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Located on the banks of the Pallar River, Kanchipuram remains one of India's seven mokshapuris, sacred cities that are givers of salvation, and perhaps the only one in South India. Making it an ideal place to visit on a weekend and explore the scenic and heritage beauty that the city inherits. Kanchipuram is often referred to as the golden city of a thousand temples. Though, there won't be one thousand temples in the area but for sure there is a wide array of beautiful temples around. No wonder that Kanchipuram is a popular pilgrimage site for the Hindus.

On surface Kanchipuram may just seem a city of temples but the city is also a strong commerce center. This city is well known for producing some of the finest silk in the entire world. No wonder Kanchipuram packs in a host of things and thus appeals to a wide section of travellers.

Temples are galore in Kanchipuram and are prime attractions here. The most popular of them is the famous Kanchi Kamakshi Temple.  At Kanchi, Kamakshi is the appointed consort for all the Shiva temples. The name Kamakshi is often interpreted as one with eyes of desire. In fact, the letter Ka stands for Saraswati and Ma for Lakshmi, while akshi means eye. Kamakshi is hence an embodiment of the aspects of Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The temple is known for exquisite sculptures. A number of sculptures are painted in vivid colors that give them a lively hue, as if they are alive. One of the most famous sculptures in the temple is the larger than life sculpture of Kamakshi herself. It is situated within the Gayatri Mandapam, supported by 24 pillars synchronising with the 24 letters of the Gayatri Mantra.

Devarajaswami Temple built by the Vijaynagar kings is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There are elaborately carved pillars that can be seen throughout the temple. One of the highlights of the temple is a marriage hall that is built to symbolise the marriage between Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. There is a water tank that has a large statue of Lord Vishnu inside the water. The tank is drained every 40 years. At that time, the 10 meter high statue can be seen, and is then established for darshan for 48 days before it is immersed in water once again. Ekambaranatha Temple, a must-visit is the largest temple in Kanchipuram. It covers an impressive 20 acres. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and was built by the Pallavas and then in turn was altered by both the Cholas and the Rayas. Kachapeshwarar Temple is where you can see Lord Shiva being worshipped by Lord Vishnu in the form of tortoise (Kachap). This image can be seen on sculptures and engravings that adorn the Kachapeshwarar Temple.

Adikesava Perumal Temple located 35 km away in Sriperumbudur is an interesting place to visit.  Sriperumbudur is the birthplace of Sri Ramanuja (born in 1017), a foremost exponent of the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita (a blend of philosophies of Dvaita and Advaita). Ramanuja is believed to be an incarnation of Ananta, the primordial serpent and occupies a place of importance in the Adikesava Perumal Temple.

Panduranga Temple, 34 km away in Thennangur is a popular pilgrimage spot. The temple vimanam is fashioned after the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the front gopurams are of Pallava style, while the presiding deities are from Maharashtra.

Kanchipuram, being a popular destination has no dearth of accommodation options. There are a good number of hotels in Kanchipuram, which offer fine accommodation to tourists and pilgrims visiting Kanchipuram. Hotels in Kanchipuram include various budget hotels, luxury hotels and mid-range hotels. Check hotels in Kanchipuram

By Air: Nearest airport is at Chennai, 75 km away from Kanchipuram.

By Train: Kanchipuram is well connected to Chennai, Puducherry (Pondicherry), Nagaercoil and Madurai.

By Bus: Regular buses are available from Chennai to Kanchipuram. State owned public transport buses connect Kanchipuram to many cities in and around Chennai.

Best Time to Go: September - Feb