A Simple Explanation of the Origins of Kanchipuram Temples

Kanchipuram is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, 72 kilometres from Chennai. It is also known as The City of Thousands of Temples. Kanchipuram is famous for its temple buildings and silk sarees. The city has houses of Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ekambareswarar Temple, Kamakshi Amman Temple, and Kumarakottam Temple, which are some of the largest temples. Out of 108 temples of the Hindu god Vishnu, 15 are found in Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram serves as the most important tourist destination in India.

History and Origins

Kanchipuram is among the oldest temple cities in southern India, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, when it served as the Chola Empire’s first capital. It served as the capital of Pallava from the 3rd to the 9th centuries CE and the late Chola government’s capital from the 10th to the 13th centuries. The major city of Vijayanagar was overrun by Muslim and Maratha forces in the 17th century, then by the British in the 18th century, before being overthrown twice by the French. Throughout its history, Kanchipuram has always been an important centre of travel. It was a centre of Jain and Buddhist learning in its early years, and the great Hindu philosopher Ramanuja (tradition dated 1017-1137) was educated there. Under the Pallavas, Kanchipuram flourished as a centre for Hinduism and Buddhism. King Narasimhavarman II built important temples in the Hindu city, the Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple, the Varadharaja Perumal Temple, and the Airavatesvara Temple. Kanchipuram is administered by a high-level municipality that was founded in 1947. Between the 4th and 9th centuries, the Pallava Empire’s headquarters was Kanchi matha, a monastery said to have been founded by Hindu monk and scholar Adi Sankaracharya.

Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple

Kailasanatha is one of India’s most fascinating and magnificent old temples. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva by Pallava King Rajasimha (700-728 CE, also known as Narasimhavarman II). The sandstone structure is surrounded by a richly decorated wall with 58 various places of worship holding figures of Shiva, Parvati, and Skanda. There are also relics of colourful statues that have now disappeared from the temples. The west part of the wall previously featured a gopura with a front drum or memorial, but Mahendra Paramesvara, a non-gate temple, now occupies the main entrance. Named after the son of Rajasimha, it contains a large divine ring (phallus). The layout of this temple and the monuments on the east of the compound are not typical of Dravidian architecture. The temple’s main entry is a typical porch, or mandapa, which is open on sidewalls and is now elegantly joined to the temple by a new six-column hall. Kailasanatha has a huge and very complex tower (vimana). The inner sanctuary (garbhagriha) has a surrounding area for worshipers to walk around. The three outer walls of the garbhagriha have seven small places of worship placed next to each, and each contains a Shiva statue. The exterior of the entire temple is covered with sculptures, especially of the lionesses (yalis), Nandis, devotees of Shiva (Ganas), Shiva, and other Hindu deities.

Varadharaja Perumal Temple

The Pallava Vaikunthaperumal Temple, built by Narasimhavarman II in the late eighth century CE, is dedicated to Vishnu. It is among the remaining Pallava temples to have survived. Also ruled by a massive tower, the temple is unique in its three-dimensional temple, one in each case and each with a Vishnu statue. The eight-column mandapa leads to the holy houses inside, where there are two corridors around the first floor. The temple’s interior walls are adorned with statues depicting scenes from the history of the Pallava dynasty.

Some buildings in Kanchipuram include a few sanctuaries of Pallava, where Muktesvara and Matangesvara are located. The small temple of Cokkisvara, dating to the 12th century CE, has been restored. Finally, the Varadaraja temple was built in the early 17th century CE and had a large gopura and a prominent sculpture on the outside, especially the lions raising its mandapa columns. In addition to the many statues adorning various city monuments, there are a few excellent figures of surviving yoginis, usually in greenstone and dating to the 9th and 10th centuries CE. It covers more than 350 inscriptions that are said to represent almost every major empire in South India. A prominent feature of the temple complex is the famous “100-story hall,” with statues and reliefs depicting a few important Hindu deities.

Conclusion

Kanchipuram is a traditional centre for the silk industry and handloom industries to produce Kanchipuram Sarees. The industry valuation is a hundred crores, but the weaving community suffers from poor marketing strategies and duplicate market players. In 2005, “Kanchipuram Silk Sarees” received the mark of Geographical Indication, the first Indian product to own the label. The silk trade in Kanchipuram began with King Raja Raja Chola I (985-1014) inviting weavers from Saurashtra, Gujarat, to relocate to Kanchi. This handiwork increased with the migration of large numbers of weavers from Andhra Pradesh in the 15th century during the reign of Vijayanagara. The city was destroyed during the French siege of 1757 but recurred in the late 18th century.