World of Books and Travel

Back to Kanchipuram We wanted to cover one or two temples in the evening of the same day we arrived at Kanchipuram. Our autorikshaw driver was only too glad to take us around.  He first took us to Kanchi Kailasanatha temple located in the west of Kanchipuram.   He dropped us just in front of the temple.  The temple has a high rising tower at the entrance.   The temple, built in Dravidian style architecture,  is dedicated to Lord Shiva .     Built in 650 AD-705 AD, by the Pallavas, it is the oldest temple of Kanchipuram. Currently it is looked after by the Archeological Survey of India.    Numerous carved images of Gods and Goddesses are seen on the inner and outer walls of the temple. One of the unique features of this temple is the 16 sided Shivalingam made up of black granite at the main shrine.   Since it was in the evening we could not capture photos properly. However, I am posting one photo which I actually took the next morning while passing that way.  This is

Last week we had a week end trip from Bangalore to Kanchipuram, one of the seven sacred cities of India. Kanchipuram is also known as  the City of Temples and the Silk City, located in Tamil Nadu, South India.  Kanchipuram is a historical, cultural and religious city located on the banks of  River Vedavadi. Kanchipuram (Kancheepuram) is also one of the most important spiritual centres of Hinduism and a major pilgrim destination.  The ancient temples located here are built by Pallava and Chola kings.  Getting into Kancheepuram -  Kanchipuram can be accessed by train, bus, and car. From Chennai, it is only 75 kms away and from Bangalore 278 kms. We went by car and it took us nearly 4 hours. The roads were excellent and the drive was pleasant. Accommodation - We had booked our accommodation in  Pine Tree, one of the good hotels in Kanchipuram. We had a comfortable stay in Pine Tree. On reaching there we enquired about visiting the temples; they had advised us that it is better to