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Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, 50 miles (80km) southwest of Chennai, was capital of the Pallava dynasty during the 6th to 8th centuries, when the Pallavas created the great stone monuments of Mamallapuram. Today a typically hectic modern Indian town, it's famous for its numerous important and vibrant temples (and their colorful festivals), some dating from Pallava, Chola or Vijayanagar times. It's also known for its high-quality silk saris, woven on hand looms by thousands of families in the town and nearby villages. Silk and sari shops are strung along Gandhi Rd, southeast of the centre, though their wares are generally no cheaper than at Chennai silk shops.
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Kanchipuram
Of South India's five Shiva temples associated with each of the five elements, this 12-hectare precinct is the shrine of earth. You enter beneath the 59m…
Kanchipuram
This imposing temple, dedicated to Kamakshi/Parvati, is one of India's most important places of shakti (female energy/deities) worship, said to mark the…
Kanchipuram
This enormous 11th-century Chola-built temple in southeast Kanchipuram is dedicated to Vishnu. Non-Hindus cannot enter the central compound, but the…
Kanchipuram
This 1200-year-old Vishnu temple is a Pallava creation. The passage around the central shrine has lion pillars and a wealth of weathered but extremely…
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram's oldest temple is small, interesting mainly for its stonework. Dedicated to Shiva, it was built in the 8th century by Pallava king…
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