Kanchipuram

The City of a Thousand Temples

Kanchipuram is one of the seven greatest cities of ancient India. Shrouded in myths and legends, the city is an important center of Hindu pilgrimage. Kanchipuram has served as an imperial capital for many powerful dynasties, dating back to early 2nd century B.C, each leaving their distinct mark on its glorious past. The city appears as a brilliant canvas painted by the hands of time. The city, brimming with medieval charm, has numerous magnificent temples and historic buildings from different eras carrying an aura of timeless glory. A treat for the eyes, this city enwraps a traveler in its mystique charms, offering a virtual time travel to the India of the ancient days.

Kanchipuram has withstood the tests of time and the numerous invasions, and remains today as an eternal citadel of Hindu Dravidian culture. Kanchipuram also has a thriving handloom industry, being the home of intrically hand-woven silk, known throughout the world as Kancheevaram silk. Kanchipuram, in ancient times had been a place of thriving Buddhism and Jainism. The city has always fostered a passion for erudite pursuits. The “Kanchi Kama Kodi Peetham”, a center of higher learning established in B.C 482 by Sri Adi Shankara, a Hindu saint, has one of its four seats in Kanchipuram.