KANCHI IS IN THE NEWS FOR WRONG REASONS Kanchipuram was the capital of Pallava dynasty in 5-8th century AD. Early Pallavas patronized Jainism. It was a famous seat of Jainism and at this very place Acharya Bhatta Akalanka defeated Buddha bhiskhus by 8-day debate in the year 643 AD in the palace of King Hima Sheetala. Princes Akalanka and his brother Nishkalanka underwent training in Buddhism at Nalanda in their youth. Eventually, Nishkalanka was killed by Buddhists and his death wish to his elder brother was to marginalize Buddhism which is against theism of soul (Anatmavadi or shunyavada). The later era witnessed revival of Vedanta through seers like Adi Sankara and so called Bhakti movement unleashing terror and all kinds of dirty civil wars. The temples now under Hindu custody at Kanchi puram were Jain temples. Once Jains were eliminated in the civil war, the famous Vardhamana Mahaveer temple became Varadaraja Perumal temple. The Neminatha temple became Kamakshi temple. Kamakshi is the new name of Kushmandini or Ambikaa yakshi of Bhagvan Neminatha. Both Vaishnavites and Saivites took charge of these temples respectively.
The brahmins regrouped in 18th century and took over charge of Kanchipuram temples and assets. Their mutt at Kumbakonam near Tirujinapalli (the venerable seat of Jina Munis, now called Tiruchi) was eventually shifted here with the permission of Britishers on the pretext of performance of Kumbabhishekam to Kamakshi yakshi. They wrote fresh history, link
