Geography
Kanchipuram is located at 12°59′N 79°43′E / 12.98°N 79.71°E / 12.98; 79.71. It is located 72 km (45 mi) south-west of Chennai, on the banks of river Vegavathi, a tributary of Palar river. The city covers an area of 11.6 km2 (4.5 sq mi) and has an elevation of 83.26 m (273.2 ft) above the sea level.The land around Kanchipuram is flat and slopes towards the south and east.Clayey soil predominates in the region. Other prominent soil types found in the area are black, red loam, clay and sand, which are suitable for constructional activities. The Chingleput District Manual (1879) describes the soil of the region as "highly inferior" and "highly stony or mixed with lime, gravel, soda and laterite". It has been postulated that the granite required for the Varadaraja Perumal Temple might have been obtained from the Sivaram Hills located 10 miles east of Kanchipuram.Ground water is the major source of irrigation – the block of Kanchipuram has 24 canals, 2809 tanks, 1878 tube wells and 3206 ordinary wells. The area around Kanchipuram is rich in medicinal plants, with historic inscriptions mentioning the medicinal value. Dimeria acutipes and cyondon barberi are two botanical species of plants found only in Kanchipuram and Chennai.
Kanchipuram is subdivided into two divisions - "Big Kanchi" or "Siva Kanchi" and "Little Kanchi" of "Vishnu Kanchi". Shiva Kanchi, which occupies the western portion of the city, is the larger of the two divisions and Vishnu Kanchi, located on the eastern fringes, the smaller. Most of the Shiva temples lie in Big Kanchi while most of the Vishnu temples lie in Little Kanchi.
Kanchipuram generally experiences hot and humid climatic conditions throughout the year. The city reaches a maximum (average) of 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) during April to July and a minimum (average) of 20.5 °C (68.9 °F) during the months of December to February. The daytime heat is oppressive during summer and reaches up to 43 °C (109 °F). Relative humidities between 58 and 84% prevail throughout the year in Kanchipuram. The humidity is maximum during morning time and minimum during evening. Higher rates of relative humidity are observed between November and January and lower rates during June. The city receives an average of 1064 mm of rainfall annually, 68% from the northeast monsoon. Most of the precipitation occurs in the form of cyclonic storm caused due to the depressions in Bay of Bengal during northeast monsoon. The wind direction of the city is south-west in the morning and south-east in the evening. The area is classified as a Seismic Zone II region, which means an earthquake of up to magnitude 6 on the Richter-scale may be expected.
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