Kanchipuram, India | Things To Do In 48 Hours

Kanchipuram is one of the ancient cities in India. Famed as ‘Temple City’ or ‘The City of Thousand Temples’ traces back its history to the 2nd century BC when it was a Chola capital. The city was also the capital of Pallava from the 10th to 13th centuries. Kanchipuram remained a significant pilgrimage site for Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism throughout history. Today, it is one of the historic cities in South India and attracts thousands of devotees every day.

How to reach Kanchipuram?

Kanchipuram is around 43 miles from Chennai and 145 miles from Bengaluru. The nearest airport to reach Kanchipuram is Chennai International Airport (MAA). Kanchipuram is a ride of 1.5 hours from Chennai International Airport. From Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, the ride is over 5 hours depending upon the traffic. In an ideal scenario, if you start early morning, one can reach around 4.5 hours to Kanchipuram from Bengaluru. Kanchipuram is also well connected by buses and trains. For more information, you can check here.

When I was researching about Kanchipuram before my trip, I was blown away by the architecture of the temples. I’ve to admit that I’m not a religious person and believe in Karma but I so wanted to visit Kanchipuram just to admire the splendid architecture of the temples.

Here’s the list of my complete guide for ultimate things to do in 48 hours at Kanchipuram:

1) Visit Kamakshi Amman Temple

Kamakshi Amman Temple is one of the iconic landmarks in Kanchipuram. The temple is dedicated to Kamakshi – one of the forms of Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari (Parvati) and always buzzing with the high energy of pilgrims. The interesting fact about Kamakshi Amman Temple is that there’re no other Goddess temples in the city of Kanchipuram.

The temple is spread in an area of 5 acres. The entrance of the temple is surrounded by the local shops and religious puja shops selling flowers, coconut, garlands etc. You’ve to remove your shoes while entering the temple’s premises. There’re some vendors sitting outside the temple who charge a nominal fee to look after your shoes. The entrance of the temple is chaotic, so in case you need any assistance, reach out to the police security who are ready to help the guests.

Photography isn’t allowed at the main area of the temple where the shrine of the Goddess is placed. The waiting time is also very high if you’re going at the peak time of the day. However, if you don’t want to visit the shrine, you can explore the temple’s premises.

There’s a beautiful temple pond located at the heart of the Kamakshi Amman Temple. Stroll around and spend some time while soaking the view!

The temple has a Dravidian-style architecture and the intrinsic sculptures on the walls, columns and ceilings are just phenomenal pieces of work to admire. Do spend some time admiring the breathtaking architecture of the temple.

I also saw a cow on the premises of the temple. Cows are considered sacred by Hindus in India, and they symbolize wealth and strength.

While strolling around the temple, a few of the locals requested me to take my pictures thinking as if I was a foreigner. I wasn’t able to convince them I was an Indian. Anyway, whatever happened is history, and I had a wonderful time meeting them.

One of the interesting things about Indians is that they are obsessed with foreigners. They will stare at you and want to take your pictures. They don’t have any intention to harm you but are just curious to know about your country. Just politely say that you’ll charge 500 INR and Voila…you can thank me later! 🙂

2) Visit Ekambareshwar Temple

Ekambareshwar Temple was one of my favorites. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple premises cover 25 acres and is one of the largest in India. No trip to Kanchipuram would be complete if you haven’t visited Ekambareshwar Temple.

The architecture of Ekambareshwar Temple is Dravidian Style and one of the surreal architecture I’ve ever seen. The main entrance tower to the temple or Gopuram is 59 meters and one of the tallest in South India.

Photography is restricted inside the temple premises. I took only a few of the outside pictures. Some of the priests were very rude and I saw them scolding a few people who were taking pictures. Therefore, just be respectful to the rules and don’t take pictures in the restricted areas. Instead, just admire the ultimate piece of work and think about how incredible would be the architects in those eras!

Others temples to visit in Kanchipuram

If you've got more time on your trip and wants to explore some 
other temples, you can also visit Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple, 
Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Thiru Parameswara Vinnagaram and
 Ulagalandha Perumal Temple to name a few.

3) Stroll at Gandhi Road

Gandhi Road is the most popular road in Kanchipuram and famous for shopping Kanchivaram silk sarees as well as local handicrafts and eateries. Stroll around MG Road and take the vibe of one of the oldest cities in India.

4) Buy some Kanchivaram Saree

Kanchipuram is also famous for its Kanchivaram Saree. There are over 50 retailers at Gandhi Road that sell Kanchivaram Saree. The pure Kanchivaram Saree ranges from 10,000 INR to 1,00,000 INR which is around 140 USD to 1400 USD. If you don’t wear saree, you can also buy Kanchivaram stole/dupatta as a souvenir.

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5) Explore the local cuisine

Try some authentic South Indian dishes such as Idli (steamed rice-cakes, prepared from a fermented batter of rice and black gram) and Dosa (crepes made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram eaten with Sambar or chutney) to delight your taste buds.

If you’re fond of rice, try sappadu (a typical meal) consists of rice and other Tamil dishes served on the banana leaf. You can visit Hotel Saravana Bhavan to try some vegetarian local delicacies during your visit to Kanchipuram.

Where to stay at Kanchipuram?

Kanchipuram has no luxury hotels in the main city. However, you can find a few budget hotel on Gandhi Road. I stayed at Regency Kanchipuram, which was a decent hotel with standard amenities and in proximity with all the major attractions.

You can also check out below properties as per your budget:

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What to wear at Kanchipuram, India?

Kanchipuram is a holy city and quite conservative compared to metro cities in India. The weather is also extremely hot and humid throughout the year. Therefore, wear modest clothes that cover your body. I saw most of the women visiting the temples in saree, salwar kameez and even a long ethnic skirt.

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In Kamakshi Amman Temple, I wore Culottes pants over a crop top and styled it with duptta in such a way that it looked like Pant Sari.  Carry a stole as it will not only help you beat the heat but you can always cover your head if anywhere it is required.

Some tips about visiting Kanchipuram

• The best time to visit Kanchipuram is from March to October.
• Monsoon season is from June to September.
• The climate is tropical with an average annual temperature of 83°F or 28.3 °C.
• The streets of Kanchipuram are very narrow. There’re none to very limited parking at most of the temples. So, hire a tuk-tuk/auto-rickshaw to ride in the city.
• The local language is Tamil. Very few people speak English or Hindi. Use Google Translator or try to communicate in a sign language.
• Carry high SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, tissue wipes and hand sanitizer. Keep yourself hydrated with coconut water, fresh juice, or regular water.
• Always take care of your belongings as you’ve to go through a security check while entering a few temples.
• Wear comfy fabrics such as cotton or linen and cheap shoes as you’ve to remove your shoes outside every temple.  There’re slight chances that it can get stolen too.
• You’ll see many salespeople on the streets trying to invite you to their saree shops or vendors trying to sell their products. Just be careful and use your instincts.
• If you’ve never visited India, it is a beautiful country with chaos everywhere. Carry a bundle of energy to explore one of the oldest cultures in this world.

Do share your experience if you’ve visited Kanchipuram before? If not, what do you think about this oldest city in South India?

Till then, Happy Wandering!
Ana

**Please note that this post has been transformed into an app by GPSMyCity and you can download it from here for your ios devices on iTunes App Store or the Android app on Google Play. The app works offline so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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