The Karpaka Vinayakar Temple, Thiruppatthur

The Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar temple, also known as Arulmigu Karpaka Vinayakar Kovil is an ancient rock-cut cave shrine located at Thiruppatthur in Sivaganga district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Lord Ganesha known as Karpaka Vinayakar or Desi Vinayaka Pillaiyar, and he is the presiding deity of the temple; but in the temple rock cut images of Lord Shiva as well as other gods and several other shrines are also present.

According to the Agama texts found on stones in the temple, its construction dates between the years 1091 and 1238 and is estimated to be aged around 2500 years old. It is the only temple in Tamil Nadu, which contains a 6 feet rock-cut Pillaiyar deity. The early Great Pandya kings built the temple in a cave of Pillaiyarpatti Hillock. The image of Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar and that of a Shiva Lingam were carved out of a stone located in a cave where the temple is situated by a sculptor named Ekkattur Koon. There are 14 other stone sculptures in the cave and these stone sculptures state the ancient names of Pillaiyarpatti such as Ekkattoor, Thiruveenkaikkudi, Maruthangudi, and Rajanarayanapuram.

The 6-feet idol of Lord Pillaiyar is carved on a stone in the Vinayakar sannidhi, which is a cave. The inner sanctum is well illuminated with oil lamps and the whole idol is covered with gold. The Thumbikai (trunk) of Lord Pillaiyar is curled towards his right side and hence the idol is also known as Valampuri Pillaiyar. And the Lord is seated facing the northern side. There are other deities also present in this temple such as goddess Karthiyayini, Nagalingam, Pasupatheeswarar, and like all Shaivite temples, it also has Lord Shiva as its presiding deity known as Lord Arjunapureeswarar.

People from all over the state come to the temple for the worship of Pillaiyar, the Lord of Wisdom. The devotees who observe the Chathurthi Fast for a year come to Pillaiyarpatti on Avani Sukkilaptcha Chathurthi day. The Ganesh Chathurthi / Vinayaka Chathurthi festival, is celebrated for 10 days in a grand manner every year during the months of August and September here. During that time, great numbers of pilgrims gather to worship Lord Pillaiyar here.

For more information on various Ganesh Temples, visit Ishtadevata.