Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Kanchipuram

The Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt was established by Adi Sankara and is located in the city of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. The Kanchi mutt was founded on the lines of a monastic institution for the Hindus. There are five pancha-bhutasthalas of the mutt and the Kanchipuram mutt is one of the five.

Nobody knows when the mutt was actually built but archaeological evidence has shown that the institution has been in existence for over 2500 years now. This has been proven by the epigraphical evidence found on the walls of the mutt. Some historians claim that the mutt in Kanchipuram is more than three centuries old but there is no solid proof to support this claim.

Initially the mutt was in Kumbakonam and was moved from there to Kanchipuram in the 18th century when Hyder Ali’s army marched into the area. Today, the mutt is revered all across South India and every year thousands of devotees of Adi Sankara visit the institution in search of peace and serenity.