India

It is situated 80 km southwest of Chennai and it was capital of the Pallava dynasty during the 6th to 8th centuries, when the Pallavas created the great stone monuments of Mamallapuarm. Moreover, in earlier times, it was knowns as Kachi or Kachipedu but was later Sanskritized to Kanchi or Kanchipuram. According to legend, the name Kanchi is derived from Ka referring to the Hindu god Brahma and anchi, referring to his worship of Hindu god Vishnu at this place. The earliest inscription from the Maurya period (325-185 BCE) denotes the city as Kanchipuram where King Visnugopa was defeated by Samudragupta Maurya (320-298 BCE) . During the British rule, the city was known as Conjeevaram and later as Kanchipuram. Today a typically hectic modern Indian town, it's famed for its numerous important and vibrant temples, some dating from Pallava, Chola or Vijayanagar times, and also for its high-quality silk saris, woven on hand looms by thousands of families in the city and nearby villages.