Indian Columbus

How many beautiful and ancient temples lay neglected in Kanchipuram? Maybe, that is the curse of being located in a city of thousand temples.  Mukteswara Temple  is one such best-kept secret of this holy city. It is believed to have been built during the period of  Nandivarma Pallava II  in the  8th century CE . This is one of the few Pallava period temples in Kanchi left in their original forms. I have already written about another lesser-known Pallava period temple called  Matangeswar . Both temples look alike to a great extent. It is generally said that Mukteswara is the exact replica of Matangeswar, but that is not true. Although the structure of both these temples looks similar, there are many differences, such as the number of sculptures, the style of sculptures, the location of Dwarapalas, and a few other architectural features. Both are equally beautiful and admirable, I agree. It is not easy to locate the temple. It is located on East Raja Street,...

When the south-based historians complain that the Pallavas were not given their due in the annals of history, I could only think of this beautiful but neglected Pallava period temple called Matangeswara. It is such an architectural marvel. But, it remains unknown and is being overlooked by the people of Kanchipuram, the ancient capital of the Pallavas. When its own people do not care to promote or recognize the heritage value of their own sites, how could we expect others to recognize us? Matangeswara Temple  is a hidden gem in Kanchipuram, gifted by the great Pallavas. The temple is located on Hospital Road near Vaikuntha Perumal Temple. However, it is not very easy to locate the site. From the road, you could find only an ASI board at the entrance of a narrow lane. There is no way anyone could guess that this short passage would lead to a temple with so much heritage value. When the Pallavas constructed this temple, I hope it was surrounded by trees. On the contrary, it is now...