DAY 4 September 26 - Kanchipuram •Village Truck Drive • Ekambareswarar Temple • Kailashnath Temple
• Suatter Camp
Kanchipuram is called the "City of 1,000 Temples." Kanchipuram’s most celebrated temples include the ancient rock-cut Kailashnath Temple and the Ekambareswarar Temple, a gathering place for worshippers dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
On our Travel to Kanchipuram1 we passed a village Village Truck Ride where they were setting up for a festival. We met two girls on their way to nursing school. Sudhakar commandeered a truck to take us on a tour of the village and see the preparations for the festival. It was then back on the bus and continue on to Kanchipuram .
In Kanchipuram our first visit was to the Kailashnath Temple. The Kailashnath Temple is one of the largest rock-cut ancient Hindu temples.It was built in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I.This is one of the 34 temples and monasteries known as the Ellora Caves. They were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff. The Kailasa is a remarkable example of Dravidian architecture with elaborate workmanship, architectural content, and sculptural ornamentation of rock-cut architecture. The temple was completed between 757-783 CE, when Krishna I ruled the Rashtrakuta dynasty. It is designed to recall Mount Kailash, the home of Lord Shiva. It is estimated that about 400,000 tons of rocks were scooped out over hundreds of years to construct this monolithic structure .
Ekambareswarar Temple1 a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva,. The temple gopuram (gateway tower) is 59m tall, which is one of the tallest in India. It is one of the five major Shiva temples or Pancha Bootha Sthalams, each representing the manifestation of the five prime elements of nature - land, water, air, sky, fire. Ekambareswarar Temple2 This temple is one of the most ancient in India having been in existence since at least 600 AD. One feature of the temple is the Aayiram Kaal Mandapam, or the "hallway with a thousand pillars", which was built by the Vijayanagar Kings. The temple's inner walls are decorated with an array of 1,008 Siva lingams. The temple complex is 25 acres with 5 prakarams (courtyards) and has a thousand-pillared hall. Kampai Tirtha, the temple tank is believed to have an underground holy river. The fourth courtyard contains a small Ganesha temple and a pond. The third courtyard contains lot of smaller shrines. The sanctum sanctorum contains the lingam along with the image of Shiva.
After our exploration of these beautiful temples we headed to the GRT Regency Lunch in Kanchipuram for a delicious lunch. I left lunch early, it broke my heart, to explore the city.
On the way back to Mahabalipuram Sudhakar made a “discovery’” stop at a squatter’s camp. Officially India has abolished the caste system, unofficially it still flourishes. At the Squatter’s Camp these people have no permanent home but set up their camp where they can. They do any work they can in the surrounding villages. They welcomed us to their homes and their way of life. While we were visiting the camp two women, from a close-by village (see image IND_709.jpg and IND-710.jpg) walked by. They wanted to know why Sudhakar didn’t bring us to their village. Sudhakar explained to us that by our presence in the squatter’s camp we give them valuable recognition.
- Southern India