Religious/ Spiritual

Vivekananda Rock Memorial is one of the most interesting places to see in the southern part of India. It is situated in Kanyakumari and it is a fort and an island. Vivekananda Rock Memorial stands on top of a two rocks that are situated approximately 500 meters off the island. Although the Vivekananda Rock Memorial itself is fairly recent and built around the 1970's, the two rocks themselves have been there since the millennia. It is thought that the great philosopher Swami Vivekananda had meditated on the rock seeking enlightenment. Vivekananda Rock Memorial is open everyday and attracts many visitors constantly.

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The Devarajaswami Temple was built by the Vijaynagar kings. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Vishnu. There are elaborately carved pillars that can be seen throughout the temple. This particular temple has a marriage hall that was built in remembrance of the marriage between Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. There is a water tank that contains a large statue of Lord Vishnu inside the water. The tank is drained every 40 years. At that time, the 10 meter high statue can be seen, and is then established for darshan for 48 days before it is immersed in water once again.

The Ekambaranatha Temple is the largest temple in Kanchipuram. It covers an impressive 20 acres. This particular temple has been dedicated to Lord Shiva, and was built by the Pallavas and then in turn was altered by both the Cholas and the Rayas. One remarkable feature of this temple is the fact that the 1000 lingas are all carved out of one solitary stone. Also, there are one thousand pillared halls found within the temple. Outside of the Ekambaranatha Temple there is a mango tree that is over 3500 years old. There are four separate limbs found on the tree that represent the Four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana). Tradition has it that the fruit from each limb tastes different even though they all are on the same tree.

It is at the Kachapeshwarar Temple that the Lord Shiva can be seen being worshipped by Lord Vishnu in the form of Tortoise (Kachap). This image can be seen on sculptures and engravings that adorn this beautiful temple. It is unusual for a temple to be dedicated to one Hindu god, in this case Lord Shiva, and then show another god worshipping that entity. This occurrence is one of the items that make this particular temple unique. The beautiful interior of the temple is just as impressive as the exterior.

The Kailasanathar Temple is one of the earliest and most remarkable temples that are found in the Kanchipuram area. It was built in the 7th century by the Pallava king Rajasimha. This particular temple is an excellent example of early Dravidian architecture. One notable feature that is unique to this temple is that there is a 16-sided Shiva lingam that is made out of black granite at the main shrine. Both the elegant decorations that are carved on this temple as well as the architectural style of the building closely resemble the impressive sculptures that are found at Mahabalipuram.

The Kamakshi Amman Temple is dedicated to the goddess Parvathi. It is believed to have been originally built by the Pallava kings before the 7th century, but was then later rebuilt by the Cholas during the 14th Century. This particular temple is located directly in the heart of Kanchipuram. It is known as one of the three holy places of Sakthi worship. At this temple there is a Sankaracharya shrine. Sankaracharya was the man who found the Kamakoti Monastery and is known as one of the greatest Hindu saints. He is also known for building a golden tower.

The Kanchi Kamaski Temple is one of the triad of temples. The triad includes Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi and Kasi Visalakshi. This temple in Kanchipuram is an extremely famous one and is an excellent example of saktis. It is known for its absolutely exquisite sculptures. The sculptures are also painted vivid colors to make them almost come to life. One of the most famous sculptures in the temple is the larger than life sculpture of Kamakshi herself. The beauty of this one sculpture is worth the time and effort that it takes to visit this one temple.

The Hindu religion is prominent throughout all of India. Many of the temples that can be seen there are in fact Hindu temples. The ancient culture as well as the cultural heritage of Hinduism is shown at Kanchi Kudhil. This is a small house that shows exactly how the Hindu religion is intertwined into India's history and modern day way of life. This fascinating place of discovery is open to visitors. There is no better way for a person of another faith to understand and appreciate the fascinating religion of Hinduism than to visit the Kanchi Kudhil.

The Vaikunda Perumal Temple was built by the Pallava king Nadivarman II during the 7th century. This is particular temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In fact, Lord Vishnu's image can be seen in standing, sitting and reclining forms on towering vimanas that can be seen throughout the temple. There are also many beautiful lion pillared cloisters as well as several bas – reliefs in the main shrine of the temple. Inscriptions that tell of the history of the temple as well as the history of the city itself can be seen on the walls. India's Department of Archeology cares for this temple.

The beautiful Varadaraja Temple was built during the 10th century by the Vijayanagar kings. There is a big outer wall that surrounds this fine temple. It also has an impressive one thousand pillared halls inside that are called the Kalyanamandapam. Each one of these pillars has a description of Lord Vishnu on it. This is because Lord Vishnu is for whom the temple is dedicated. Another notable feature is the huge chain that is there. This amazing chain is carved out of one single piece of granite. Interesting enough, the inside of this temple even has fire corridors built into it.