Stones and stories

Our visit to the Kanchi Kailasanathar temple was a unique experience. The 1300-year-old temple situated on the banks of Vegavathy river in Kanchipuram struck us with its magnificence right from the first glance. Getting there before the sunrise helped, as we got lucky to see how the temple unveiled its glory with the magic of sun’s rays. 

It is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites and thankfully preserved well by the ASI (Archeological Survey of India). We were lucky to make some friends in the ASI who churned out stories that these timeless stones held. Built by Rajasimha Varman, the Kailasanathar temple exudes a serene, tranquil air set in peaceful surroundings away from the other popular temples of Kanchipuram. This was the first structural temple built in South India and stands dedicated to Lord Shiva. Other temples of this era were either built of wood or hewn into rock faces in caves as seen in Mamallapuram. The Kailasanathar temple built of sandstone became the trendsetter for other similar temples in South India in a lot of aspects. A perfect mixture of religion and architecture, there is simply so much to observe and articulate inside this temple. 

There is no typical gopuram at the entrance, but the splendid vimana over the sanctum sweeps you with its pyramidal awe. The many panels showing Lord Shiva as Nataraja in various postures and the fantastically structured Brahma and Vishnu sculptures are a visual treat. Every panel depicts a story and is so intricately sculpted. One of the earliest instances of calligraphy can be found here. Over 240 titles of the king displayed in Nagari and Pallava Grantha scripts, are meticulously engraved on the temple. The priceless carvings and frescoes have been covered by layers of plaster which the ASI is now trying to restore to their original condition. 

Despite all this, the irony is that not many know about this marvel standing tall in our land. This stirred us to compile a series of pictures that captures the magnificence of the temple. After perseverant efforts over the course of last year, these photos have been compiled into a book titled Stones and Stories with a foreword by historian, Chitra Madhavan. 

As much as we talk about it in words and pictures, the temple in its truest essence is experienced only when visited in person. The sanctum is closed between 12 noon and 4 pm, but the main temple is open throughout the day for non-worshipping visitors who want to witness architectural marvels.