Kanchipuram, also known as Kānchi or Kancheepuram, is a temple city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, 72 km from Chennai – the capital of Tamil Nadu.
Located on the banks of the Vegavathy river, Kanchipuram has been ruled by the Pallavas, the Medieval Cholas, the Later Cholas, the Later Pandyas, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Carnatic kingdom, and the British, who called the city “Conjeeveram”. The city’s historical monuments include the Kailasanathar Temple and the Vaikunta Perumal Temple.
In the Hindu epics and the Puranas, Dvaraka is called Dvaravati and is one of seven Tirtha (pilgrimage) sites for spiritual liberation. The other six are Mathura, Ayodhya, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Avantika (Ujjain) and Puri.
Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage. The Char Dham is a set of four pilgrimage sites ie. Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, and Rameswaram.