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The nearest airport is Chennai (Madras). Kanchipuram can only be reached by road or rail, from Chennai. Of course, Chennai being one of the four largest airports in the country, has links from nearly all major Indian cities by air. Chennai is also connected to many international destinations. Many major international airlines fly to Chennai. |
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NH (National Highway) 4 from Chennai leads to Bangalore, through Sriperumbudur, Vellore etc. Take the local road to Kanchipuram, after travelling for about 70 kilometers from Chennai, on the highway. It is hard to miss the road. It comes right after you see the Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal Vishwa Mahavidhyalaya Deemed University and the Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital to the left. On the public transport side, Kanchipuram is very well connected by bus from Chennai. Many of the major transport corporations of Tamilnadu operate buses that connect Chennai through Kanchipuram. |
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Kanchipuram is connected to both Broad Gauge (Trains heading towards
the western parts of Tamilnadu, and North India), and Meter Gauge (Trains
heading towards the southern most parts of Tamilnadu, like Tanjavur, Tiruchy,
Madurai, etc.) rail systems of the Southern railway. On the broad gauge
side, alight at the Arakkonam Junction (about 60 minutes from Chennai),
and board the train towards Chengalpattu. On the meter gauge side, alight
at the Chengalpattu Junction (about 60 minutes from Chennai), and board
the train towards Arakkonam. Kanchipuram is about half way in the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu
meter gauge line.
The broad gauge lines start at the Chennai Central Station, and the meter gauge lines start at the Chennai Egmore Station. There are n't any frequent train services. Tourists generally don't
use the trains. So, they run only during hours when office goers can take
the trains. There are a couple of trips in the morning, and in the evening.
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The fastest and most convenient way to reach Kanchipuram is by road. But, you might want to try out the trains, to have the nice experience of travelling in a pretty slow train with very old coaches, among rice bags and village crowds. You can do this when you want to try out moving with the rustic side of India. Megamap of Kanchipuram Click here to view the megamap of Kanchipuram, a 300 KB JPEG map of tourist spots in the city. The map is not to scale. Railway Map
Take any train that leaves Chennai Egmore. All of them go to Chengalpattu. Take the connecting train to Kanchipuram from Chengalpattu. Take any train that leaves Chennai Central. All of them go to Arakkonam. Take the connecting train to Kanchipuram from Arakkonam. Approximate Travel Times : Chennai - Arakkonam : 90 Minutes
Contact Southern Railways for a Schedule of Trains. No prior reservations required (I don't think it's even possible) on the trains that lead to Kanchipuram from Arakkonam and Chengalpattu. Road Map
This route should by far be the fastest and safest (less chances of getting lost) way to get to Kanchipuram from Chennai. Also, this is the most scenic route. Don't miss the new Rajiv Gandhi memorial just outside Sriperumbuthur. If you are coming from the Chennai International or Domestic airports, NH 4 is just a couple of miles away from the airports. A Closer Look
If you would like to visit the Mahavidyalaya campus, the alternate route would be the best bet. If you do take this road, don't forget to stop by the Ellai Amman Temple, and the Karumari Amman Temple on the way. They are small, new temples with not much of history or architecture attached to them. But it sure would be worth an addition to a pilgrimage trip. Approximate Travel Time : Downtown Chennai - Kanchipuram :
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Kanchipuram
can be reached through the broad gauge and meter gauge routes from Chennai.
The broad gauge routes begin from Chennai Central station. The meter gauge
routes begin from Chennai Egmore station.
National
Highway (NH) 4 connects Bangalore, Karnataka with Chennai through Vellore,
Sriperumbuthur, etc. Kanchipuram does not lie directly on the highway.
Kanchipuram is about 5 kilometers off the highway. You can be sure about
your location when you see the sky high temple towers in the horizon, about
75 kilometers from Chennai. The recent additions - Sri Sankara Maha Vidyalaya
buildings and the statue of Sri Adi Shankara - are closer to the highway
than the temples themselves.
Keep
looking out for the landmarks - The Vishwa Maha Vidhyalaya, the Arignar
Anna Memorial Cancer Institute, and the Bakthavatchalam Polytechnic. Preferably,
stick to the main road shown on the map. The alternate road is good, too.
But, the likelihood of getting lost into one of the suburban colonies of
Kanchipuram is more on the alternate route.
