Tour Description :

Kanchipuram(75 kms from Chennai) is one of the seven holy cities in the country, and a visit is believed to bestow salvation. Kanchipuram once had over a thousand temples. Today, there are more than a hundred extant, and all are worth a visit. Kanchipuram also has some notable churches and mosques.

Ancient Kanchipuram is the city of thousand temples and is one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centres for the Hindus. This city is also known as Kanchi. There now remain about 126 temples in Kanchi and a few more in its outskirts. The city was the capital of the early Cholas and it was the Pallava capital between the 6th and 8th centuries.

Kanchipuram is a major seat of Tamil learning as well as an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Jains and Saivite Hindus. Apart from its temples, this small town is also known for its thriving handloom industry. The weavers of Kanchi have settled in the temple town more than 400 years ago and have given it an enviable reputation as the producers of the best silk and cotton sarees in the country. Woven from pure mulberry silk, these sarees woven in dazzling colours are embellished with fine gold thread (zari) and are available in every imaginable design and variety. This makes the choice of selection quite challenging for the buyer.

Temple festivals are held throughout the year and apart from the temple car or the ratha festivals are held in January, April and May. There are other days when the idols are taken out in procession on their respective vahanas or vehicles.

Ekambareswarar Temple Originally built by the Pallavas, this large Shiva temple was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijaynagara kings. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Earth or Prithvi, one of the five elements. The dimensions of this temple are reflected in its 20-acre spread and its tall south gopuram, which soars to a height of 58.5m.

The eleven-storey structure that is adorned with beautiful sculptures is one of the tallest temple towers in South India. Childless couples revere the ancient mango tree in the courtyard. They faithfully string small cradles to the branches of the tree with the hope that their desire for an offspring will be fulfilled.

Also in the temple, there is a small panel depicting the story that tells of the temple's existence. Parvathi incurred Shiva's wrath when she made the mistake of playing a mischievous prank on him by covering his eyes for a second. Hindering Siva's vision for that one second led to years of darkness for the mortals, Shiva bade her to perform penance to obtain his forgiveness.It is believed that the temple was built on the spot where the lord forgave her.

Ekambareswarar Temple Originally built by the Pallavas, this large Shiva temple was later reconstructed by the Chola and Vijaynagara kings. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped as Earth or Prithvi, one of the five elements. The dimensions of this temple are reflected in its 20-acre spread and its tall south gopuram, which soars to a height of 58.5m.

The eleven-storey structure that is adorned with beautiful sculptures is one of the tallest temple towers in South India. Childless couples revere the ancient mango tree in the courtyard. They faithfully string small cradles to the branches of the tree with the hope that their desire for an offspring will be fulfilled.

Also in the temple, there is a small panel depicting the story that tells of the temple's existence. Parvathi incurred Shiva's wrath when she made the mistake of playing a mischievous prank on him by covering his eyes for a second. Hindering Siva's vision for that one second led to years of darkness for the mortals, Shiva bade her to perform penance to obtain his forgiveness.It is believed that the temple was built on the spot where the lord forgave her.