pencil sketches: August 2015

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy...!!!!

Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple or Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple of Ganesha. It is located in Kanipakam, Chittoor(Dist), Andhra Pradesh, India.

The temple was constructed in the early 11th century CE by the Chola king Kulothunga Chola I and was expanded further in 1336 by the Emperors of Vijayanagara dynasty.

According to the legend of the temple there were three brothers and each one had a handicap. Viz., Dumb, Deaf and Blind. They were earning out their livelihood by cultivating a small piece of land.

In olden days water was drawn from the well by way of 'Piccota System'. As one of them used to irrigate the field through the channels, the other two used to ply on the Piccota. On one such operation they found that the water in the well got dried up and they could no longer continue their job. One of them got into the well and started digging it up. He was taken aback to see the iron implement hitting a stone like formation.

Later, he was shocked to see blood oozing out from it. Within a few seconds the entire water in the well, turned blood red in colour. Thus, startled by this divine sight, all the three became normal getting rid of their deformities. As soon as the villagers came to know about this miracle, they thronged to the well and tried to deepen the well further. But their attempt proved futile because the 'swayambhu' idol (the self-manifested) of Lord Vinayaka emerged from the swirling waters.

Ultimately they offered many number of coconuts with all prayers- modestly kneeling before the new idol, offered "MANGALARATHI" etc. They declared the idol as "SWAYAMBHUHU" and tendered a number of coconuts. The coconuts water flowed into a channel to a distance of more than one and a quarter acres. The indication of this led to the modification in the usage of the word "KANIPARAKAM" and later pronounced as KANIPAKAM. Even today the idol is in the original well and the springs of the well are perennial and eternal. During the rainy season, the holy water from the well overflows even today.