The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s9.37

c5.s9.37

Kâñchîpura—Conjeveram (*Mbh.*, Bhîshma, ch. IX), the capital of Drâviḍa or Chola (*Padma P.*, Uttara, ch. 74), on the river Palar, forty-three miles south-west of Madras. The portion of Drâviḍa, in which it is situated, was called Toṇḍa-maṇḍala. The eastern portion of the town is called Vishṇu-Kâñchî and the western portion Śiva-Kâñchî, inhabited by the worshippers of Vishṇu Varadâ Râja and Śiva called Ekâmranâtha (with his consort Kâmâkshî Devî) respectively (*Padma P.*, Uttara, ch. 70; Wilson's *Mackenzie Collection*, pp. 146, 191). See Chidambaram. Śaṅkarâchârya constructed the temple of Vishṇu called Vishṇu-Kâñchî at Kâñchî (Ânanda Giri's *Śaṅkaravijaya*, ch. 67). At Śiva-Kâñchî exists his tomb or Samâdhi with his statue upon it within the precincts of the temple of Kâmâkshî Devî. The town contains the celebrated Tîrtha called Śiva-Gaṅgâ. It possessed a University (see Nâlandâ). The Pallava dynasty reigned at Conjeveram from the fifth to the ninth century of the Christian era, when they were overthrown by the Chola kings of Tanjore, which was also the capital of Chola or Drâviḍa. Kâñchîpura is said to have been founded by Kulottuṅga Chola on the site of a forest called Kurumbar-bhûmi (*Mackenzie Manuscripts* in *JASB.*, vii, pt. I, pp. 399, 403), which was afterwards called Toṇḍa-maṇḍala.