Karpaka Vinayakar Temple

History & tradition

Karpaka Vinayakar Temple, widely known as the Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar Temple, is in Pillaiyarpatti village in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. At its heart is a rock-cut cave shrine of the 7th century, much expanded in later times, dedicated to Ganesha as Karpaka Vinayakar. The cave holds rock-cut images of Ganesha and a Shiva linga that are noted for their unusual iconography. Inscriptions inside the shrine and on the outer walls help date its core, and the archaic script of one has led scholars to suggest that parts may be older still. Bronze images of the 11th century were found here during repairs in the late 19th century.