The temple is located on the banks of the Vegavathy River at the western limits of the Kanchipuram. It faces east. Its location, demarcated according to the religious faiths, is in one of three Kanchis, the Shiva Kanchi; the other two Kanchis are, Vishnu Kanchi and Jain Kanchi. It is from the Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. Kailasanathar is one of several notable temples in Kanchipuram, the others being Ekambaranatha, Kachapeshwarar, Kamakshi Amman, Kumarakottam Temple, and Varadaraja Perumal.