Chennai Travel
Location
of Chennai - Along The Coast Of Bay Of Bengal, Tamil Nadu
Chennai is Regarded As - The Gateway To The South
Chennai is Hub of - South India's Film Industry
Formerly Called - Madras
Chennai - The Gateway To The Southern India :
Popularly regarded as "The Gateway to the South", Chennai is the
fourth largest city in India and the capital of Tamil Nadu state. With a
vast population of about six million people, Chennai is a city that is
growing, expanding and changing vigorously.
Location of Chennai :
Chennai has the Bay of Bengal bordering its east, while the state of Andhra
Pradesh is on its northwest. It has the Kanchipuram on its south and the
states of Kerala and Karnataka on its western side.
Chennai, previously called Madras, is comparatively a new city, about 350
years old. The erstwhile villages of Mylapore, Triplicane, Ezhambur
(Egmore), etc., all now a part of Chennai, have a recorded historical past
centuries older than Chennai. Chennai is a gracious city that has a clear
skyline, long sandy beaches, parks, historic landmarks and tourist
infrastructural facilities which make it a convenient entry point or base to
start a tour of Tamil Nadu and South India.
Prime Attractions / Places to see :
Marina Beach - Golden sand, good surf and a shimmering
clean blue sea; this in a nutshell is Marina beach. This beach is counted
among one of the longest beaches in Asia.
Theosophical Society - On a vast expanse of over 250
acres on the banks of the Adyar estuary lies the more-than-a-century-old
Theosophical Society, amidst the woods, marshes, gardens and waters.
Kapaleeswara Temple - The Kapaleeswara Temple situated in
Mylapore is very famous and attracts thousands of devotees, especially
during festival days.
Excursions from Chennai City :
MGR
Film City - Known to the world over for its film industry, MGR Film City
is a special delight, which houses various locations and settings for film
shootings besides dubbing and re-recording theatres.
Mahabalipuram - Located at a distance of 58 km from
Chennai, Mahabalipuram has everything that makes a site memorable;
tradition, history, piety, western annals, and current importance as a
centre of tourism.
Crocodile Bank - Located 42m from Chennai is a farm where
several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators are bred in
captivity. This crocodile bank is on the way to Mahabalipuram and is run by
Romulve Whittaker.
Tirupati - 84km from Chennai at the extreme south of
Andhra Pradesh is Tirupati, one of the most important pilgrimage centres of
India. ...more Excursions from Chennai
How to reach Chennai ?
Chennai, is an international arrivel point and is well connected by Air
from all the major national and international cities around the world.
Regular train services also connect Chennai (Madras) directly with all the
major cities and National Highway connect the city with excelllant road
network from other capitals and major tourist places in India.
Kanchipuram Travel
Location
- 75-Km From Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Called - Religious Capital Of South India
Famous Temples In Kanchipuram - Kamakshi Amman Temple,
Varadaraja Temple, Kailashanathar Temple, Ekambareshwar Temple, Kumara
Kottam, Ulahalanda Perumal Temple
Important Festivals Celebrated -
» Brahmotsavam - Varadaraja Temple In May;
» Garuda Sevai- Varadaraja Temple In June;
» Float Festival -Varadaraja Temple In February And November;
» Kamakshi Ammam Festival - February;
» Mahashivaratri Festival - Kailashanatha Temple In February;
» Panguni Uthiram -Ekambareshwara Temple In March-April.
Land Of Thousand Temples :
Kanchipuram is a small, rural town about 75-km from Chennai in the state of
Tamil Nadu. With the Sankara Mutt acting as the hub of Hindu activities and
the temples, Kanchipuram is one of the most highly visited pilgrimage spots
in India , and can rightfully be called the " Pilgrimage In Tamil Nadu
Religious Capital of South India".
Kanchipuram was under the Pallavas from the 6th to 8th century AD and later
became the citadel of the Cholas, Vijayanagar Kings, the Muslim and the
British. It has been a center of Tamil learning, cultural and religious
background for centuries. Kanchipuram has magnificent temples of unique
architectural beauty bearing eloquent testimony to its glorious Dravidian
heritage.
All the religious cities in India support one of the two sects in Hinduism
- Vaishnavism and Shaivism, but Kanchipuram has blended itself equally to
both the sects, dividing itself into Vishnu Kanchi, surrounding the
Varadaraja Temple, and Shiva Kanchi, surrounding the Ekambareshwar (also
spelt as Ekambareshwa) Temple, while the Kamakshi Amman Temple stands in
between as a place of Shakti worship.
Kamakshi Amman Temple -
India has three main cities where the Goddess Shakti is worshipped.
Kanchipuram holds the most important rank among the three. In the same
order, the three places are Kanchipuram, where the Goddess Kamakshi is
worshipped, Madurai, where the Goddess Meenakshi is worshipped, and Kashi,
where the deity is 'Visaalakshi'.
The Kamakshi Amman temple is the hub of all religious activities in
Kanchipuram. The temple is also in closer control of the Shankara Mutt,
unlike the other temples, which are governed either by the Department of
Archeology, Government of India, or the Hindu Temples Department of the
Tamil Nadu Government. The kings of the Chola Empire built the temple in
14th century AD.
The main tower over the sanctum (Vimanam) of the temple is gold plated.
Also of significance is the Golden Chariot in this temple. The Golden
Chariot is taken in a procession around the temple on Friday evenings around
7.00 p.m. This temple also features an Art Gallery with pictures depicting
the history of Sri Adishankaracharya and the Shankara Mutt.
Kailashanathar Temple - Dedicated to Lord Shiva,
Kailashanathar (also spelt as Kailashnatha) is one of the earliest temples
built by the Pallava ruler Rajasimha Pallava and was completed by his son,
Mahendra Varma Pallava in the 8th century AD. It is the oldest structure in
Kanchipuram and the finest example of Pallava architecture in South India .
The temple is situated among several low-roofed houses just over 1-km west
of the town center.
Of all the temples in India, no other edifice has been so elaborately
filled with all the 64 aspects of Lord Shiva. The temple is unique in its
architecture and is viewed more as an architectural wonder than as a holy
place. Hence, it is never crowded with locals. But, once in a year during
Shivaratri festival large crowds visit the temple and there could be hours
of waiting in long queues.
Ekambareshwar
Temple - Ekambareshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the
largest temples in Kanchipuram, spreading over an area of 12.14 hectares.
This ancient temple is surrounded by a huge stonewall built in the early
16th century during the days of the Vijayanagar Empire.
Ekambareshwar temple is of hoary antiquity, beginning as a small fane, it
has grown over the centuries into a large one with innumerable shrines,
Mandapams, Gopurams and Tanks. It is considered to be one of the most
ancient temples in India and has been in existence even prior to 600 AD. It
enshrines many traditions.
Kumara Kottam - Kumara Kottam is located in between the
Kamakshi and Ekambareshwar temples in the Somaskanda formation in the town
of Kanchipuram. It is a well-visited temple with two Prakarams and a
complete pantheon of Parivara Devatas enshrined in their respective shrines.
In the sanctum, Muruga is in a seated pose. Valli, Deivayani are absent
here, but their festival idols are kept here. In accordance with the
function of Creation he has assumed, his right arm is in Abaya pose, the
upper hand holds the rosary, and the lower left arm is on the thigh in
Katyavailambita pose with the left arm holding the Kamandalam. The posture
is also called "Brahma Chattam".
Here only honey is used for ablutions. When one comes out after worshipping
the main deity, one can see the festival idols. In the front part of the
temple in the mirror room one can see the marble figure of Ramalinga
Swamigal.
Varadaraja Temple - The
Varadaraja temple is one of the important shrines of Sri Vaishnavites, also
known as "Hastigiri" and is one of the celebrated Vaishnava Divya
Desams, located in Vishnu Kanchi or "the Little Kanchi".
Originally it was known as "Attiyuran". The main deity here is
Varadaraja Perumal in a standing posture facing west and the Lord here is
also known as "Devaraja", "Pranatharthihara", "Deva
Perumal", "Athiyooran" and "Perarulalan".
Varadaraja temple with superb art has a magnificent history, which is
associated with Sri Ramanuja, who used to serve here. Many miracles are said
to have occurred. It was with his ministry that the temple, then already
several centuries old, began to gain fame.
Ulahalanda Perumal Temple - Ulahalanda Perumal temple,
situated about half a kilometre from the centre of the town near Kamakshi
Amman temple is one of the oldest temples in Kanchipuram. The deity
Ulahalanda Perumal in this temple represents the "Vamana Roopam",
an incarnation of Lord Vishnu taken to save the Devas from the Demon king
Mahabali. The deity Ulahalanda Perumal is depicted by a huge image of about
35 feet high.
Festivals
Celebrated In Kanchipuram :
Some of the important festivals celebrated in Kanchipuram are the
Brahmotsavam -Varadaraja temple in May; Garuda Sevai- Varadaraja temple in
June; Float festival -Varadaraja temple in February and November; Kamakshi
Ammam Festival - February; Mahashivaratri festival - Kailashanatha temple in
February; Panguni Uthiram -Ekambareshwara temple in March-April.
Hoe to get there ?
Air - Chennai is the nearest airport to Kanchipuram.
Rail - Trains for Kanchipuram are available from Chennai,
Chengalpattu, Tirupati, and Bangalore.
Road - Kanchipuram is 75-km away from Chennai and is well
connected by a network of roads. There are frequent buses from the city to
Chennai, Bangalore and other places. For local transportation bicycles can
be hired from the shops near the bus stand. Cycle Rickshaws and auto
rickshaws are also available on hire to move in and around the city.
