Date uploaded in London – – 23 JANURARY 2024
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Let me continue with Varadaraja Perumal temple; Lord Robert Clive, the British rowdy who committed suicide in London, donated Makarakandi (necklace) to God Varadaraja Perumal when he was a humble clerk of East India Company.
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Kanchi was the birth place of great saint and author of numerous books Vedanta Desika. Other great people from Kanchi are Parimel Azakar, a priest in the temple, Kachiappa Sivachariar, a priest in another temple, and other Sangam poets.
Parimel Azakar’s Tirukkural commentary is the best among ten ancient commentaries Kachiappar was the author of Kandapuranam
All the four Saivie saints Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, Manikkavasagar visited the Shiva temple here.
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The city has 650 inscriptions; Satavahana coins are excavated here. Even Patanjali of second century BCE referred to it.
Pallava inscriptions – 15
Cholas – 245
Telugu Pallava- 48
Pandya – 12
Hoysalas and Telugu –Chodas – 3 each
Vijayanagara kings – 160
Sambuvarayas -10
Other inscriptions include Later Pallavas, Banas, Kakatiyas and Mughals.
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A university called Ghatika in the inscriptions was equivalent to great universities like Nalanda, Taxila (Thatchasilam)and Varanasi. That is the reason poetess Avvaiyar said Thondai Nadu is famous for scholars. Appar also refers to Kanchi as a town of great knowledge and learning.. Kadamba king Mayura Sharman studied here. We have references to Ghatika from fourth century CE.
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Kanchi was founded by the greatest Chola King Karikala according to Sekkizar of Periapuranam. Inscriptions also mentioned the connection of Karikala to this city.
Brahmin Poet Uruththirankannanar’s (Mr Rudraksha) Perumpanatruppadai sings the praise of Ilanthiraiyan.
The poet described Kanchi as follows,
Kanchi is beautiful like the heart of the lotus in the navel of Mahavishnu which is said to be the birth place of Brahma. Here there are high ramparts around the town which are made of brick. Like the jack fruit tree which is full of singing birds and sweet and big fruit. Kanchi is also full of noble festivals of people of different faiths. Therefore this city is the greatest of all cities on earth.”—Sangam book Perumpanatruppadai.
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Chinese pilgrim and traveller Hieun Tsang visited the city 1400 years ago , and saw Asoka’s 100 feet high Stupi.
Bodhidharma , who took the message of the Buddha to Japan and China was also from Kanchipuram.
Adi Shankara, the greatest Hindu philosopher, established a Mutt here and attained Samadhi . Later philosopher Ramanuja lived here for long. Vedanta Desika was born here. All these great saints had their disciples who also became famous.
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Kanchi in Sanskrit means girdle that is worn in the waist; Kanchi in Tamil meant a tree. He city’s other names include Kamakottam, Kamapeetam, Tundirapuram ,Dandapuram ,Mummurtisvaram ,
Pralaya sindhu, Brahmapuram ,Sivapuram, Indupuram.
Another explanation is Place where Brahma worshipped Siva; Ka- Brahma. Anchi- worship.Sangam poet also mentioned Brahma with reference to Kanchi.
— subham—
Tags – Kanchipuram, facts -2, 650 inscriptions, Ghatika, Perumpanatruppadai, Sangam work, Bodhidharmar, Robert Clive, Makarakandi, Tamil poets, Karikalan, Asoka stupi,
Tamil and Vedas 
