreat to his capital Vatapi which was besieged and Pulakesin II was killed by
Narasimhavarman I Narasimhavarman I was a Pallava emperor who reigned from 630 CE to 668 CE. He shared his father Mahendravarman I's love of art and completed the works started by Mahendravarman in Mamallapuram. During his reign, the famous Pancha Rathas ...
(630668), son of Mahendravarman I (600630), at the
Battle of Vatapi The Battle of Vatapi was a decisive engagement which took place between the Pallavas and Chalukyas near the Chalukya capital of Vatapi (present day Badami) in 642. The battle resulted in the defeat of the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II in 642 CE a ...
. Under the Pallavas, Kanchipuram flourished as a centre of Hindu and Buddhist learning. King Narasimhavarman II built the city's important Hindu temples, the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple,
Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple The Kailasanathar Temple, Kanchipuram, also referred to as the Kailasanatha temple, is a Pallava Dynasty, Pallava-era historic Hindu temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. Dedicated to Shiva, it is one of the oldest surviving monuments in Ka ...
, the Varadharaja Perumal Temple and the Iravatanesvara Temple.
Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...
, a Chinese traveller who visited Kanchipuram in 640, recorded that the city was in circumference and that its people were renowned for their bravery, piety, love of justice and veneration for learning. The Medieval Chola king
Aditya I Aditya Chola I, the son of Vijayalaya Chola, was the Chola king who laid the foundation of the Chola Empire with the conquest of the Pallava Kingdom and the occupation of the Western Ganga Kingdom and Kongu Nadu. Aditya Chola I was succee ...
conquered the Pallava kingdom, including Kanchipuram, after defeating the Pallava ruler
Aparajitavarman Aparajita Varman, (reigned 880-897 CE) commonly referred as Aparajita, was a king of the Pallava dynasty. He was the son of Kampavarman and the Ganga princess Vijaya. Considered the last known Pallava ruler, he was defeated and killed in c. 897 ...
(880897) in about 890. Under the Cholas, the city was the headquarters of the northern viceroyalty. The province was renamed ''Jayamkonda Cholamandalam'' during the reign of King
Raja Raja Chola I Rajaraja I ( Middle Tamil: ''Rājarāja Cōḻaṉ''; Classical Sanskrit: ''Rājarāja Śōḷa''; 3 November 947 – January/February 1014), also known as Rajaraja the Great, was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 to 1014. He was known for ...
(9851014), who constructed the Karchapeswarar Temple and renovated the Kamakshi Amman Temple. His son,
Rajendra Chola I Rajendra I (26 July 971 – 1044), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, was a Chola Empire, Chola Emperor who reigned from 1014 to 1044. He was born in Thanjavur to Rajaraja I. His queen was Vanavan Mahadevi and he assumed royal power as ...
(101244) constructed the
Yathothkari Perumal Temple Tiruvekkaa Temple or Yathothkari Perumal Temple (locally called Sonnavannam Seitha Perumall) is a Hindu temple located in Kanchipuram in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian ...
. According to the ''Siddhantasaravali'' of Trilocana Sivacharya, Rajendra Chola I brought a band of Saivas with him on his return from the Chola expedition to North India and settled them in Kanchipuram. In about 1218, the Pandya king
Maravarman Sundara Pandyan Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I was a Pandyan king, who ruled regions of South India between 1216–1238 CE. He laid the foundation for the Pandya revival, after being dominated by the Cholas for several centuries. Accession Sundara Pandyan ca ...
(12161238) invaded the Chola country, making deep inroads into the kingdom which was saved by the intervention of the Hoysala king Vira Narasimha II (12201235), who fought on the side of the Chola king Kulothunga Chola III. Inscriptions indicate the presence of a powerful Hoysala garrison in Kanchipuram, which remained in the city until about 1230. Shortly afterwards, Kanchipuram was conquered by the
Cholas The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...
, from whom
Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I Jatavarman Sundara I, also known as Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan, was an emperor of the Pandyan dynasty who ruled regions of Tamilakam (present day South India), Northern Sri Lanka, and Southern Andhra between 1250–1268 CE.Sethuraman, p124 H ...
took the city in 1258. The city remained with the Pandyas until 1311 when the Sambuvarayars declared independence, taking advantage of the anarchy caused by
Malik Kafur Malik Kafur (died February 1316), also known as Taj al-Din Izz al-Dawla, was a prominent general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He was captured by Alauddin's general Nusrat Khan Jalesari, Nusrat Khan during the Alauddin Khalji's co ...
's invasion. After short spells of occupation by Ravivarman Kulasekhara of
Venad Venad was a medieval kingdom between the Western Ghat mountains of India with its capital at city of Quilon.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 143 ...
(
Quilon Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake and is 71 kilometers (44 mi) nort ...
, Kerala) in 13131314 and the
Kakatiya The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was a Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their territory comprised much of the present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and p ...
ruler Prataparudra II, Kanchipuram was conquered by the Vijayanagara general Kumara Kampana, who defeated the Madurai Sultanate in 1361. The
Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...
ruled Kanchipuram from 1361 to 1645. The earliest inscriptions attesting to Vijayanagara rule are those of Kumara Kampanna from 1364 and 1367, which were found in the precincts of the Kailasanathar Temple and Varadharaja Perumal Temple respectively. His inscriptions record the re-institution of Hindu rituals in the Kailasanathar Temple that had been abandoned during the Muslim invasions. Inscriptions of the Vijayanagara kings
Harihara II Harihara II (died 31 August 1404) was an Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from the Sangama Dynasty. He patronised the Kannada poet Madhura, a Jaina. An important work on the Vedas was completed during his time. He earned the titles ''Vaidik ...
,
Deva Raya II Deva Raya II (reigned 10 February 1423 – 24 May 1446) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire. He is considered by many as the greatest of the Sangama dynasty rulers, he was an able administrator, warrior, and scholar. He authored well-k ...
, Krishna Deva Raya,
Achyuta Deva Raya Achyuta Deva Raya (r. 1529 - 1542 CE) was a emperor of Vijayanagara who succeeded his older brother, Krishnadevaraya, after the latter's death in 1529 CE. During his reign, Fernao Nuniz, a Portuguese-Jewish traveller, chronicler and horse ...
, Sriranga I, and Venkata II are found within the city. Harihara II endowed grants in favour of the Varadharaja Perumal Temple.In the 15th century, Kanchipuram was invaded by the Velama Nayaks in 1437, the
Gajapati kingdom The Gajapati dynasty refers to the ruling dynasty from the region of modern Odisha in the Indian subcontinent, whose monarch carries the regnal title of Gajapati. The institution of Gajapati dynasty or lordship was founded by the monarchs of t ...
in 14631465 and 147475 and the
Bahmani Sultanate The Bahmani Kingdom or the Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval Persianate kingdom that ruled the Deccan plateau in India. The first independent Muslim sultanate of the Deccan, the Bahmani Kingdom came to power in 1347 during the rebellio ...
in about 1480. A 1467 inscription of Virupaksha Raya II mentions a
cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a type of military base. In South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British Raj). In United States military parlance, a cantonment is, essentially, "a permanent residential ...
in the vicinity of Kanchipuram. In 1486,
Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya (1431–1491), also known as Saluva Narasimha and Saluva Narasimha I, was the founder of the Saluva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire, and ruled from 1485 until his death in 1491. A patron of the Madhwa saint Sripadar ...
, the governor of the Kanchipuram region, overthrew the
Sangama Dynasty The Sangama dynasty was a Veerashaiva dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century by two brothers: Harihara I (also called ''Vira Harihara'' or ''Hakka Raya'') and Bukka Raya I. They were the sons of Bhavana Sangama. They ...
of Vijayanagara and founded the Saluva Dynasty. Like most of his predecessors, Narasimha donated generously to the Varadharaja Perumal Temple. Kanchipuram was visited twice by the Vijayanagara king Krishna Deva Raya, considered to be the greatest of the Vijayanagara rulers, and 16 inscriptions of his time are found in the Varadharaja Perumal Temple. The inscriptions in four languagesTamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Sanskritrecord the genealogy of the
Tuluva The Tulu people or Tuluvas are an ethno-linguistic and ethno-cultural group from Southern India. They are native speakers of the Tulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known as Tulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts ...
kings and their contributions, along with those of their nobles, towards the upkeep of the shrine. His successor, Achyuta Deva Raya, reportedly had himself weighed against pearls in Kanchipuram and distributed the pearls amongst the poor. Throughout the second half of the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries, the
Aravidu Dynasty The Aravidu Dynasty was the fourth and last Hindu dynasty of Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was establish ...
tried to maintain a semblance of authority in the southern parts after losing their northern territories in the
Battle of Talikota The Battle of Talikota was a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates. The battle resulted in the defeat and death of Rama Raya, the ''de facto'' ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, set forth ...
. Venkata II (15861614) tried to revive the Vijayanagara Empire, but the kingdom relapsed into confusion after his death and rapidly fell apart after the Vijayanagara king Sriranga III's defeat by the Golconda and Bijapur sultanates in 1646. After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kanchipuram endured over two decades of political turmoil. The Golconda Sultanate gained control of the city in 1672, but lost it to Bijapur three years later. In 1676, Shivaji arrived in Kanchipuram at the invitation of the Golconda Sultanate in order to drive out the Bijapur forces. His campaign was successful and Kanchipuram was held by the Golconda Sultanate until its conquest by the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
led by
Aurangazeb Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...
in October 1687.In the course of their southern campaign, the Mughals defeated the Marathas under
Sambhaji Sambhaji (Sambhajiraje Shivajiraje Bhonsle, ; 14 May 1657 – 11 March 1689), also known as Shambhuraje, ruled from 1681 to 1689 as the second king ( Chhatrapati) of the Maratha Empire, a prominent state in early modern India. He was the elde ...
, the elder son of Shivaji, in a battle near Kanchipuram in 1688 which caused considerable damage to the city but cemented Mughal rule. Soon after, the priests at the Varadharaja Perumal, Ekambareshwarar and Kamakshi Amman temples, mindful of Aurangazeb's reputation for
iconoclasm Iconoclasm ()From . ''Iconoclasm'' may also be considered as a back-formation from ''iconoclast'' (Greek: εἰκοκλάστης). The corresponding Greek word for iconoclasm is εἰκονοκλασία, ''eikonoklasia''. is the social belie ...
, transported the idols to southern Tamil Nadu and did not restore them until after Aurangzeb's death in 1707. Under the Mughals, Kanchipuram was part of the viceroyalty of the Carnatic which, in the early 1700s, began to function independently, retaining only a nominal acknowledgement of Mughal rule. The Marathas ruled Kanchipuram due to Islamic invasion during the Carnatic period in 1724 and 1740, and the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1742. Kanchipuram was a battlefront for the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
in the Carnatic Wars against the
French East India Company Compagnie des Indes () may refer to several French chartered companies involved in long-distance trading: * First French East Indies Company, in existence from 1604 to 1614 * French West India Company, active in the Western Hemisphere from 1664 t ...
and in the Anglo-Mysore Wars with the
Sultanate of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted substantially t ...
.The popular 1780 Battle of Pollilur of the Second Anglo-Mysore War, known for the use of rockets by
Hyder Ali Hyder Ali (''Haidar'alī''; ; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's ...
of Mysore, was fought in the village of
Pullalur Pullalur or Pollilur is a village in the Kanchipuram taluk of Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. The village has been the site of three historic battles - the Battle of Pullalur fought between the Chalukya king Pulakesin II and the Pa ...
near Kanchipuram. In 1763, the British East India Company assumed indirect control from the Nawab of the Carnatic over the erstwhile Chingleput District, comprising the present-day Kanchipuram and
Tiruvallur Tiruvallur is a Grade I municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of Coovum river about from downtown Chennai ( Madras) in the western part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). It is a satellite tow ...
districts, in order to defray the expenses of the Carnatic wars. The Company brought the territory under their direct control during the Second Anglo-Mysore War, and the Collectorate of Chingleput was created in 1794. The district was split into two in 1997 and Kanchipuram made the capital of the newly created Kanchipuram district.


Geography

Kanchipuram is located at , south-west of Chennai on the banks of the Vegavathi River, a tributary of the
Palar River Palar (Tamil: ''பாலாறு'' pālāṟu paːlaːɾu literally "milk river") is a river of southern India. It rises in the Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka state, and flows in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and i ...
. The city covers an area of and has an elevation of above sea level.The land around Kanchipuram is flat and slopes towards the south and east. The soil in the region is mostly clay, with some loam, clay, and sand, which are suitable for use in construction. It has been postulated that the granite required for the Varadaraja Perumal Temple might have been obtained from the
Sivaram Hills Sivaram may refer to: * Peketi Sivaram, South Indian actor and director * Taraki Sivaram Taraki Sivaram or Dharmeratnam Sivaram (11 August 1959 – 28 April 2005) was a popular Tamil journalist of Sri Lanka. He was kidnapped by four men in ...
located 10 miles east of Kanchipuram. The area is classified as a Seismic Zone II region, and earthquakes of up to magnitude 6 on the Richter Scale may be expected. Kanchipuram is subdivided into two divisions # Big Kanchi, also called Shiva Kanchi, occupies the western portion of the city and is the larger of the two divisions; # Little Kanchi, also called Vishnu Kanchi, is located on the eastern fringes of the city. Most of the Shiva temples were in Big Kanchipuram while most of the Vishnu temples were in Little Kanchipuram. Groundwater is the major source of water supplies used for irrigationthe block of Kanchipuram has 24 canals, 2809 tanks, 1878 tube wells and 3206 ordinary wells. The area is rich in medicinal plants, and historic inscriptions mention the medicinal value. Dimeria acutipes and
Cynodon barberi ''Cynodon barberi'' is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to India and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country ...
are plants found only in Kanchipuram and Chennai.


Climate

Kanchipuram has a
tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Aw''), which is generally healthy. Temperatures reach an average maximum of between April and July, and an average minimum of between December and February. Relative humidities of between 58% and 84% prevail throughout the year. The humidity reaches its peak during the morning and is lowest in the evening. The relative humidity is higher between November and January and is lowest throughout June. Most of the rain occurs in the form of cyclonic storms caused by depressions in the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...
during the northeast monsoon. Kanchipuram receives rainfall from both Northeast Monsoon and Southwest Monsoon. The highest single day rainfall recorded in Kanchipuram is on 10 October 1943. The prevailing wind direction is south-westerly in the morning and south-easterly in the evening. In 2015, Kanchipuram district registered the highest rainfall of in Tamil Nadu during Northeast Monsoon season. On 13 November 2015, Kanchipuram recorded a mammoth of rain, thereby causing severe flooding.


Government and politics

The Kanchipuram municipality was officially constituted in 1866, covering , and its affairs were administered by a municipal committee. It was upgraded to a grade I municipality in 1947, selection grade municipality in 1983 and special grade municipality in 2008. the municipality occupies , has 51 wards and is the biggest municipality in Kanchipuram district. The population of kanchipuram in 2011 was 2,34,353. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city Planning and the Computer Wing, all of which are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner, who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 51 members, each representing one ward. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson who is assisted by a deputy chairperson. On 24 August 2021, the state government announced the upgrading of Kanchipuram town to Kanchipuram City Municipal Corporation. Kanchipuram comes under the Kanchipuram state assembly constituency. From the state delimitation after 1967, seven of the ten elections held between 1971 and 2011 were won by the
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK, also abbreviated as ADMK), also shortened to Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is an Indian Regionalism (politics), regional political party with great influence in the Federated state, sta ...
(AIADMK).
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; ; DMK) is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry, where it is currently the main ...
(DMK) won the seat during the 1971 and 1989 elections and its ally
Pattali Makkal Katchi The Pattali Makkal Katchi (; PMK) is a caste-based political party in Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded by S. Ramadoss in 1989 to provide political representation for the Vanniyar caste, a community found throughout Northern Tamil Nadu. It is a ...
won the seat during the 2006 elections. The current member of the legislative assembly is V. Somasundaram from the AIADMK party. Kanchipuram Lok Sabha constituency is a newly formed constituency of the
Parliament of India The Parliament of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of India, Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok ...
after the 2008
delimitation Electoral boundary delimitation (or simply boundary delimitation or delimitation) is the drawing of boundaries of electoral precincts and related divisions involved in elections, such as Federated state, states, counties or other municipalities ...
. The constituency originally existed for the 1951 election, and was formed in 2008 after merging the assembly segments of Chengalpattu, Thiruporur, Madurantakam (SC), Uthiramerur and Kanchipuram, which were part of the now defunct Chengalpattu constituency, and Alandur, which was part of the Chennai South constituency. This constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. K. Maragatham from the
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK, also abbreviated as ADMK), also shortened to Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is an Indian Regionalism (politics), regional political party with great influence in the Federated state, sta ...
is the current Member of Parliament for the constituency. Indian writer, politician and founder of the DMK,
C. N. Annadurai Conjeevaram Natarajan Annadurai (15 September 19093 February 1969), also known as Perarignar, was an Indian politician who was the founder and first general-secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He served as the fourth and last chi ...
, was born and raised in Kanchipuram. He was the first member of a
Dravidian party Dravidian parties include an array of regional political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, which trace their origins and ideologies either directly or indirectly to the Justice Party and the Dravidian movement of C. Natesanar and ...
to hold that post and was the first non-Congress leader to form a majority government in post-colonial India. Policing in the city is provided by the Kanchipuram sub-division of the
Tamil Nadu Police Tamil Nadu Police is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is over 150 years old and is the fifth largest state police force in India.
headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The force's special units include prohibition enforcement, district crime, social justice and human rights, district crime records and special branch that operate at the district level police division, which is headed by a Superintendent of Police.


Demographics

During the rule of King Narasimha Varma in the 7th century, the city covered about and had a population of 10,000. The population increased to 13,000 in subsequent years and the city developed cross patterned links with rectangular streets. The settlements in the city were mostly caste based. During the period of Nandivarma Pallavan II, houses were built on raised platforms and burnt bricks. The concepts of the verandah in the front yard, garden in the backyard, ventilation facilities and drainage of rainwater were all introduced for the first time, while the Tiruvekka temple and houses of agricultural labourers were situated outside the city. There were provisions in the city's outskirts for training the cavalry and infantry. During the Chola era, Kanchipuram was not the capital, but the kings had a palace in the city and a lot of development was extended eastwards. During the Vijayanagara period, the population rose to 25,000. There were no notable additions to the city's infrastructure during British rule. The British census of 1901 recorded that Kanchipuram had a population of 46,164, consisting of 44,684 Hindus, 1,313 Muslims, 49 Christians and 118 Jains. According to 2011 census, Kanchipuram had a population of 164,384 with a sex-ratio of 1,005 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 15,955 were under the age of six, constituting 8,158 males and 7,797 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 3.55% and 0.09% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 79.51%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had a total of 41807 households. There were a total of 61,567 workers, comprising 320 cultivators, 317 main agricultural labourers, 8,865 in household industries, 47,608 other workers, 4,457 marginal workers, 61 marginal cultivators, 79 marginal agricultural labourers, 700 marginal workers in household industries and 3,617 other marginal workers. About 8,00,000 (800,000) pilgrims visit the city every year as of 2001. As per the religious census of 2011, Kanchipuram had 93.38%
Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 5.24%
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 0.83%
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, 0.01%
Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
, 0.01%
Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...
, 0.4%
Jains Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and ...
, 0.11% following other religions and 0.01% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference. Kanchipuram has of residential properties, mostly around the temples. The commercial area covers , constituting 6.58% of the city. Industrial developments occupy around , where most of the handloom spinning, silk weaving, dyeing and rice production units are located. are used for transport and communications infrastructure, including bus stands, roads, streets and railways lines.


Economy

The major occupations of Kanchipuram are silk sari weaving and agriculture. As of 2008, an estimated 5,000 families were involved in sari production. The main industries are cotton production, light machinery and electrical goods manufacturing, and food processing. There are 25 silk and cotton yarn industries, 60 dyeing units, 50 rice mills and 42 other industries in Kanchipuram. Another important occupation is tourism and service related segments like hotels, restaurants and local transportation.


Kanchipuram Saree

Kanchipuram is a traditional centre of silk weaving and handloom industries for producing Kanchipuram Sarees. The industry is worth 100 cr (US$18.18 million), but the weaving community suffers from poor marketing techniques and duplicate market players. In 2005, "Kanchipuram Silk Sarees" received the
Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...
tag, the first product in India to carry this label. The silk trade in Kanchipuram began when King
Raja Raja Chola I Rajaraja I ( Middle Tamil: ''Rājarāja Cōḻaṉ''; Classical Sanskrit: ''Rājarāja Śōḷa''; 3 November 947 – January/February 1014), also known as Rajaraja the Great, was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 to 1014. He was known for ...
(985–1014) invited weavers from
Saurashtra Saurashtra, Sourashtra, or variants may refer to: ** Kathiawar, also called Saurashtra Peninsula, a peninsula in western India ** Saurashtra (state), alias United State of Kathiawar, a former Indian state, merged into Bombay State and since its d ...
,
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
to migrate to Kanchi. The craft increased with the mass migration of weavers from
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
in the 15th century during the Vijayanagara rule. The city was razed during the French siege of 1757, but weaving re-emerged in the late 18th century. All major nationalised banks such as Vijaya Bank,
State Bank of India State Bank of India (SBI) is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Public sector undertakings in India, public sector bank and financial service body headquartered in Mumbai. It is the largest bank in India with a 23% market shar ...
,
Indian Bank Indian Bank is an Indian public sector bank, established in 1907 and headquartered in Chennai. It serves over 100 million customers with 40,002 employees, 5,901 branches with 5,268 ATMs and Cash deposit machines. Total business of the bank has ...
,
Canara Bank Canara Bank is an Indian public sector bank based in Bangalore, India. Established in 1906 at Mangalore by Ammembal Subba Rao Pai. The bank was nationalized in 1969. Canara Bank also has offices in London, Dubai and New York. History Amm ...
,
Punjab National Bank Punjab National Bank alias PNB is an Public sector banks in India, Indian government bank based in New Delhi. It was founded in May 1894 and is the List of banks in India, second-largest public sector bank in India in terms of its business volum ...
,
Dena Bank Dena Bank was a government-owned bank that in 2019 merged with Bank of Baroda. It was headquartered in Mumbai and had 1,874 branches. The bank was founded in 1938 as a privately owned Bank. In 1969 the Government of India nationalized ''Dena Ba ...
and private banks like
ICICI Bank ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational bank and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai with a registered office in Vadodara. It offers a wide range of banking and financial services for corporate and retail customers throu ...
have branches in Kanchipuram. All these banks have their
Automated teller machine An automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, funds transfers, balance inquiries or account ...
s located in various parts of the city.


Human rights

Kanchipuram has more than the national average rate of child labour and bonded labour. The local administration is accused of aiding child labour by opening night schools in Kanchipuram from 1999. There is an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 child workers in Kanchipuram compared to 85,000 in the same industry in
Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
. Children are commonly traded for sums of between 10,000 and 15,000 (200 – $300) and there are cases where whole families are held in bondage. Child labour is prohibited in India by the Children (Pledging of Labour) Act and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, but these laws are not strictly enforced.


Transport, communication, and utility services

The ChennaiBangalore National Highway, NH 4 passes the outskirts of the city. Daily bus services are provided by the
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd. - (TNSTC) is a government owned public transport bus operator in Tamil Nadu, India. It operates Intercity bus services to cities within Tamil Nadu, and from Tamil Nadu to its neighbouring states. It al ...
to and from
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
,
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
,
Villupuram Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram () is a municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district. Located south west of a Tiruvannamalai and north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major and largest railway ...
, Tirupathi, Thiruthani,
Tiruvannamalai Tiruvannamalai (Tamil: ''Tiruvaṇṇāmalai'' IPA: , otherwise spelt ''Thiruvannamalai''; ''Trinomali'' or ''Trinomalee'' on British records) is a city and the administrative headquarters of Tiruvannamalai District in the Indian state of ...
,
Vellore Vellore ( ), also spelled Velur, is a sprawling city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Palar River and surrounded by the Javadi Hills in the northeastern ...
, Salem,
Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...
,
Tindivanam Tindivanam is a municipality in Viluppuram district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is the second largest town in Villupuram District after the headquarters town Villupuram. Important roads from north to s ...
and
Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...
. There are two major bus routes to Chennai, one connecting via
Poonamallee Poonamallee is a western suburb of Chennai, India under the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It was historically called ''Pushpagirimangalam'', later renamed in Tamil as ''Poovirundhavalli'' (), and now colloquially called as ''Poondhamalli''. It i ...
and the other via
Tambaram Tambaram is a city located within the Chennai Metropolitan Area in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The city is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation. Etymology Tambaram is an ancient town referred to as Taamapuram in an inscrip ...
. Local bus services are provided by The Villupuram division of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. As of 2006, there were a total of 403 buses for 191 routes operated out of the city. The city is also connected to the railway network through the Kanchipuram railway station. The ChengalpetArakkonam railway line passes through Kanchipuram and travellers can access services to those destinations. Daily trains are provided to Pondicherry and Tirupati, and there is a weekly express train to
Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...
and a bi-weekly express train to
Nagercoil Nagercoil, natively spelt as Nāgarkovil (, "Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a Municipal Corporation city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the ...
. Two passenger trains from both sides of Chengalpattu and Arakkonam pass via Kanchipuram. The nearest domestic as well as international airport is
Chennai International Airport Chennai International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in Tirusulam in Chengalpattu district, in the Greater Chennai Metropolitan Area around southwest of the c ...
, located at a distance of 72 km from the city. The proposed New Chennai International Airport is to be built in Parandhur near Kanchipuram. Telephone and broadband internet services are provided by
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (commonly known as BSNL) () is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, central public sector undertaking, under the ownership of Department of Telecommunications, which is part of the Ministry of Communicatio ...
(BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Electricity supply is regulated and distributed by the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (abbreviated as TNEB) is a power generation and distribution company owned by Government of Tamil Nadu, India. It was created as a regulated monopoly under section 131 of the Electricity Act (2003) as a successor of ...
(TNEB). Water supply is provided by the Kanchipuram municipality; supplies are drawn from subterranean springs of Vegavati river. The head works is located at Orikkai, Thiruparkadal and St. Vegavathy, and distributed through overhead tanks with a total capacity of . About 55 tonnes of solid waste are collected from the city daily at five collection points covering the whole of the city. The sewage system in the city was implemented in 1975; Kanchipuram was identified as one of the hyper endemic cities in 1970. Underground drainage covers 82% of roads in the city, and is divided into east and west zones for internal administration.


Education

Kanchipuram is traditionally a centre of religious education for the Hindu, Jainism and Buddhism faiths. The Buddhist monasteries acted as nucleus of the Buddhist educational system. With the gradual resurrection of Hinduism during the reign of Mahendra Varman I, the Hindu educational system gained prominence with Sanskrit emerging as the official language. Kanchipuram has 49 registered schools, 16 of which are run by the city municipality. The district administration opened night schools for educating children employed in the silk weaving industry – as of December 2001, these schools together were educating 127 people and 260 registered students from September 1999.
Larsen & Toubro Larsen & Toubro Limited, abbreviated as L&T, is an Indian multinational conglomerate, with interests in industrial technology, heavy industry, engineering, construction, manufacturing, power, information technology, defence and financial se ...
inaugurated the first rail construction training centre in India at Kanchipuram on 24 May 2012, that can train 300 technicians and 180 middle-level managers and engineers each year. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya and Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE) are the two
Deemed universities Deemed university, or deemed-to-be-university, is an accreditation granted to higher educational institutions in India by the Department of Higher Education (India), Department of Higher Education. , the UGC lists 124 institutes which were granted ...
present in Kanchipuram. The very famous 65-year-old college- founded by Vallal Pachaiyappar– Pachaiyappa's College for Men- is on the banks of Vegavathi River. It offers UG and PG courses in various subjects.It is the only Govt aided institute in Kanchipuram Taluk. Kanchipuram is home to one of the four Indian Institute of Information Technology, a public private partnered institute, offering undergraduate and post graduate programs in information technology. The city has two medical colleges – Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Institute and Hospital, established in 1969, is operated by the Department of Health, Government of Tamil Nadu and the privately owned Meenakshi Medical College. The city has 6 engineering colleges, 3 polytechnic institutes and 6 arts and science colleges.


Religion


Hinduism

Hindus regard Kanchipuram to be one of the seven holiest cities in India, the
Sapta Puri The Sapta Puri (Sanskrit language, Sanskrit सप्त-पुरी, , "seven cities") are a group of seven Hinduism, Hindu ''tirtha (Hinduism), tirtha'', or holy pilgrimage sites, located in India. Pilgrimage to these sites is said to bless t ...
. According to Hinduism, a kṣhetra is a sacred ground, a field of active power, and a place where final attainment, or ''moksha'', can be obtained. The ''
Garuda Purana The Sanskrit text ''Garuda Purana'' () is one of 18 Mahapurana (Hinduism), Mahapuranas in Hinduism. The ''Garuda Purana'' was likely composed in the first millennium CE, with significant expansions and revisions occurring over several centuries ...
'' says that seven cities, including Kanchipuram are providers of ''moksha''. The city is a pilgrimage site for both
Vaishnavites Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
and
Saivites Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in S ...
. Varadharaja Perumal Temple, dedicated to
Maha Vishnu Mahavishnu () is an aspect of Vishnu, the principal deity in Vaishnavism. In his capacity as Mahavishnu, the deity is known as the Supreme Purusha, the absolute protector and sustainer of the universe, the one who is beyond human comprehensio ...
and covering , is the largest Vishnu temple in Kanchipuram. The temple has around 350 inscriptions from various dynasties like
Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
,
Pandya The Pandya dynasty (), also referred to as the Pandyas of Madurai, was an ancient Tamil dynasty of South India, and among the four great kingdoms of Tamilakam, the other three being the Pallavas, the Cholas and the Cheras. Existing sinc ...
, Kandavarayas,
Chera The Chera dynasty ( or Cēra, ), also known as Keralaputra, from the early historic or the Sangam period in Tamil-speaking southern India, ruled over parts of present-day states Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Cheras, known as one of the mu-ventar ...
s,
Kakatiya The Kakatiya dynasty (IAST: Kākatīya) was a Telugu dynasty that ruled most of eastern Deccan region in present-day India between 12th and 14th centuries. Their territory comprised much of the present day Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and p ...
,
Sambuvaraya The Sambuvarayar chieftains once ruled the Tondaimandalam region of South India. Among them was ''Edirili Chola Sambhuvaraya'', a vassal under Rajadhiraja Chola II and Kulotunga Chola III, who ruled the northern part of Tondaimandalam, now compr ...
,
Hoysala The Hoysala Kingdom was a kingdom originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, India, Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 11th and the 14th centuries Common Era, CE. The c ...
and
Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara
indicating various donations to the temple and also the political situation of Kanchipuram.Ramaswamy 2007, p. 273 Varadharaja Perumal Temple was renovated by the
Cholas The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...
in 1053 and it was expanded during the reigns of the great
Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
kings
Kulottunga Chola I Kulottunga Chola I ('; Middle Tamil: Kulōttuṅka Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Kulottuṅgā Cōḷa; 1025–1122) also spelt Kulothunga (), born Rajendra Chalukya ( Telugu: Rājēndra Cāḷukyuḍu), was a Chola Emperor who reigned from ...
and
Vikrama Chola Vikrama Chola, known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was a 12th-century ruler (''r. c''. 1118–1135 CE''The Cōḷas.'' 62-63.) of the Chola Empire in southern India. He succeeded his father Kulothunga I (''r. c.'' 1070–1120 CE) to the throne.''The ...
. In the 14th century another wall and a
gopura A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' (Tamil language, Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu language, Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Malayalam language, Malayalam: ഗോപുരം) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate ...
was built by the later Chola kings. It is one of the ''
Divya Desams Divya Desam (, ) or Vaishnava Divya Desams are the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that are mentioned in the works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. By comparison, the Paadal Petra Sthalam are the 276 Shiva temples ...
'', the 108 holy abodes of Maha Vishnu. The temple features carved lizards, one plated with gold and another with silver, over the sanctum.
Robert Clive Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British List of governors of Bengal Presidency, Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for l ...
is said to have presented an emerald necklace to the temple. It is called the Clive Makarakandi and is still used to decorate the deity on ceremonial occasions. This temple is the main reason for the city to get its name Kanchi. In the Sanskrit the word is split into two: ka and anchi. Ka means Brahma and anchi means worship, showing that Kanchi stands for the place where Varadharaja Perumal was worshipped by Brahma. Brahma has sculpted Athi Varadhar and worshipped here.
Yathothkari Perumal Temple Tiruvekkaa Temple or Yathothkari Perumal Temple (locally called Sonnavannam Seitha Perumall) is a Hindu temple located in Kanchipuram in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian ...
is the birthplace of the ''
Alvar An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvars support a distinctive group of prairie ...
'' saint,
Poigai Alvar Poigai Alvar was one of the twelve '' Alvar'' saints of South India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of ''Alvars'' are compiled as ''Nalayira Divya Prabandham'' and the 108 temples revered ar ...
.The temple finds mention in Perumpaanatrupadai written by Patanjali. There is a mention about the temple in Silappatikaram (2nd-3rd century CE), Patanjali Mahabharatham and Tolkāppiyam (3rd century BCE). The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Poigai Alvar, Peyalvar, Bhoothathalvar and Thirumalisai Avar.
Tiru Parameswara Vinnagaram Thiru Parameswara Vinnagaram or Vaikunta Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Vishnu, located in Kanchipuram in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is glor ...
The central shrine has a three-tier shrine, one over the other, with Vishnu depicted in each of them. The corridor around the sanctum has a series of sculptures depicting the Pallava rule and conquest. It is the oldest Vishnu temple in the city and was built by the Pallava king Paramesvaravarman II (728–731). Ashtabujakaram,
Tiruththanka The Deepaprakasa Perumal Temple, also referred to as Tiruththanka, Desikar Avatara Sthalam, and Tooppul, is located in Kanchipuram in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravi ...
, Tiruvelukkai, Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Tiru pavla vannam,
Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple Pandavatutar Perumal Temple or Thirupadagam located in Kanchipuram in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna, an avatar of the god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is e ...
are among the Divya Desams, the 108 famous temples of Vishnu in the city. There are five other
Divya Desam Divya Desam (, ) or Vaishnava Divya Desams are the 108 Vishnu and Lakshmi temples that are mentioned in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, works of the Alvars, the poet-saints of the Sri Vaishnavism, Sri Vaishnava tradition. By comparison, the Paad ...
s, three inside the Ulagalantha Perumal temple, one each in Kamakshi Amman Temple and Ekambareswarar Temple respectively. Ekambareswarar Temple in northern Kanchipuram, dedicated to
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
, is the largest temple in the city. Its gateway tower, or ''gopuram'', is tall, making it one of the tallest temple towers in India. The temple is one of five called ''
Pancha Bhoota Stalam The Pancha Bhuta Sthalam (, , ) refers to five temples dedicated to Shiva,Ramaswamy 2007, pp. 301-302 each representing a manifestation of the five prime elements of nature: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. ''Pancha'' indicates "five," ''Bhut ...
s'', which represent the manifestation of the five prime elements of nature; namely land, water, air, sky, and fire. There is also a 108 holy site of Maha Vishnu temple inside the Ekambaranathar temple called Chandrachuda Perumal or Nilathingal Thundam Perumal temple. Ekambareswarar temple represents earth.
Kailasanathar Temple Kailasanathar Temple is the name of several Temple, temples and ancient religious sites found in Southeastern India, all dedicated to the deity Shiva in its form of Kailasanathar or Kailashanatha (). The designation refers to the Mount Kailash, whic ...
, dedicated to Shiva and built by the Pallavas, is the oldest Hindu temple in existence and is declared an archaeological monument by the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...
. It has a series of cells with sculptures inside. In the Kamakshi Amman Temple, goddess
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
is depicted in the form of a ''yantra'', ''Chakra'' or ''peetam'' (basement). In this temple, the ''yantra'' is placed in front of the deity. Adi Sankara is closely associated with this temple and is believed to have established the Kanchi matha after this temple. Muktheeswarar Temple, built by Nandivarman Pallava II (720796) and Iravatanesvara Temple built by Narasimhavarman Pallava II (720728) are the other Shiva temples from the Pallava period. Kachi Metrali – Karchapeswarar Temple, Onakanthan Tali, Kachi Anekatangapadam, Kuranganilmuttam, and Karaithirunathar Temple in Tirukalimedu are the Shiva temples in the city revered in ''Tevaram'', the Tamil Saiva canonical work of the 7th–8th centuries.
Kumarakottam Temple The Kumara kottam Temple is a Hindu temple in Kānchipuram, Tamil Nādu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu war god and the son of the gods Shiva and his mother Pārvathi. The temple is also known as the Subramaniya Swāmi temp ...
, dedicated to
Muruga Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...
, is located between the Ekambareswarar temple and Kamakshi Amman temple, leading to the cult of Somaskanda (Skanda, the child between Shiva and Parvati). ''Kandapuranam'', the Tamil religious work on Muruga, translated from Sanskrit ''Skandapurana'', was composed in 1625 by Kachiappa Shivacharya in the temple. The
Kanchi Matha Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, also called the Sri Kanchi Matham or the Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Peetham, is a Hindu religious center of Vedic learning, located in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. It is located near the Kamakshi Amman Temple of the Shaktism ...
is a Hindu monastic institution, whose official history states that it was founded by
Adi Sankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and his true impact lies in hi ...
of
Kaladi Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th cent ...
, tracing its history back to the 5th century BCE. A related claim is that Adi Sankara came to Kanchipuram, and that he established the Kanchi matha named "Dakshina Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam" in a position of supremacy, namely Sarvagnya Peeta, over the other mathas (religious institutions) of the subcontinent, before his death there. Other historical accounts state that the matha was established probably in the 18th century in
Kumbakonam Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum), or Kudanthai, is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the States of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the hea ...
, as a branch of the
Sringeri Matha Dakṣiṇāmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pīṭham () or Śri Śṛṅgagiri Maṭha (); , ) is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by acharya ...
, and that it declared itself independent. Another matha which was famous in ancient times was the Upanishad Bramham Mutt, located near Kailasanathar temple, Kanchipuram. It has the Mahasamadhi of
Upanishad Brahmayogin Upanishad Brahmayogin is the cognomen of Rāmachandrendra Sarasvati (fl. 1800 CE), a sannyasin and Advaitin scholar of the Upanishads. He is credited with having written commentaries on all 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon. His works have ...
, a saint who wrote commentaries on all the major
Upanishads The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...
in Hinduism. It is said that the great Sage,
Sadasiva Brahmendra Sadasiva Brahmendra (17th Century) was a saint, composer of Carnatic music and Advaita philosopher and Sishya of the great saint Shri Paramasivendra Saraswati (57th Shankaracharya of Moolamnaya Sarvajna Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham), who liv ...
took to sanyasa at this matha. Injimedu is also called Yagna Vedhikai, as many yagna rituals are performed in the village. It is located at 3 km from Pernamallur Town. The best route to go injimedu is #Kanchipuram-Cheyyaru-Pernamallur-Injimedu #Tambaram-Uthiramerur-Vandavasi-Mazhaiyur(Chetpet Road)-Chinna kozhipuliyur-Injimedu.


Buddhism

Buddhism is believed to have flourished in Kanchipuram between the 1st and 5th centuries. Some notable Buddhists associated with Kanchipuram are
Āryadeva Āryadeva (fl. 3rd century CE) (; , Chinese: 提婆 菩薩 ''Tipo pusa'' meaning Deva Bodhisattva), was a Mahayana Buddhist monk, a disciple of Nagarjuna and a Madhyamaka philosopher.Silk, Jonathan A. (ed.) (2019). ''Brill’s Encyclopedia of ...
(2nd–3rd centuries)a successor of
Nāgārjuna Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahāyāna Buddhist philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosoph ...
of
Nalanda University Nālandā University (informally NU; or ISO: Nālandā Vishwavidyalaya) is a central research university located in the ancient city of Rajgir in the state of Bihar, India. Designated as an Institute of National Importance (INI) and excelle ...
, Dignaga and the Pali commentators
Buddhaghosa Buddhaghosa was a 5th-century Sinhalese Theravādin Buddhist commentator, translator, and philosopher. He worked in the great monastery (''mahāvihāra'') at Anurādhapura, Sri Lanka and saw himself as being part of the Vibhajyavāda schoo ...
and Dhammapala. According to a popular tradition,
Bodhidharma Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and is regarded as its first Chinese Lineage (Buddhism), patriarch. ...
, a 5th/6th-century Buddhist monk and founder of
Shaolin Kung Fu Shaolin kung fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is the largest and most famous style of Chinese martial arts, kung fu. It combines Chan Buddhism, Chan philosophy and martial arts. It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in ...
was the third son of a Pallava king from Kanchipuram. However, other traditions ascribe his origins to other places in Asia. Buddhists institutions from Kanchipuram were instrumental in spreading
Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...
to the
Mon people The Mon (; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; , ; , ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Than ...
of
Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
and Thailand who in return spread the religion to the incoming Burmese and
Thai people Thai people, historically known as Siamese people, are an ethnic group native to Thailand. In a narrower and ethnic sense, the Thais are also a Tai peoples, Tai ethnic group dominant in Central Thailand, Central and Southern Thailand (Siam prope ...
. A number of bronzes unearthed at Kurkihar (Apanaka Vihara, near Gaya in Bihar) mention that the majority of the donors were from Kanchi, indicating that Kurkihar was a major center for the visitors from Kanchi during 9th to 11th century,


Jainism

Kanchipuram had been a major center of Jainism and is associated with several well-known Jain Acharyas like Samantabhadra and
Akalanka Akalanka nowiki/>IAST: Akalaṅka">IAST.html" ;"title="nowiki/>IAST">nowiki/>IAST: Akalaṅka(also known as ''Akalaṅkadeva'' and ''Bhatta Akalaṅka'') was a Jain logician whose Sanskrit-language works are seen as landmarks in Indian logic. ...
. It is thought that Jainism was introduced into Kanchipuram by Kunda Kundacharya (1st century). Jainism spread to the city by
Akalanka Akalanka nowiki/>IAST: Akalaṅka">IAST.html" ;"title="nowiki/>IAST">nowiki/>IAST: Akalaṅka(also known as ''Akalaṅkadeva'' and ''Bhatta Akalaṅka'') was a Jain logician whose Sanskrit-language works are seen as landmarks in Indian logic. ...
(3rd century). Kalbhras, the rulers of Kanchipuram before the Pallavas, followed Jainism which gained popularity from royal patronage. The Pallava kings, Simhavishnu, Mahendra Varman and Simhavarman (550560) followed Jainism, until the advent of ''
Nayanmars The Nayanars (or Nayanmars; , and later 'teachers of Shiva') were a group of 63 Tamil Hindu saints living during the 6th to 8th centuries CE who were devoted to the Hindu god Shiva. Along with the Alvars, their contemporaries who were devoted ...
'' and ''
Alvars The Alvars () are the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused '' bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service. They are venerated in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the ...
'' during the 6th and 7th centuries.
Mahendravarman I Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) was a Pallava emperor who ruled over realm covering the southern portions of present-day Andhra region and northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India, in the early 7th century. He was a schol ...
converted from Jainism to Hinduism under the influence of the Naynamar,
Appar Appar (), also referred to as Tirunavukkaracar () or Navukkarasar, was a seventh-century Tamil Shaiva poet-saint. Born in a peasant Shaiva family, raised as an orphan by his sister, he lived about 80 years and is generally placed sometime betwe ...
, was the turning point in the religious geography. The two sects of Hinduism,
Saivism Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the supreme being. It is the second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million Hindus, found widely across South Asia (predominantly in ...
and
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
were revived under the influence of
Adi Sankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and his true impact lies in hi ...
and
Ramanuja Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavi ...
respectively. Later Cholas and Vijayanagara kings tolerated Jainism, and the religion was still practised in Kanchi. The original set of the Jina Kanchi institution Mutt was in Kanchipuram. Its original site is now represented by the Trilokyanatha/Chandraprabha temple at Thiruparthikundram. It is a twin Jain temple that has inscriptions from Pallava king, Narasimhavarman II and the Chola kings
Rajendra Chola I Rajendra I (26 July 971 – 1044), often referred to as Rajendra the Great, was a Chola Empire, Chola Emperor who reigned from 1014 to 1044. He was born in Thanjavur to Rajaraja I. His queen was Vanavan Mahadevi and he assumed royal power as ...
,
Kulothunga Chola I Kulottunga Chola I ('; Middle Tamil: Kulōttuṅka Cōḻaṉ; Classical Sanskrit: Kulottuṅgā Cōḷa; 1025–1122) also spelt Kulothunga (), born Rajendra Chalukya ( Telugu: Rājēndra Cāḷukyuḍu), was a Chola Emperor who reigned fro ...
and
Vikrama Chola Vikrama Chola, known as Kō Parakēsari Varman, was a 12th-century ruler (''r. c''. 1118–1135 CE''The Cōḷas.'' 62-63.) of the Chola Empire in southern India. He succeeded his father Kulothunga I (''r. c.'' 1070–1120 CE) to the throne.''The ...
, and the Kanarese inscriptions of
Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529 and the third ruler of the Tuluva dynasty. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history, he presided over t ...
. The temple is maintained by Tamil Nadu archaeological department. The Jina Kanchi Mutt was later shifted to Melsithamur, near Gingee in the Villupuram district in the 16th century. There exist many historical Jain sites in the vicinity of Kanchipuram in several villages that still have some Jain population.


Other religions

The city has two mosques; one near the Ekambareswarar temple, was built during the rule of Nawab of Arcot in the 17th century, and another near the Vaikunta Perumal temple, shares a common tank with the Hindu temple. Muslims take part in the festivals of the Varadharaja (Swamy) temple. Christ Church is the oldest Christian church in the city. It was built by a British man named Mclean in 1921. The church is built in Scottish style brick structure with arches and pillars.


See also

* Kammavarpalayam *
Murugan Temple, Saluvankuppam The Murugan Temple at Saluvankuppam, Tamil Nadu, India, is a shrine dedicated to Tamil Hindu deities, Hindu deity Murugan. Archaeologists believe that the shrine, unearthed in 2005, consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during th ...
* Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Silver Jubilee School, Tirunelveli


Notes


Footnotes

* The official spelling, as per the municipality website, is "Kancheepuram". However, the spelling Kanchipuram is the most widely used name.


Citations


References

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External links


Kancheepuram MunicipalityKanchipuram HRIDAY cityKancheepuram district administration website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Kanchipuram district Hindu holy cities Former capital cities in India Ancient Indian cities Buddhism amongst Tamils Hindu pilgrimage sites in India