Of the 7 sacred Indian cities where, according to tradition, it would be easier to achieve liberation (moksha), Kanchipuram is the only one located in South India and is a pilgrimage destination for Shivaites and Vishnites at the same time. It was the capital of the greatest dynasties of South India, which made the city a laboratory for the development of art and architecture, but also a center for learning the major religious philosophies. Today it is famous for weaving precious silk sarees. 7 were the sacred rivers known in the time of the Vedas,7 the heavenly horses of the god Surya,7 the Divine Mothers (saptamatrika) and again 7 the sacred cities of India that a devout pilgrim should visit in his life in order to improve his karman on the way to salvation: Benares (Varanasi) and Haridwar on the Ganges River; Ayodhya, birthplace of Rama; Mathura, birthplace of Krishna; Dwarka, where Krishna reigned as an adult; Ujjain, seat every 12 years of Kumbha Mela and Kanchipuram.
