Kanchipuram – The Temple Town

Kanchipuram, one of those small towns in South India, about 75 km from Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. It’s not on every tourist’s map. Visitors come to Kanchipuram to visit the temples for which it is famous or to buy expensive hand-woven silk sarees for special occasions such as a traditional wedding in the family.

The temple town of Kanchipuram is unique. It is the second most religious Hindu destination in India after Varanasi, and the town dates back over 1000 years. It boasts of a thousand temples, big and small. Some famous and others less so. They vary in size from small roadside temples to ones with large compounds, including temple tanks. They are dedicated to different Hindu Gods and are live functioning temples. These were built of rock by the kings and rulers of different dynasties and survived to this day. These temples are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains them, often having a representative present and keeping a watchful eye on visitors. There is no charge to enter, and all are welcome. Footwear remains at the entrance. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon as the temples are closed from 12 noon to 4 pm.

Photography is permitted, but tripods are not. Neither is flash allowed. My favourite travel kit is two fuji X-E3 bodies with 10-24mm, 18-55mm and 50-140mm Fuji glass. More than enough to photograph the monuments and their interiors. The X-E3 is small and light, producing excellent RAW images. The 24MP files easily print up to 36 inches wide. My camera is set for Kodachrome film simulation for the times I shoot RAW+Jpg. Additionally, on rare occasions, I also carry a Rolleiflex 3.5f or a Hasselblad 500 CM with a 50mm f4 lens and a couple of backs loaded with Ilford FP4 or HP5. These monuments are well-lit by available light except for dark corridors indoors. An ISO of 400 to 1600 can handle most situations.

Weaving silk sarees is a major industry, and entire families are involved in the business. The looms are hand-operated the way they have been for centuries and are located inside homes. There is very little free space to walk around. The best option here is a 10 to 18mm lens on APS-C cameras. The lighting is low and ISO 1600 is required. The loom operators learn the technique from a very early age and spend a life time making silk sarees. A single saree takes a month of work to complete and, if well looked after, will last several decades. Once they are no longer useable, they are returned to the weavers, who extract the silk thread for reuse. Visiting a weaver can be arranged via a local contact, usually a saree trader with connections.

---

On a hot summer day in June, I ventured to visit Vaikunta Perumal temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and known for its amazing carvings on the interior walls along its corridors. It was built 674-800AD during the Pallava rule, supposedly by the Pallava king Nandivarman II, which was later modified by the Chola kings and the Vijaynagar rulers. Considered to be the second oldest temple in Kanchipuram, built in the Dravidian style of architecture. The temple was built by the Pallava Emperors, who also built the Kailasanathar temple.

A large hall leads to the inner complex. Huge pillars with the lion head adorn the corridors. These sculptures on the walls are depicted in bas-relief a thousand years ago and now, with age, have a sepia look. They depict the life of those times with the kings and queens as well as historical events. The corridors are narrow and lit by warm light reflected off the paved floor of the temple. The Pallaki or Palanquin in the temple is used to take the Utsava Moorthy, a small ikon in bronze around town so that the old and the sick who are unable to visit the temple can have the blessings of the Lord… who out of love and mercy go to the Devotee’s home. It was a lucky day being the only visitor in the complex.

---

While in Kanchipuram, take the opportunity to visit Ekambareshwarar temple, one of the largest in India, with four gateway towers. The southern tower has a height of 192 ft. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity. A remarkable feature is the 1000-pillar hall with the carved pillars and sculptures on the side walls built in the Vijayanagar period. The tall temple Gopuram (tower) can be seen from miles away. It also has a large temple tank where I made a hand-held panorama stitching five images.

Visit the Kailasanathar temple, built in the Tamil architecture style. Lord Shiva is the main shrine, encircled by 58 smaller shrines. This is the oldest temple in Kanchipuram built with red sandstone and decorated with frescos. It attracts a large number of tourists.

Another ancient temple, the Varadharajar Perumal temple, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and praised by scholars and saints. The pillared hall features sculptures depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabaratha. The presiding deity is Lord Varadharajar Perumal. The temple has a huge Perumal statue that is brought out once every 40 years. The blessings from this temple are said to be very auspicious and bring good fortune.

The Trilokyanatha temple is a Digambara Jain temple that dates back to the 8th century, around 800AD, located in northeast Kanchipuram in a locality known as Jain Kanchi. Although a Jain temple, it has Hindu deities on the premises. Constructed in Dravidian architecture during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty. The Cholas, Pallavas, and Vijayanagar kings financially supported expanding the temple. The temple walls have many old paintings from the 13th century that were repainted during the 15th and 16th centuries. There are three circular sanctums housing bronze images. The paintings are said to depict the life story of Krishna. Today, only about 25 Jain families are left in Kanchipuram.

If you are in Chennai and want to immerse yourself in Hindu culture, a day visit to Kanchipuram is highly recommended to see and photograph some of the famous temples. Most of the temples allow photography with rare exceptions. You will return with some lovely images worthy of gracing the walls of your home.

Ashok Viswanathan