The Kanchi matha shifted south to the temple city of Kumbakonam in mid-18th-century to escape Islamic persecution and atrocities. It returned to Kanchi in the 19th-century when theo-political stability returned during the British colonial rule. The matha is a living tradition, that continues to pursue spiritual scholarship in contemporary times. The Kanchi monastery, along with its sister monasteries across India, has also been an important preserver and source of historic palm leaf manuscripts. The head of the "matha" is also referred to as a "Sankaracharya". Since February 2018, the institution has been led by Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal.