The Golden City of Thousand Temples or The Silk City is in Tamil Nadu, 75 km away from Chennai. This city had broken the record for having the most number of temples in India. We can see lots of Hindu temples sprouting out from each and every corner of Kanchipuram streets. This holy city is well connected by road and railways. The nearest airport is in Chennai.

Other than its temples and monuments, this lovely city is known for its splendid hand woven silk sarees. These silk sarees have some charismatic power that; it makes every woman to fall for it and so it is also called as “The Silk city”.

Asia’s biggest International library is in Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathy Viswa Mahavidhyalaya deemed university in Kanchipuram. Saint Adisankaracharya established his Episcopal seat (KamakotiPeetam) in Kanchipuram. It was a major Buddhist Centre established by the Mauryan Emperor Asoka. It is also the birth place of C.N. Annadurai- the former Chief Minister of Tami Nadu.

River Palar flows across this city and it is the complete water source for these people. There are some lakes and ponds around here which are lively only during rainy days.

Climate:

Climate is torrid during Apr-May (38°c - 30°c) and is moderate during the rest of the months (29°C - 20°C).

Places to visit

Temples:

• Kanchi Kamatchi Amman Temple
• Ekambareshwarar Temple where lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of land – one of the 5 basic elements of Nature
• Vaikunda Perumal Temple where the main deity is lord Vishnu
• Kailasanathar Temple – A Non-living temple. Unlike the other temples it is open from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and the foreigners are allowed inside the sanctum.

Shopping:

Shopping in Kanchipuram will be an exciting experience, especially for the ladies. The beautifully designed Kanchipuram Silk sarees appeal the tourists to the temple city of Kanchipuram.

Festivals

There are various fairs and festivals round the year at Kanchipuram. Some important festivals include the Brahmotsavam, Garudothsavam, and Car (ratham) festivals, which are held in the months of January, April, and May respectively. Silk Tourism Festival is organized in the Month of October.

Industries:

Silk weaving cottage industry, Ford, Hyundai, Saint Gobain, Nokia

Travel Mode:

By Road : Kanchipuram is 75 kms away from Chennai and is well connected by a good network of roads. There are frequent bus services from Kanchi to Chennai, Bangalore and other places.

The distance from Chennai is 70 Km – 2 hours drive
The distance from Mahabalipuram is 70 Km – 2 hours drive
The distance from Tirupathi is 110 Km – 3 hours drive
The distance from Tiruvannamalai is 170 Km – 4 hours drive

By Air:There is no airport in Kanchipuram, and the nearest airport is in Chennai, which may take two hours to reach.

By Rail:This city is well connected by rail, and has railway station inside the city. Trains from Chennai, Madurai and Trichy arrive often here.