what's wrong with Kanchipuram?

RPG

Apparently Kanchipuram is one of the seven holy cities (saptapuri) of the Hindus. (The others are Varanasi, Hardwar, Ayodhya, Ujjain, Mathura and Dwarka...very distinguished company).

Apparently it also contains an enormous number of temples, some of them very old and/or of significant interest.

But you never hear much about Kanchipuram...posts here about day trips from Mamallipuram or Chennai rarely suggest Kanchipuram, and you never hear about tourists (non-pilgrims) who choose to spend a night or more there, as opposed to say Madurai or many other temple cities in Tamil Nadu.

So what's wrong with Kanchipuram?

(Reason for asking: it happens to be an easy place to add to our itinerary, because of its location midway between Mamallipuram and Tirupati.)

Many thanks,

machadinha

Nothing as such, I would think (haven't been; wouldn't mind to).

Many of these ultra-holy cities are said to be more interesting if you're an active practitioner of the religion in question; there may also be entry limitations to the various holy sites to non-practitioners. Still other of those cities just fall off the tourist attention map I guess, and Tamil Nadu is full of famous and impressive temple towns anyway.

My old Lonely Planet also describes the city as being, apart from its many and famous temples, a "dusty and fairly nondescript town" with "precious little to see or do" except when there's a festival going on.

Wouldn't stop me from going though, I imagine it must be pretty spectacular (I found those other temple towns so, dusty and non-descript or not, although getting "templed-out" in Tamil Nadu is a quite common experience, certainly if you're not heavily into the architectural or religious/iconic details of it all -- after a few such towns, the finer differences just may not mean very much to you anymore), and in fact I hope to do so should I ever return to the area.

Go and find out and have a great time I'd say Certainly if it's on your route anyway. And if fewer (western) tourists make it there, that might make it that more interesting, right.

For extensive touring of Tamil Nadu & a better appreciation of what you'll get to see, I guess reading up a little on Dravidian art & architecture in its manifold manifestations (or carrying a guidebook on the subject) may really pay off.

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bijapuri

I went there for the day from Mahabs, easily done since it's only 90 minutes away. It was ages ago, but here's what I remember:

The hottest pavement inside the temple complex ever! dunno why, but my feet just melted. BRING SOCKS!

silk is king there- great for shopping for saris

Excellent thali at a local aircon eatery

Many many temples, but I just visited the main one. Poor, crumbling artwork on the gopuram and elsewhere, so it's no art masterpiece.

I'd go back, but given the quality of temples, both for art and for the experience in TN, it's easy to see why this one is often missed.

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zoltan

I was there a few years back.

It was not a very touristy city, and fortunately, the tout levels were minimal.

As bijapuri mentions, there's lots of silk there to purchase. One of the things that this area does have (apparently), is a high number of children in bonded employment, working the silk looms.

I went to are a few temples and whilst they were interesting, they were just more temples - that is to say, there was nothing (to me) that was outstanding or impressive (other than the key used to open one of the doors, which was (without exaggeration), 2-feet long.

It was also famous recently for one of the temple priests being accused (maybe convicted) of murdering one of the other temple priests.

If you're in the area, by all means swing by and have a look but to me, it's just another city and I am not likely to be passing through there again.

Cheers
Zoltan

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Jorge Reverter

Kanchipuram is an obliged visit if you are in the area. I've been there a couple of times but always coming from Mahabalipuram for a single day visit and going back in the evening to Mahab., another option is to continue the trip to Vellore. Temples are really impressive and loads of silk's sarees shops/workshop, but really the town doesn't inspire much enthusiasm to the travellers. Nevertheless is a must in a trip to Tamil Nadu.

Jorge

pmvelu

Yes Kanchipuram is definitely worth a Visit and it's just 1 1/2 Hours from Chennai and we could contiue with other touristy places like Vedanthangal Or Pondy Or Thiruvannamali Or Gingee Or Mamallapuramm...

Temples are worth and the Silk Sarees (Need to be beware of Quite a lot of shops which sell Fake ones) & many a unknown unnamed temples all around the town !

AvidTrekker

Kanchipuram has a "little Kanchipuram" next to it.

It is populated with very many naaDii readers. They read out your life description and future(?) prognostication in Tamil, which is translated by some Tamil English speaker.

All this is read from palm leaves purported to have been wtitten by Rshis (sages) some thousands of years ago.

Various names of Rshis are prefixed to that particular naaDii, like... Agastya naaDii, shuka naaDii, vasiShTha naaDii, and so on.

There are more than 20 to 30 such families reading naaDiies in "little kanchipuram".

Many or most of them also go to Chennai Bangalore etc to ply their readership.
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puchoo

So famous that it is a type of Sari now...

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capt_mahajan

I don't like towns in which almost the only thing to do is to go to the temple.

So I never visit. If passing through, may stop but not go inside if crowded. If a practicising temple, chances are good I will not enter.

So, for me and perhaps, that is what is wrong with Kanchipuram.

(the silk is no attraction either )

puchoo

Im with you on that.....the temple could be one of the things on the list in terms of places to see but i would never (havent so far) gone anywhere with the sole purpose of seeing/visiting temples alone...

D.J.P.J

Ive just spent two months in India , only one week in Tamil Nadu , but by accident i spent it in Kanchipuram . The hospitality i received their from the locals was amazing . The dosa's and food are the best ive had in Tamil Nadu . The characters i met will stick with me for a life time .

Go to Kanchi

Nick-H

It produces silk, and consequently saris, of a specific kind. Kanchipuram saris are quite heavy and stiff, bright colours, sometimes 'shot' (different colour of weft and warp, so the fabric seems to change colour as you look at it), usually with temple-motif borders. Very beautiful: I'm a fan

I haven't been for ten years, and I did it in half a day from Chennai --- in fact (this was on my first-ever India trip) did Kanchi and Mamalapuram in one day. And I had time to spend nearly £300 on silk :whoa: . (Including a couple of saris that none of my girlfriends liked, which waited ten years to be worn by Mrs N )

Many of the Kanchipuram temples are architectural relics, and you are free to roam. In the ones that are in daily use, the usual restrictions apply, but there should be no problem enetering the premises.
bonded labour? which means that, the parents have sold them into slavery. It happens, although the police will take action, and get good publicity returning the children to their families --- I do wonder what the families do when the police and the newspapers have gone away --- but I would doubt that it happens in full view of the tourists and all! On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised!

Child labour, probably. I think 12 is the minimum age for legal employment here.No mere temple priest, but the highly respected head of the Kanchi Mutt. And I think it was an administrator that was killed, not another priest. Notable that the case hasn't been heard of since the last change of TN government. Impossible to separate right, wrong and politics in these things.

I've heard it said that the silk can be bought cheaper from the big sari shops back in Chennai, but you cannot watch saris being woven here

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mkrishna

Hi

I would suggest you to visit Kanchipuram. It has the famous Vishnu kanchi and Sivakanchi temples which have excellent architechtural value to offer. The temples have the golden and silver lizard which you will be allowed to touch and it has some story round that....

Another must-see is the temple of Lord Vamana.And if i am not mistaken, it is the only temple dedicated to him in india.

Do visit the place...it is absolutely worth it.

Best
Murali

Scandojazzbuff

Kanci must be the training ground for toutism in Tamil Nadu as they abound like flies and descend upon you in droves as you alight your chariot at the temple complexes shoving sandals, umbrellas, hands, incense, and, whatever else they are selling in front of your face. Once you enter the main temple complex, the hard sell for guides and entry fees begin. Talk about annoying. Even the priests have their hands out. Maybe this was because my wife and I were just about the only non Indians in the joint. It was pouring and only we were crazy enough to want to explore the temple complexes.

There is a great Pallava temple there (not living)but a must see. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back to Kanci. En route from Chennai to Mammala, it's a good stopover for a couple of hours.

Nick-H

I remember it as a quiet little place .

What a shame these people spoilt your experience.