Karpaka Vinayakar Temple at Pillayarpatti

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Karpaka Vinayakar Temple at Pillayarpatti Temples of Tamilnadu Abodes of Ganesha

This image of Ganesha is bound to be familiar to anyone of Tamil origin;

however, little is known to many about the fact that this is an image of the

rock cut Karpaka Vinayakar Shrine at Pillayarpatti near Karaikkudi at one of

the oldest Cave Temples (Rock Cut) temples of Tamilnadu. Pillayarpatti is

situated between Pudukkottai and Karaikkudi. The nearest airport is at

Tiruchirappalli. Chennai Rameswaram Express and Kamban Express travel to these

two railheads.

The town of Pillaiyarpatti is named after 'Pillayar' - the tamil name for

Ganesha, and this ancient temple houses rock cut images of Shiva, Lingodbhavar

and others as well as several other shrines. Steeped in the tradition of Agamic

textsthe temple bears testimony to the vibrant temple culture of the Tamil

people, passed down through centuries.Deities: Karpaka Vinayakar or Desi

Vinayaka Pillaiyar is the presiding deity here, and he is portrayed with two

arms and a trunk curled towards his right in the valampuri mode. This 6 feet

tall mammoth image of Ganesha is a bas relief in an excavated cave, off of a

hill in the precincts of the temple. Tiruveesar is a Shiva Lingam carved in a

similar manner. Other deities in the temple include Marudankudi Eesar and his

consort Vaadaamalar Mangai.Antiquity: Over 15 inscriptions are found within the

temple, that help establish the age of the temple. The Stalapuranam published by

the temple classifies the growth of this temple into three distinct stages. The

first stage goes back in time by about 1600 years. During this period, the

innermost rock cut shrines housing Karpaka Vinayakar and Tiruveesar came into

being. The uniqueness of the image of Ganesha is one factor testifying this

date; the characters used in the temple inscriptions also help establish this

date. The pillars within the shrine are of pre-Pallava origin. The Pallavas

were prolific builders of rock cut temples (Mahabalipuram, Mahendravadi,

Mamandur, Mandakapattu, Seeyamangalam, Namakkal, Tiruchi, Nartamalai,

Kudumiyanmalai, Tirukkokarnam, Tirumeyyam, Peraiyur, Malayadipatti,

Tirukolakkudi, Kunrakkudi etc.). A number of these can be traced to

Mahendravarman I (615 - 630 AD) and Narasimhavarman I (630 - 668 AD). However,

the inscriptions at Pillayarpatti date further back to the 4th century AD.

Also, given the location of the temple in the Pandya kingdom it would only be

logical to associate Pandya patronage to this temple, especially in the light

of Pandya patronage at the Kazhugumalai temple not too far from here. There are

several inscriptions within this temple that date back to the period between

1091 AD and 1238 AD, making it apparent that the Pillayarpatti Nagarattar

became the custodians of the temple during the 13th century AD during the

second growth phase of this temple, when Vimanams and Rajagopurams were

built.The third phase of growth is much more recent and it involved the repair,

rebuilding and refurbishment of the entire temple complex, including the

renovation of the temple tank. The tank and the two Raja Gopurams provide an

attractive approach to the temple, in this rather remote town of

Pillayarpatti.It is with great pride that the Pillayarpatti Nagarathar

community which has been traditionally involved with the temple - patronizes

maintenance of this temple and the scrupulous conduct of worship services.

Worship Protocol: Each day, five worship services are offered to the presiding

deity, commencing at 6 AM , and closing down at 9 PM. During the fourth phase

of each lunar half month, Pillayar is taken in procession around the temple.

Hundreds of pilgrims patronize the temple on these days.Festivals: The grandest

of festivals is Ganesh Chaturti in the month of Aug - September, where a ten day

celebration brings much gaiety to this temple town. Each day's celebration is

marked by much splendor as Pillayar is taken in procession around town on

several of his mounts, as are the other Pancha Murthys. The ninth day of the

festival is marked by a chariot procession. In addition, the ten day festival

in the month of Vaikasi (May - June) is held in honor of Kongu Nachiyamman, a

village deity whose processional image is also housed here. The Margazhi

Tiruvadirai festival is celebrated in honor of Nataraja and Sivakami (Dec -

Jan).Nearby Attractions: Pudukkottai houses the Gokarneswarar Temple, and

Kunnakkudi houses the hill temple of Shanmukhanathar.

Featured Links:

Nagarathaar Website Pudukottai Home Page Karaikkudi HomePageDistrict Map of

Tamilnadu Varasidhi VinayakarTempleKoviloor Madalayam

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