Tamil Nadu · 10 destinations & hidden spots
Commissioned in the late 7th century by Pallava King Rajasimha, Kailasanathar Temple is the jewel of Kanchipuram. Built entirely of soft sandstone, it features 58 small Shiva shrines surrounding a circumambulatory courtyard, adorned with half-lion yali pillars and lingering fragments of 8th-century fresco paintings.
Representing the Earth element (Prithvi) among the five sacred Pancha Bhoota shrines, Ekambareswarar sprawls across 25 acres in northern Kanchipuram. Its soaring 192-foot entrance tower was built by Vijayanagara Emperor Krishnadevaraya, housing a sacred thousand-pillared hall and a legendary 3,500-year-old mango tree.
One of the 108 sacred Divya Desams, this sprawling temple complex in Vishnu Kanchi honors Lord Varadharaja. It is renowned for its 16th-century hundred-pillared hall carved out of single granite blocks featuring hanging stone chains, warrior riders on rearing yalis, and the sacred golden and silver lizard reliefs.
Hidden Gem
Protected by local villagers since 1798 and formally recognized as a sanctuary in 1858, Vedanthangal covers 74 acres of compact freshwater wetland. Dotted with submerged Barringtonia trees, it serves as an immense seasonal breeding heronry for over 40,000 birds including spoonbills, darters, and painted storks.
Hidden Gem
Located near the Kamakshi Amman Temple, this historic Divya Desam temple enshrines Lord Vishnu in his cosmic Trivikrama form, with one foot planted on earth and the second lifted skyward to measure the universe. The monumental 35-foot painted stone sculpture is one of the largest ancient indoor murtis in India.
Commissioned in the late 7th century by Pallava King Rajasimha, Kailasanathar Temple is the jewel of Kanchipuram. Built entirely of soft sandstone, it features 58 small Shiva shrines surrounding a circumambulatory courtyard, adorned with half-lion yali pillars and lingering fragments of 8th-century fresco paintings.
Representing the Earth element (Prithvi) among the five sacred Pancha Bhoota shrines, Ekambareswarar sprawls across 25 acres in northern Kanchipuram. Its soaring 192-foot entrance tower was built by Vijayanagara Emperor Krishnadevaraya, housing a sacred thousand-pillared hall and a legendary 3,500-year-old mango tree.
One of the 108 sacred Divya Desams, this sprawling temple complex in Vishnu Kanchi honors Lord Varadharaja. It is renowned for its 16th-century hundred-pillared hall carved out of single granite blocks featuring hanging stone chains, warrior riders on rearing yalis, and the sacred golden and silver lizard reliefs.
Hidden Gem
Protected by local villagers since 1798 and formally recognized as a sanctuary in 1858, Vedanthangal covers 74 acres of compact freshwater wetland. Dotted with submerged Barringtonia trees, it serves as an immense seasonal breeding heronry for over 40,000 birds including spoonbills, darters, and painted storks.
Hidden Gem
Located near the Kamakshi Amman Temple, this historic Divya Desam temple enshrines Lord Vishnu in his cosmic Trivikrama form, with one foot planted on earth and the second lifted skyward to measure the universe. The monumental 35-foot painted stone sculpture is one of the largest ancient indoor murtis in India.
