Pillayarpatti Vinayagar Temple

4 Sep'2011: Our next destination - Pillayarpatti is situated between Pudukkottai and Karaikudi.The rock cut Karpaka Vinayakar Shrine at Pillayarpatti near Karaikkudi at one of the oldest Cave Temples temples of Tamilnadu. 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 several other shrines.Karpaka Vinayakar 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.The Pillayarpatti Nagarathar community which has been traditionally involved with the temple - patronizing the maintenance and the scrupulous conduct of worship services. There was huge security around the temple that day-we later came to know that Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram was due at Pillayarpatti to open a new IOB Branch there that day. Due to restrictions in photography I could only manage a few pics...