Sri Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

. It is located at

Kanipakam Kanipakam is a minor town in Irala mandal, located in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kanipakam is situated at a distance of 11 km from Chittoor city on the Chittoor-Irala road. Temple Kanipakam is home to a ...

in Chittoor district of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The temple is about 11 km from

Chittoor Chittoor is a city and district headquarters in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal and divisional headquarters of Chittoor mandal and Chittoor revenue division respectively. The city has a popul ...

and 68 km from

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...

Legend

According to legend, there were three brothers who were mute, deaf and blind. They were digging a well to fetch water to their field. The device they were using fell into the well hitting hard object. When they dug further, blood started to gush out of the well and the three got rid of their disabilities. The villagers rushed to the spot and found deity of Ganesha. Villagers dug further, but they were not able to find the base of the deity. The deity sits in the well which is always full of water. The idol has apparently gotten larger over time. This is evidenced by the fact that a silver armour of the deity from 50 year ago, doesn't fit today. Currently only the knee and abdomen of the deity is visible.

History

The temple was constructed in the early 11th century CE by the

Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

Emperor Kulottunga I and was expanded further in 1336 by the Emperors of Vijayanagara.

Presiding deity

Vinayaka Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...

is the presiding deity of the temple. As per legend, it is believed that the deity is Svayambhu(Self-manifested). The deity is seen in the well, full of water always.

Administration

The temple is under the control of Endowments department of

which will appoint a trust board of 15 members to administer the temple.

Festivals

Annual brahmotsavams will be celebrated for 21 days starting from Vinayaka chavithi day. The processional deity of Vinayaka will be taken in a procession on different vahanams on these days amidst large number of pilgrims across the country.

In Popular Culture

* The Kanipakam Temple is one of the seven holy places visited by the children in the 2000 Telugu movie

Devullu ''Devullu'' ( ''Gods'') is a 2000 Telugu-language supernatural film directed by Kodi Ramakrishna. It stars Prithvi, Raasi, Master Nandan, Baby Nitya, while Suman, Srikanth, Rajendra Prasad, Ramya Krishna, Laya were in supporting roles and ...

References

External links

Official site
{{Hindu Temples in Andhra Pradesh Ganesha temples Hindu temples in Chittoor district 11th-century Hindu temples