There are very few temples of Lord Vinayaka in Andhra Pradesh. Kanipakam Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple is one of the famous and ancient historical temples in Andhra Pradesh.
Kaniparakam –> Kanipakam
Kanipakam is situated in Irala Mandal of Chittoor District and eleven kilometres from Chittoor. Kanipakam is on the banks of River Bahuda. Its original name was “KANIPARAKAM”.
- Kani, the Tamil word means one and a quarter acres of agricultural land.
- Parakam means the flowing of water to the land.
It is believed that in the olden days when the Lord emerged from a well, the people offered many coconuts, and the water of coconuts flowed to the land of Kani and the place, i.e., present kshetram is named ‘Kaniparakam’.
Later, it came to be known popularly by the people as ‘Kanipakam’.
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Swayambhu Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple – Sthalapurana / Legend
There is an interesting Sthalapurana about the Kanipakam temple and the presiding deity Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka. In the olden days, three brothers lived in this place. One of them was deaf, the second one was dumb and the third one was blind.
They were living by cultivating Kani land close to the Viharipuri village. During the summer the well in their land got dried up. In this situation, the three brothers decided to dig the well deeper. One day they started digging the well. After some time hard stone appeared in the well.
When they dug further, blood started to gush out of the well and fell on the brothers. With the touch of blood, the brothers felt blessed and got rid of their physical defects. This news spread among the villagers.
They gathered in large numbers and further dug well and they found the idol of Lord Vinayaka and offered prayers. After hearing this news the local ruler came and offered prayers to the deity and built a temple to Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy.
History of the temple
It is known from the historical pieces of evidence that the temple was constructed during the 11th Century AD by Chola King KulottungaChola (1070- 1122). Later Pallavas, Vijayanagara rulers and other rulers developed the temple. At present, the temple is administered by the Endowment Department of Andhra Pradesh.
Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Temple Structure
Temple is built in a large area facing towards the east. There is a Pushkarini in front of the temple. The main Entrance has Raja Gopuram. This Raja Gopuram consists of seven tiers.
At the top, we can see Five GopuraKalasams. There are Balipeetham and Dwajastambham in front of the main temple. The main temple consists of four mandapas, i.e., Mukhamandapa, Arthamandapa, Antaraalayam and Garbhagruha.
In the main sanctum sanctorum, we find the idol of Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy in sitting posture and the Garbhalayam is well. Always, water is seen around the idol. Further, we can also see the wound on the back side of the head of the Mulavirat (Main deity).
Satya Pramaanaala Devudu
Another feature is that the Mulavirat (Main deity) is growing in size. Around 1945, a devotee donated a silver kavacha to the Lord but now it does not fit the Mulavirat (Main deity). We can see Kavacham displayed in the temple. In addition to the main deity, we can also see Sri Veeranjaneya swami, Sri Siddhi Buddhi sametha Sri Vinayaka swamy, Navagraha Mandapam and Addala mandapam on temple premises.
Lord Varasiddhi Vinayaka of Kanipakam is also called as “Satya Pramaanaala Devudu”.
It is believed that people come and resolve their disputes by taking a Special Oath in the temple. People fear wrath of the God if they lie and always confess the truth. Here, if a person swears about a particular incident it is taken as truth. Most of the disputes were settled in the temple. That’s why people believe that it is more than a court judgment. One can see this type of pramanaas every day in the temple.
Sri Varasiddhi Vinayaka Swamy Brahmotsavams
Brahmotsavams are performed every year in the month of Bhadrapadamasam apart from daily poojas. During Brahmotsavams different vahana sevas including Radhotsavam, Puspapallaki and Teppotsavam are performed in a grand style.
Accommodation and Transport Facilities
Accommodation facilities are available in Kanipakam. Kanipakam is 68 kilometres from Tirupati and 11 kilometres from Chittoor.
There are many buses to Kanipakam from Tirupati and Chittoor. Direct buses are also available from Tirumala. Chittoor railway station is the nearest railway station to Kanipakam. It is on the Tirupati Katpadi railway line.
Final Word
It can be stated unequivocally that the visit to ‘Kanipakam’ creates peace and joy for the pilgrims and a strong desire to visit the sacred place again.
