KANCHIPURAM
Kānchipuram otherwise known
as Kānchi (kāñcipuram; Tamil: காஞ்சிபுரம் is a
city in the Indian state.of Tamil Nadu Kanchipuram is
also known as city of thousand temple Kanchipuram was the historical
capital of the pallavas the name Kanchi is derived
from Ka referring to the Hindu god Brahma and anchi,
referring to his worship of Hindu god Vishnu at this place.The
earliest inscription from the Maurya period (325–185
BCE) denote the city as Kanchipuram, where King Visnugopa was defeated by
Samudragupta Maurya (320–298 BCE).The city was referred to by various Tamil
names like Kanchi, Kanchipedu and Sanskrit names
like Kanchipuram.The Pallava inscriptions from (250–355) and the
inscriptions of the Chalukya dynasty refers
the city as Kanchipura.During the British rule, the city was known
as Conjeevaram and later as Kanchipuram. The municipal
administration was renamed Kancheepuram, while the district retains the
name Kanchipuram.
The Pallavas, Cholas, Vijayanagar
rulers, Muhammadan Kings, and also the British before Independence administered
the district Kanchipuram. Kancheepuram was the capital of the Thondaimandalam.
This Thondaimandalam was an ancient division of Tamil country comprising
roughly the present districts of Kancheepuram, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Vellore and
Tiruvannamalai. It was under pallavas from
6th to 7th century AD and later became the citadel of Cholas, Vijayanagar
Kings, the Muslim and the British. During the 6th and 7th centuries, some of
the best temples in the city were built by the Pallavas. The city was
the capital of the Early Cholas as far back as the 2nd century BC. It is
surrounded by the historic places like Mamallapuram, Thiruvannamalai, Vellore,
Sholingar, Thiruthani and Thirupathi.
History of Kanchipuram
The northernmost province of the ancient Tamil country
was the district of Aruva (present-day South Arcot district) The
regions beyond Aruva were known as Aruvavadadalai The Kanchipuram district had no specific name
until the late Pallava period when it got the name Tondaimandalam. Henry Bruce Foote's discovery of pre-historic stone axe at Pallavaram in
1863 indicates that the region might have been occupied as early as the Stone Ages. Archaeological findings from a later
period even indicate a thriving Iron Age settlement. Animal fossils and stone implements
found at Athirapakkam to the north-west of Chennai city
could very well be over 300,000 years old
In 1900 the position of the district administration was like this, the Collector having his headquarters at Saidapettai, and a Sub-Collector and two General Deputy Collectors, six Tahsildars assisted it for six Taluks and five Deputy Tahsildars for five sub taluks. The Sub-Collector and the General Deputy Collectors were the heads of the revenue divisions of Chengalpattu, comprising Chengalpattu, Madurantakam and Kancheepuram Taluks; Saidapettai comprising Saidapettai and Ponneri Taluks and Tiruvallur comprising the lone Taluk of Tiruvallur.
Later in 1911 when Sriperumbudur sub-taluk was upgraded as a full-fledged taluk, the fourth revenue division was formed with headquarters at Kancheepuram comprising Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur Taluks.
In 1st July 1997, the Chengalpattu-MGR district has been splitted into two as Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur Districts. On the same day, Tirukalukundram Taluk demarcated by bifurcating the Chengalpattu Taluk. Thus the new Kancheepuram District is formed on 1st July 1997 comprising of 8 Taluks, via, Kancheepuram, Sriperumbudur, Uthiramerur, Chengalpattu, Tambaram, Tirukalukundram, Madrandakam and Cheyyur.
Buddhism
Jainism[
Trilokyanatha/Chandraprabha temple is a twin Jain temple that has inscriptions from Pallava king, Narasimhavarman II and the Chola kings Rajendra Chola I, Kulothunga Chola I and Vikrama Chola, and the Kanarese inscriptions of Krishnadevaraya. The temple is maintained by Tamil Nadu archaeological department.
Hinduism
·
Arjuna converted the people of the Dravida
land to be a portion of his own army
·
The
Kuntalas, the Andhras, and the Talacharas, and the Shuchupas, and the Venupas
were described as allies of Pandavas
·
The
Pandyas, the Cholas, the Keralas and the Andhras supported Dhristadyumna, Sikhandi and Satyaki.
·
The
Andhaka, and the Nishada foot-soldiers, urged on by Satyaki,
once more rushed towards Karna in that battle
·
The
Kamvojas, the Sakas, the Khasas, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Mlechchhas, the
Pulindas, the Dravidas, the Andhras, and the Kanchis were described as allied
to the Kauravas
·
The
Kaikeyas, the Malavas, the Madrakas the Dravidas of fierce prowess, the
Yaudheyas, the Lalittyas, the Kshudrakas, the Usinaras, the Tundikeras, the
Savitriputras who supported Karna were slain by Arjuna
Vedic kingdoms attributed a degraded status to Dravidas
and other tribes in later periods of
ancient Indian history
·
The
Dravidas, the Kalingas, the Pulandas, the Usinaras, the Kolisarpas, the
Mahishakas and other Kshatriyas, have, in consequence of the absence of
Brahmanas from among their midst, become degraded into Sudras.
·
The
Mekalas, the Dravidas, the Lathas, the Paundras, the Konwasiras, the Saundikas,
the Daradas, the Darvas, the Chauras, the Savaras, the Varvaras, the Kiratas,
the Yavanas, and numerous other tribes of Kshatriyas, have become degraded into
the status of Sudras through the absence of Brahmanas.
·
The
Dravidas and Abhiras and Pundras, together with the Savaras, became degraded
though Kshatriya duties were assigned to them due to Bhargava Rama.
·
While it is
widely accepted that Kanchipuram had served as an Early Chola capital, the
claim has been contested by Indian historian P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar who wrote
that the Tamil culture of the Sangam period did not spread through the
Kanchipuram district, and cites the Sanskritic origins of its name in support
of his claim.
The earliest references to Kanchipuram are found in the books of the
Sanskrit grammarian Patanjali, who lived between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. The
city is believed to have been part of the mythical Dravida
Kingdom of the Mahabharatha,
And was described as "the best among cities" (Sanskrit: Nagareshu
Kanchi) by the 4th-century Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa. The
city was regarded as the "Banaras of the South".
·
Kanchipuram
grew in importance when the Pallavas of southern Andhra
Pradesh, wary of constant invasions from the north, moved their
capital south to the city in the 6th century. The Pallavas fortified the
city with ramparts, wide moats, well-laid-out roads, and artistic temples.
During the reign of the Pallava King Mahendravarman
I, the Chalukya King Pulakesin II (610–642)
invaded the Pallava kingdom as far as the Kaveri River.
The Pallavas successfully defended Kanchipuram and foiled repeated attempts to
capture the city. A second invasion ended disastrously for Pulakesin II,
who was forced to retreat to his capital Vatapi which
was besieged and Pulakesin II was killed by Narasimhavarman
I (630–668), son of Mahendravarman I (600–630), at the Battle of
Vatapi Under the Pallavas, Kanchipuram flourished as a centre
of Hindu and Buddhist learning. King Narasimhavarman II built the city's
important Hindu temples, the Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple, the Varadharaja Perumal Temple and
the Iravatanesvara Temple Xuanzang,
a Chinese traveller who visited Kanchipuram in 640, recorded that the city was
6 miles (9.7 km) in circumference and that its people were renowned for
their bravery, piety, love of justice, and veneration for learning
·
The Medieval
Chola king Aditya I conquered the Pallava kingdom, including
Kanchipuram, after defeating the Pallava ruler Aparajitavarman (880–897)
in about 890. Under the Cholas, the city was the headquarters of the northern
viceroyalty. The province was renamed "Jayamkonda Cholamandalam"
during the reign of King Raja Raja
Chola I (985–1014), who constructed the Karchapeswarar Temple and renovated
the Kamakshi Amman Temple. His son, Rajendra
Chola I (1012–44) constructed the Yathothkari Perumal Temple. According to
the Siddhantasaravali of Trilocana Sivacharya, Rajendra Chola I
brought a band of Saivas with him on his return from the Chola expedition to North India and
settled them in Kanchipuram. In about 1218, the Pandya king Maravarman Sundara Pandyan (1216–1238)
invaded the Chola country, making deep inroads into the kingdom which was saved
by the intervention of the Hoysala king Vira
Narasimha II (1220–1235), who fought on the side of the Chola
king Kulothunga Chola III. Inscriptions
indicate the presence of a powerful Hoysala garrison in Kanchipuram, which
remained in the city until about 1230. Shortly afterwards, Kanchipuram was
conquered by the Telugu Cholas, from whom Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I took the
city in 1258. The city remained with the Pandyas until 1311 when the
Sambuvarayars declared independence, taking advantage of the anarchy caused
by Malik Kafur's
invasion. After short spells of occupation by Ravivarman Kulasekhara
of Venad (Quilon,
Kerala) in 1313–1314 and the Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra II,
Kanchipuram was conquered by the Vijayanagar general Kumara
Kampana, who defeated the Madurai Sultanate in 1361
·
The Battle of
Pollilur, fought near Kanchipuram in 1780
·
The Vijayanagar
Empire ruled Kanchipuram from 1361 to 1645. The earliest inscriptions attesting
to Vijayanagar rule are those of Kumara Kampanna from 1364 and 1367, which were
found in the precincts of the Kailasanathar Temple and Varadaraja Perumal Temple
respectively. His
inscriptions record the re-institution of Hindu rituals in the Kailasanathar
Temple that had been abandoned during the Muslim invasions. Inscriptions
of the Vijayanagar kings Harihara II, Deva Raya II, Krishna Deva
Raya, Achyuta Deva Raya, Sriranga I,
and Venkata II are
found within the city. Harihara II endowed grants in favour of the
Varadaraja Perumal Temple.In the 15th century, Kanchipuram was invaded by
the Velama Nayaks in
1437, the Gajapati kingdom in 1463–1465 and 1474–75
and the Bahmani Sultanate in about 1480 A
1467 inscription of Virupaksha Raya II mentions a cantonment in
the vicinity of Kanchipuram. In 1486, Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya, the governor
of the Kanchipuram region, overthrew the Sangama
Dynasty of Vijayanagar and founded the Saluva
Dynasty. Like most of his predecessors, Narasimha donated
generously to the Varadaraja Perumal Temple. Kanchipuram was visited twice by
the Vijayanagar king Krishna Deva Raya, considered to be the greatest of the
Vijayanagar rulers, and 16 inscriptions of his time are found in the Varadaraja
Perumal Temple. The inscriptions in four languages – Tamil, Telugu,
Kannada, and Sanskrit – record the genealogy of the Tuluva kings
and their contributions, along with those of their nobles, towards the upkeep
of the shrine. His successor, Achyuta Deva Raya, reportedly had himself
weighed against pearls in Kanchipuram and distributed the pearls amongst the
poor. Throughout the second half of the 16th and first half of the 17th
centuries, the Aravidu Dynasty tried to maintain a
semblance of authority in the southern parts after losing their northern
territories in the Battle of Talikota.
Venkata II (1586–1614)
tried to revive the Vijayanagar Empire, but the kingdom relapsed into confusion
after his death and rapidly fell apart after the Vijayanagar king Sriranga III's
defeat by the Golconda and Bijapur sultanates in 1646.
·
After the fall
of the Vijayanagar Empire, Kanchipuram endured over two decades of political
turmoil.The Golconda Sultanate gained control of the city in 1672, but lost it
to Bijapur three years later. In 1676, Shivaji arrived in Kanchipuram at the
invitation of the Golconda Sultanate in order to drive out the Bijapur forces. His
campaign was successful and Kanchipuram was held by the Golconda Sultanate
until its conquest by the Mughal Empire led
by Aurangazeb in
October 1687. In the course of their southern campaign, the Mughals defeated
the Marathas under Sambhaji, the elder son of Shivaji, in a battle near
Kanchipuram in 1688 which caused considerable damage to the city but
cemented Mughal rule. Soon after, the priests at the Varadaraja Perumal,
Ekambareshwarar and Kamakshi Amman temples, mindful of Aurangazeb's reputation
for iconoclasm,
transported the idols to southern Tamil Nadu and did not restore them until
after Aurangazeb's death in 1707. Under the Mughals, Kanchipuram was part
of the viceroyalty of the Carnatic which, in the early 1700s, began to function
independently, retaining only a nominal acknowledgement of Mughal rule. The
Marathas invaded Kanchipuram during the Carnatic period in 1724 and 1740, and
the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1742.
·
Kanchipuram was
a battlefront for the British East India Company in
the Carnatic Wars against the French East India Company and in
the Anglo-Mysore Wars with the Sultanate of Mysore. The popular 1780 Battle of Pollilur of the Second
Anglo-Mysore War, known for the use of rockets by Hyder Ali of
Mysore, was fought in the village of Pullalur near
Kanchipuram. In 1763, the British East India Company assumed indirect
control from the Nawab of the Carnatic over the erstwhile Chingleput District,
comprising the present-day Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur districts, in order to defray
the expenses of the Carnatic wars. The Company brought the territory under
their direct control during the Second Anglo-Mysore War, and the Collectorate
of Chingleput was created in 1794. The district was split into two in 1997
and Kanchipuram made the capital of the newly created Kanchipuram district.
IN BRITISH PERIOD
In 1788 district Collector was appointed for the
first time. This is regarded as the major breakthrough in the district
administration. The district was split up into two divisions, Northern and
Southern and placed under two Collectors as well. The names of the Collectors
during 1790's were Clerk and Balfour.
Bodhidharma is
believed to have spread Zen school of Buddhism from India to China
Buddhism is believed to have flourished in Kanchipuram
between the 1st and 5th centuries.Some notable Buddhists associated with
Kanchipuram are Āryadeva (2nd–3rd centuries) – a successor
of Nāgārjuna of Nalanda University, Dignaga and the Pali commentators Buddhaghosa and Dhammapala. According to a popular tradition, Bodhidharma,
a 5th/6th-century Buddhist monk and founder of Shaolin Kung
Fu was the third son
of a Pallava king from Kanchipuram.
However, other traditions ascribe his origins to other
places in Asia. Buddhists institutions from Kanchipuram were instrumental in
spreading Theravada Buddhism to the Mon people of Myanmar and Thailand who in return spread the
religion to the incoming Burmese and Thai people.
Trilokyanatha Temple
Trilokyanatha
Temple
It is thought that Jainism was introduced into Kanchipuram by
Kunda Kundacharya (1st century). Jainism
spread to the city by Akalanka (3rd century). Kalbhras,
the rulers of Kanchipuram before the Pallavas, followed Jainism which gained
popularity from royal patronage. The Pallava kings, Simhavishnu, Mahendra
Varman and Simhavarman (550–560) followed Jainism, until the advent of Nayanmars and Azhwars during the 6th and 7th centuries Mahendravarman
I converted from
Jainism to Hinduism under the influence of the Naynamar, Appar, was the turning
point in the religious geography. The
two sects of Hinduism, Saivism and Vaishnavism were revived under the influence of Adi Sankara and Ramanuja respectively Later Cholas and Vijayanagara kings
tolerated Jainism, and the religion was still practised in Kanchi.
List of temples in Kanchipuram
Ekambareswarar
temple – the largest temple in the city
Hindus regard Kanchipuram to be one of the seven holiest
cities in India, the Sapta Puri.
According to Hinduism, a kṣetra is a sacred ground, a field of active
power, and a place where final attainment, or moksha,
can be obtained. The Garuda Purana says that seven cities, including
Kanchipuram are providers of moksha. The city is a pilgrimage site for both Saivites and Vaishnavites. It has close to 108 shiva temples.
Ekambareswarar Temple in northern Kanchipuram, dedicated to Shiva, is the largest
temple in the city Its gateway
tower, or gopuram, is 59 metres
(194 ft) tall, making it one the tallest temple towers in India. The
temple is one of five called Pancha Bhoota Stalams, which represent the
manifestation of the five prime elements of nature; land, water, air, sky, and
fire. Ekambareswarar temple
represents earth.
Kailasanathar Temple,
Muktheeswarar Temple,
built by Nandivarman
Pallava II (720–796) and Iravatanesvara Temple built by Narasimhavarman Pallava II
(720–728) are the other Shiva temples from the Pallava period. Kachi Metrali –
Karchapeswarar Temple, Onakanthan
Tali, Kachi Anekatangapadam,Kuranganilmuttam, and
Karaithirunathar Temple in Tirukalimedu are the Shiva temples in the city
reverred in Tevaram, the Tamil
Saiva canonical work of the 7th–8th centuries.
Sculpted pillars
and stone chain in Varadarajar temple
Kumarakottam Temple, dedicated to Muruga,
is located between the Ekambareswarar temple and Kamakshi Amman temple, leading
to the cult of Somaskanda (Skanda, the child between Shiva and
Parvati). Kandapuranam, the Tamil
religious work on Muruga, translated from Sanskrit Skandapurana, was composed in 1625 by
Kachiappa Shivacharya in the temple.
Varadharaja Perumal Temple, dedicated to Vishnu and covering 23 acres (93,000 m2),
is the largest Vishnu temple in Kanchipuram. It was built by the Cholas in 1053 and was expanded during the
reigns of Kulottunga Chola I (1079–1120) and Vikrama Chola
(1118–1135). It is one of the divyadesams,
the 108 holy abodes of Vishnu. The temple features carved lizards, one platted
with gold and another with silver, over the sanctum.Clive of
India is said to have
presented an emerald necklace to the temple. It is called the Clive Makarakandi
and is still used to decorate the deity on ceremonial occasions.
Tiru Parameswara Vinnagaram is the birthplace of the azhwar saint, Poigai Alvar. The central shrine has a three-tier
shrine, one over the other, with Vishnu depicted in each of them The corridor around the sanctum has a
series of sculptures depicting the Pallava rule and conquest.It is the oldest
Vishnu temple in the city and was built by the Pallava king Paramesvaravarman II (728–731).
Ashtabujakaram, Tiruvekkaa, Tiruththanka, Tiruvelukkai, Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Tiru pavla
vannam, Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple are among the divyadesam, the 108 famous temples of
Vishnu in the city. There
are a five other divyadesams,
three inside the Ulagalantha Perumal temple, one each in Kamakshi Amman Temple
and Ekambareswarar Temple.
The Kanchi Matha is a Hindu monastic institution, whose
official history states that it was founded by Adi Sankara of Kaladi,
tracing its history back to the 5th century BCEA related claim is that Adi
Sankara came to Kanchipuram, and that he established the Kanchi mutt named
"Dakshina Moolamnaya Sarvagnya Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam" in a
position of supremacy, namely Sarvagnya Peetha, over the other mathas
(religious institutions) of the subcontinent, before his death there. Other
historical accounts state that the mutt was established probably in the 18th
century in Kumbakonam,
as a branch of the Sringeri
Matha, and that it declared itself independent.
Another mutt which was famous in ancient times was the
Upanishad Bramham Mutt, located near Kailasanathar temple, Kanchipuram. It has
the Mahasamadhi of Upanishad Brahmayogin, a saint who wrote
commentaries on all the major upanishads in Hinduism. It is said that the great
Sage, Sadasiva Brahmendra took to sanyasa at this mutt.
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