Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple - History
The Kailasanathar Temple (meaning:“Lord of the Cosmic
Mountain”), is built in the tradition of Smartha worship of Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya (Sun), Ganapathi and Kartikeya,
in Hinduism,
a practice which replaced the Buddhism. Built on the banks of the Vegavathi River at the
western limits of Kanchipuram, the Kailasanathar temple stands tall with pride
and heritage. Kanchipuram has rich
history and it's one of the oldest cities in India. The temples of Kanchipuram
are known for their grandeur and great architecture. The architecture of Kanchi
monuments were trend setting with great sculpture work and unique style and became
a benchmark for South Indian architecture.
The city served as the capital of Pallava Dynasty, and
most of the known temples were built during their reign. From the 3rd to the
9th century CE, Kanchi was the capital of the Pallavas who ruled over the territory
extending from the river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh to the river Kaveri in the
south. The Pallavas fortified the city with ramparts, moats, etc., with wide
and well laid out roads and fine temples. They were a great maritime power with
contacts with far-off China, Siam, Fiji, etc., through their chief Port
Mamallapuram, the modern Mahabalipuram.
Temple construction is credited to the Pallava
dynasty, who had established
their kingdom with Kanchipuram (also known as "Kanchi" or "Shiva
Vishnu Kanchi") as the capital city, considered one of the seven sacred
cities under Hinduism. There was an interregnum when the Chalukya rulers defeated the Pallavas and occupied
Kanchipuram. However, the Pallavas regained their territory and started
expanding their capital city of Kanchipuram and built many temples of great
magnificence. The only temple of this period which is extant is the Kailasanathar
Temple.
The temple was built during 685-705AD. It is the
first structural temple built in South
India by Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha), and who is also known as Rajasimha
Pallaveswaran. His son, Mahendravarman III, completed the front façade and the gopuram (tower). Prior temples were either built of wood
or hewn into rock faces in caves or on boulders, as seen in Mahabalipuram. The Kailasanathar temple became the trend setter
for other similar temples in South
India. According to local
belief, the temple was a safe sanctuary for the rulers of the kingdom during
wars. A secret tunnel, built by the kings, was used as an escape route and is
still visible.
The Cholas ruled this town from 10th century to 13th
century after the fall of Pallavas. The temple has gone by other names such
as Kachipettu Periya Thirukatrali (meaning: Stone Temple of
Kachipettu, the old name for the present day Kanchipuram) when Rajaraja
Chola I of the Chola Dynasty
paid a visit to this temple. Inspired by the architecture of this temple, he
built the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. Kanchi
came under the control of Vijayanagara kingdom from 14th century to 17th
century and controlled by British from the end of 18th century. This temple had
seen many wars and even at those times the victorious opposing camps were full
of praise about the temple and spared the destruction. Currently, Kanchi
Kailasanathar Temple is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.
Kanchipuram is located on the Palar River and known for
its temples and silk Sarees which are woven manually. There are several big
temples, like Kamakshi Amman Temple, Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kailasanathar
Temple, Karchapeshwarar Temple, Ekambaranatha Temple which is one of the five
forms of abodes of Lord Siva, (it is the earth abode here, other abodes include
Chidambaram (Sky), Sri Kalahasti (air), Thiruvanaikaval (water) and Thiruvannamalai
(fire)).
