List of temples in Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram (Tamil: காஞ்சிபுரம்), or kanchi or Kancheepuram, is a famous temple city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It served as the capital city of the Pallava Kingdom. It is also known by its former names Kanchiampathi, Conjeevaram, and the nickname "The City of Thousand Temples" ^[1] It is now the Administrative headquarters of Kanchipuram district. Kanchipuram is located 72 kilometers from Chennai, the capital city of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India.

Kanchipuram is considered one of the seven holiest cities to the Hindus of India. In Hinduism, a kṣetra is a sacred ground, a field of active power, a place where moksha, final release can be obtained. The Garuda Purana enumerates seven cities as providers of moksha, namely Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Avantikā, Dvārakā and Kanchipuram.

List of temples

Among the major Hindu temples in Kanchipuram are some of the most prominent Vishnu Temples and Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu like the Varadharaja Perumal Temple for Vishnu and the Ekambaranatha Temple which is the "earth abode" of Shiva. Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kumara Kottam, Kachapeshwarar Temple, and the Kailasanathar Temple are some of the other prominent temples.

  *   Divya desams - temples dedicated to Vishnu glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries CE.There are 15 Divya desam in Kanchipuram.
  *   Padal petra stalam - where the three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar have glorified the Shiva temples in Tevaram during the 7th-8th centuries.There are 11 paadal petra stalam in Kanchipuram.

	Name of the temple	Photo	Architecture/Timeline	Notes/Beliefs
Shiva Temples
	Ekambareswarar Temple (Kachi Ekambam)		600 CE, Pallavas, Present structure - Nayaks of Tanjore	The temple is the largest temple in the town of Kanchipuram and is located in the northern part of the town.[2] The temple gopuram (gateway tower) is 59m tall, which is one the tallest gopurams in India.[3] It is one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalams representing earth (Sanskrit: पन्च भूत स्थल) referring to the five temples,[4] dedicated to Shiva, a Hindu god, each representing the manifestation of the five prime elements of nature- land, water, air, sky and fire.[5]
	Kailasanathar Temple		567 CE foundation, Expansion in 7th century by Rajasimha Pallava[6]	The temple is the oldest Pallava temple still in existence and is declared an archeological monument by Archaeological Survey of India. The temple is architecturally considered splendid and its plan is peculiar in having a series of cells with sculptures within.[6]
	Karchapeswarar Temple		Pallava dynasty,[7] present structure by Vijayanagar rulers[8]	Vishnu is believed to have worshipped Shiva in the form of kurma (tortoise).[6] The other name given to the temple is Kachipedu in some inscriptions.[6] The temple is adjacent to the Kanthakottam temple.
	Sathyanatheswarar Temple ( Kachi Nerikkaaraikkadu)			Tirugnana Sambandar, a 7th-century Tamil Saivite poet, venerated Sathyanatheswarar in one verse in Tevaram, compiled as the First Tirumurai. As the temple is revered in Tevaram.
	Metraleeswar Temple (Kachi Metrali)			Appar and Sambandar, the 7th-century Tamil Saivite poet, venerated Metralinathar in one verse each in Tevaram, compiled as the First Tirumurai.
	Ona Kantheeswarar Temple (Onakanthan Thali)			Onakandan means the lover of the Sravana constellation and Metrali refers to southern side.[9]
	Anekadhangavadeswarar Temple (Kachi Anekatangapadam)			The temple is believed to be in forest frequented by large set of people.[9] The temple is close to the Kailasantha temple in a very small campus.
	Kuranganilmuttam		Pallavas[10]	The temple is close to Mamandur, south of Kanchipuram. The temple has a rock cut shrine of Pallava origin associated with monkey, squirrel and crow (kurangu, Anil and Mutram in Tamil).[10] The temple has been revered by Campantar's Tevaram.[10]
	Jalanatheeswarar Temple ,Takkolam (Tiruvooral)			It was constructed during the regime of Pallava king Abarajitha Varman in 876 AD as a stone temple. The rajagopura of the temple was, however, constructed later during the regime of Vijayanagara King Veera Pradhaba Sadasiva Maharayar in 1543 AD. The principal deity of the temple is Lord Jalanatheeswarar accompanied by Lordess Giriraja Kannigambal. The wonderful aspect of the main deity here is that the Linga appears in white colour during dhakshanayan period (from first of Tamil month Thai to the month end of Aadi) and appears in pale red during uttarayan period (from first of Tamil month Aani to the month end of Marghazhi).
	Thirumagaraleeswarar Temple			The temple is revered by Campantar in Tevaram hymns. The places has two Jain images pointing to the original existence of Jainism in the area.[11]
	Vedapureeswarar Temple, Cheyyar (Tiruvothur)			The place was originally a Jain temple and was later obtained by Saivas after Campantar performed miracles to yield a palmya tree. Palmya tree is sculpted in the temple. The temple is revered by Campantar in Tevaram hymns.
	Thirumarperu			Vishnu (called Tirumal) is believed to have worshipped Shiva in this temple and hence the name Thirumalpur.[1] The temple has a four-tiered rajagopuram (temple tower). The temple has set of inscriptions from Chola period of Rajaraja Chola I (985 – 1014 CE).[2] Appar, the 7th-century saint poet glorified the deity in Tevaram in one verse.[3][4][5] The temple is also referred as Hari-chakrapuram. The Nandi (sacred bull of Shiva) is in standing portion in this temple unlike other Shiva temple where Nandi is in sitting posture.[5] The temple tree is Bilva.
	Sri Thalapureeswarar, Krubanatheswarar,Panangattu Easwarar Temple (Thiruppanangadu) near Ayyangarkulam			The temple is praised by saint Sundarar in his Thevaram hymns. Describing the glory of Panangattur Lord Shiva, Sundarar says that what people could think of if they fail to think of Lord Shiva who holds in Him those free from cunnings, the Great Mother as His part and having Pananangattor His abode. This is the 19th Shiva Temple in Thondaimandalam region praised in Thevaram hymns.
	Muktheeswarar Temple		Nandivarman II	The temple is in dilapidated state and has inscriptions dating back to the Pallava period. The sculpture in front mandapa (hall) has bold outlines.[9]
	Vazhakarutheeswarar Temple			Vazhakku indicates case - worship in this temple is believed to relieve people of all their litigations.[12] The temple attained significance when Vasanthi Stanli, a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party functionary prayed for Kanimozhi (the daughter of ex-chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi and accused in 2G spectrum case), offered special worship to relieve her of trial of 2G spectrum scam.[12]
	Iravatanesvara Temple, Kanchipuram		Pallavas, 8th century CE	It is famous for its splendid vimana and the circular sanctum.[13] This temple was built by Pallava King Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimhan). The temple is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India and is a protected monument.[14]
Shakti Temples
	Kamakshi Amman Temple		Pallavas in 6th century and modified in 14th-17th century [15]	The goddess is depicted in the form of an yantra. Chakra or peetam (basement) is where the deity placed. But in this temple, the yantra is placed in front of the deity.[16] Adi Sankara is closely associated with this temple and believed to have established the Kanchi matha after this temple. The mutt's official history states that it was founded by Adi Sankara of Kaladi, and that His Holiness Jayendra Saraswati Swami is the current pontiff - The 69th head in succession, tracing its history back to the 5th century BCE.[17] A related claim is that Adi Sankara came to Kanchipuram, and that he established the Kanchi mutt named "Dakshina Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam" in a position of supremacy (Sarvagnya Peetha) over the other mathas of the subcontinent, before his death there.
Other Hindu Temples
	Kumarakottam			The temple is dedicated to Muruga (called Skanda), the son of Shiva and Parvathi and is located between the Ekambareswarar temple and Kamakshi Amman temple leading to the cult of Somaskanda (Skanda, the child between Shiva and Parvathi). The temple is the birthplace of Kandapuranam, the Tamil religious work on Muruga translated from Sanskrit Skandapurana in 1625 CE by Kachiappa Shivacharya.[8]
	Chitragupta temple		Cholas - 9th century CE[18][19]	Chitragupta, as per Hinduism is the younger brother of Yama, the death god, who keeps track of good and bad deeds of humanbeings to decide their residence in heaven or hell.[19] The temple is just one of its kind that has a separate temple for Chitragupta.[19] The panchaloha (alloy made of five elements) idol of the deity and his consort was found during an excavation process during 1911 CE.[19]
Jain Temples
	Trilokyanatha Temple - Jain Temple		8th century CE, Pallavas[7]	Trilokyanatha/Chandraprabha temple is a twin jain temple having inscriptions from Pallava king, Narasimhavarman II and the Chola kings Rajendra Chola I, Kulothunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola, and the Kanarese inscriptions of Krishnadevaraya. The temple is maintained by Tamil Nadu archaeological department.[20]
Vishnu Temples
	Varadharaja Perumal Temple		1053 CE, Cholas, present structure 14th-15th century, Nayaks of Tanjore	Varadharaja Perumal Temple was originally built by the Cholas in 1053[21] and it was expanded during the reigns of the great Chola kings Kulottunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola. In the 14th century another wall and a gopura was built by the later Chola kings. It is an ancient temple and one of the 108 divyadesams, the holy abodes of Vishnu. It is located in part of Kanchipuram called the Vishnu Kanchi that is a home for a lot of famous Vishnu temples, including this one. Varadharaja Perumal Temple is a huge one on a 23-acre (93,000 m^2) complex and shows the architectural skills of ancient vishwakarma sthapathis in temple architecture and is famous for its holiness and ancient history. Another significant thing about the temple are beautiful carved lizards and platted with gold, over the sanctum.[22]
	Ashtabujakaram - Sri Adhikesava Perumal Temple			The deity is with eight hands and hence called asta bhujakaram.
	Tiruvekkaa - Sri Yathothkari Temple			The deity here is termed "Sonna vannam seitha Perumal" meaning the truth sayer. It lies west of Varadaraja Perumal temple.[23]
	Tiruththanka - Sri Deepa prakasa Perumal Temple			There are shrines for Lakshmi Hayagriva, Andal, Vedanta Desika and Alwars. It is the birthplace of Vedanta Desika. There is a separate shrine for Hayagreeva along with Vedanta Desika.
	Tiruvelukkai - Sri Azhagiya Singar Temple			The temple is known for the Narasimha (lion form) avatar of Vishnu.
	Tirukalvanoor - Sri Adi Varaha Swami Temple			The temple is a small shrine inside the Kamaakshi Amman temple precinct.
	Tiruoorakam - Sri Ulagalantha Swami Temple		846-869 CE, Nandivarman III[24]	The temple is believed to have stood in Karikala hall, after ancient Chola king Karikala. Inscriptions indicate the existence of the hall in olden days.[25] All the four temples are enshrined in the same complex.[23]
	Tiruneeragam - Sri Jagadeeshwarar Temple
	Tirukaaragam - Sri Karunagara Perumal Temple
	Tirukaarvaanam - Sri Tirukaarvarnar Temple
	Tiruparamechura Vinnagaram - Sri Vaikunda Perumal Temple		Late 8th century, Nandivarman II[26]	The place is the birthplace of the azhwar saint, Poigai Alvar.[26] The central shrine has tiers of 3 shrines, one over the other, with Vishnu depicted in each of them.[26] The prakaram (corridors round the sanctum) has series of sculptures depicting the Pallava rule and conquer.[26]
	Tirupavalavannam - Sri Pavala Vanar Temple			The temple faces west and the twin aswins have worshipped the deity here.[23]
	Tirupaadagam - Sri Pandava Thoodar Temple		Expanded in 1070-1120 CE, Kulothunga Chola I[18][25]	The temple has a set of inscriptions associated with Cholas. A record of the Chola king, Rajakesari Varaman alais Kulothunga Chola I, dated in his fifth year.[25]
	Tirunilaaththingalthundam - Sri Nilathingal Thundathan Perumal Temple			The temple is a small shrine close to the sanctum sanctorum of the Ekambranathar temple.
	Tirupputkuzhi - Sri Vijaya Raghava Perumal Temple
Other Temples
	Parithiyur- Kalyana Varadharaja Perumal Temple
	Sri Aadhi Kesava Perumal - Kooran [about 8 to 9 km from Kanchipuram]
	Vamanar temple (very near to Kamakshi Temple)
	Dhrmalingeswarar Temple (Kayaar Kulam)
	Neervalur - Sri Veetrirunda Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Temple
	Sangupani Vinayakar Temple
	Satyanadeeswara Temple
	Kanaka Durga Temple, Koneri Kuppam
	Upanishada Bramham Mutt - Place where Lalitha Sahasrama was revealed. Rama Yantra has been installed by Sage Narada

Notes

1. "Tourist Places". Government of Tamil Nadu. 2001.
2. Let's Go (2004), Let's Go India & Nepal 8th Edition, NY: Let's Go Publications, p. 584, ISBN 0-312-32006-X
3. Sajnani 2001, pp. 305
4. Ramaswamy 2007 , pp. 301-302
5. A dictionary, Canarese and EnglishWilliam Reeve, Daniel Sanderson
6. Ayyar 1991, pp. 73
7. "Tmple". 2001.
8. Rao 2008, p. 110
9. Ayyar 1991. p. 86
10. Soundara Rajan 2001, p. 27
11. K. R. 2002, p. 40
12. "DMK distances itself from poojas for Kanimozhi by Party MP".
13. Ayyar 1991, p. 74
14. "List of protected monuments in Tamil Nadu maintained by ASI".
15. Abram, David; Edwards, Nick; Ford, Mike; Jacobs, Daniel; Meghji, Shafik; Sen, Devdan; Thomas, Gavin (2011), The Rough guide to India, Rough Guides, p. 456, ISBN 978-1-84836-563-6
16. Ayyar 1991, pp. 70-71
17. "Kamakoti.org".
18. Rao 2008, p. 111
19. "The Hindu : Shrine for Chitragupta". 2003.
20. "Deprived of original élan". 2011.
21. "Abodes of Vishnu - Thirukkachchi".
22. "Gateway to Kanchipuram district - Varadaraja Temple".
23. Ayyar 1991, p. 539
24. Rao 2008, p. 109
25. Ayyar 1991, p. 75
26. Ayyar 1991, p. 80

References

• Ayyar, P. V. Jagadisa (1991), South Indian shrines: illustrated, New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0151-3.
• K.R., Subramanian; K. R., Subramanian (M.A.) (2002), The origin of Saivism and its history in the Tamil land, New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, ISBN 81-206-0144-0
• Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2007), Historical dictionary of the Tamils, United States: Scarecrow Press, INC., ISBN 978-0-470-82958-5
• Rao, P.V.L. Narasimha (2008), Kanchipuram - Land of Legends, Saints & Temples, New Delhi: Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd., ISBN 978-93-5018-104-1
• Sajnani, Dr. Manohar (2001), Encyclopedia of tourism resources in India, Volume 2, Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, ISBN 81-7835-014-9.
• Soundara Rajan, Kodayanallur Vanamamalai (2001), Concise classified dictionary of Hinduism, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, ISBN 81-7022-857-3.