The Varadaraja Perumal Temple Kanchipuram is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu. Varadaraja is considered a boon-giver. The present temple was built by the Chola kings in 1053 A.D and it was expanded by theVijayanagar Kings in the 12th century A.D. The temple is built in 25 acres and the tower is 96 ft in height. The main 100 pillared hall has beautiful sculptures.
According to the legend, once Lord Brahma was performing a Yajna to purify himself. He ignored his consort Goddess Saraswathi and was performing with Gayatri and Savitri. Enraged by this, Goddess Saraswathi tried to tried to flood the area by taking the form of a fast-flowing river Vegavathi . Lord Brahma prayed Lord Vishnu and blocked the floods by laying himself in a reclining position and Lord Brahma could finish the Yajna.
Varadaraja Perumal Temple is also famous for its Golden and Silver Lizards. The two disciples of Rishi Gautham incurred his curse and came to Kanchipuran in the form of lizards. Later the Disciples were freed of the curse but their lizard bodies remained here. It is said that whosoever prays Lord Varadaja here and touches these two lizards will be relieved from all sins of touching the lizards and freed from all chronic diseases.
Temple timings: Morning: 6 am – 12 pm, Evening: 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm
The entry fee for 100 pillared hall is: Rs.5/-
Photography fees: Rs.50/-
Video fees: Rs.100/-
Other things to see:
Kamakshi temple is a great Shakti Peetha
Ekambareswar Shiva Temple is one of the famous Pancha Tatwa temples,
Kailasanatha Temple is a beautiful ancient 8th century temple.
Panduranga Temple
Mahabalipuram 68 km ayay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Shiva temple. It is one of the famous tourist sites in India with abeautiful beach.
Kanchipuram is world famous for its silk sarees.
How to reach
By Air: Chennai International Airport located approximately 62.5 kilometres from Kanchipuram provides a very good air connectivity with rest of the world.
By Rail: Both New and Old Kanchipuram Railway Stations are located about 1 kilometre away from the Kamakshi Amman Temple. The Chengalpattu – Arakkonam Railway Line passes through Kanchipuram and daily trains link Kanchipuram with Pondicherry, Tirupati, Chengalpattu and Arakkonam.
Four major trains namely Nagercoil Express, Madurai Express, LokmanyaTilak Express and Nagercoil Mumbai Express can be boarded to reach Kanchipuram. However, the trains might be late than their scheduled times. A faster and more convenient alternative to reach Kanchipuram by train is to take a train to Chennai and travel by road from Chennai to Kanchipuram via taxi or bus.
By Road: Road Transport is the most suitable mode of transport to reach Kanchipuram. From Chennai city it is 74 km. From Chennai airport it is 62.5 km. The Chennai Bangalore National Highway No. 4 passes the outskirts of the city. State Highways No 58 and 116 also pass through Kanchipuram. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates daily bus services those connect Kanchipuram to a number of important cities.
Hotel accommodation: Several fairly good hotels with ac and non ac rooms are available.
