Pallava, Chozha and Pandya period, Vinayagar images from as individual to bas reliefs in Rock Cut Caves, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Vinayagar Chaaturthi 2026

ஐந்து கரத்தனை ஆனை முகத்தனை
இந்தின் இளம்பிறை போலும் எயிற்றனை
நந்தி மகன்தனை ஞானக் கொழுந்தினைப்
புந்தியில் வைத்து அடிபோற்றுகின்றேனே! 

 

LEGEND OF GANESHA

Vinayagar (Lord Ganesha) was created by Goddess Parvati from turmeric paste to guard her door while she took a bath. Goddess Parvati wanted privacy during her bath, so she shaped a boy out of turmeric paste and gave him life. She told the boy to stand at the door and let no one enter. Lord Shiva returned home and tried to go inside. The boy stopped him because he did not know Shiva, and Shiva did not know the boy. Angry at being blocked, Lord Shiva fought the boy and cut off his head.

 

One of the earliest 5th-century Vinayagar, with inscriptions at  Yamadhandeeswarar Temple, Alagramam, in Viluppuram Dist., Tamil Nadu

Goddess Parvati became very upset and angry when she saw what happened. Lord Shiva promised to fix his mistake and told his helpers to bring the head of the first living creature facing north that had passed away. The helpers found a baby elephant. Shiva placed the elephant head on the boy's body and brought him back to life.

 

Lord Shiva blessed him and said people would worship Vinayagar first before any prayer, new beginning, or journey. He is known as Vighneshvara, the lord who removes all obstacles and brings good fortune. People celebrate his birthday during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival by installing clay idols and later immersing them in water. After the celebration, the clay idol dissolves in water. It is believed that the Vinayagar idol made out of clay, i.e., earth, goes back to earth.

The different sects of worship in Hinduism are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Sauram (Sun worship), and Kaumaram (worship of Karthikeya)

Ganapatyam (also spelled Ganapatya) is a highly significant historic sect of Hinduism that centers on Ganesha (Ganapati) as the supreme, all-encompassing deity. While it is often grouped today under the broader umbrella of mainstream Hinduism or alongside Smartism, it historically stood as its own distinct and powerful denomination. In Ganapatyam, Ganesha is not just the elephant-headed god of new beginnings or the remover of obstacles. He is worshipped as Brahman—the supreme, absolute reality, creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the universe. Adherents primarily rely on these two sacred texts, which detail Ganesha's mythology, philosophy, and cosmic significance. Followers believe that meditating on Ganesha and reciting his mantras leads to liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirth.

 

In the 8th century CE, the philosopher Adi Shankara established the Shanmata system to unify various warring factions of Hinduism. He synthesized Ganapatyam into one of the six primary systems of worship alongside Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Sauram (Sun worship), and Kaumaram (Murugan/Kartikeya worship. The sect reached its peak popularity between the 10th and 21st centuries, finding its strongest roots in western India, particularly in Maharashtra.

 

Vinayagars are worshipped in the form of Idols and bas-reliefs in rock-cut caves, as early as the 8^th century in India, especially in Tamil Nadu.

Vinayagar in Ladan, 8th century Pandya rock-cut cave. 

Mahibalanpatti, Vinayagar, believed to be 9th century, Pandya period

Believed to be of 07th- 9th century, Panayapuram, Villupuram District

Vinayagar from Perangiyur, Viluppuram District

A 9th-century Pallava-period Vinayagar, at Periyavenmani

Pillayarpatti Vinayagar, a Pandya-period rock-cut cave, believed to be from the 2nd to 5th centuries 

LINK TO THE POST

சீதக் களபச் செந்தா மரைப்பூம்

பாதச் சிலம்பு பலஇசைப் பாடப்

பொன் அரை ஞாணும் பூந்துகி லாடையும்

வன்ன மருங்கில் வளர்ந்தழ கெறிப்பப்,

Vinayagar Periyanai Ganapathy in the Southwest corner of the prakara is large, and a legend is associated with Vinayagar. When Avvaiyar knew that Sundarar was going to Kailash, she also wanted to go there and do pooja hurriedly. Knowing her urgency, Vinayagar asked her to do the pooja slowly, and he would lift her to Kailash before Sundarar reached Kailash. So Avvayar sang the hymns as ‘Seetha kalaba Senthamarai poo... “

Thiruparaithurai, part of Saptamatrikas

Worshipped as Thumbikai Alwar, Thirumizhisai.

Vinayagar is also worshipped as Vinayaki, a female form

Uchista Ganapati, from Madambakkam 

A bas-relief from Vallam, near Chengalpattu, Rock Cut Cave.

A Ganga region Vinayagar brought as a war trophy, Nageswaran Temple, Kumbakonam

Kanakku Pillayar, Gangaikonda Chozhapuram, brought from the Ganga region as a war trophy

Vatapi Ganapati, Thiruvarur Thiyagesar Temple, brought from the north as a war trophy

Vinayagar at Jambai, believed to be brought from the Chalukyas as a war trophy

Kikeri Karnataka

Kasukalanju Vinayagar at Thiruvarur

Painting of Vinayagar at Sri Meenashi Amman Temple, Madurai

In addition, there are some big temples exclusively dedicated to Vinayagar, with Rajagopuram, Temple Chariot, etc. The details are written in a separate post on our blog, and links are given below.

1. Uchishta Ganapathy Temple/ மணிமூர்த்தீஸ்வரம் உச்சிஷ்ட கணபதி கோயில், Manimoortheeswaram, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu.

2. Arulmigu Aayirathu Enn Vinayakar Thirukovil / அருள்மிகு ஆயிரத்தெண் விநாயகர் திருக்கோயில், ஆறுமுகமங்கலம்/ Arumugamangalam, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu.

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Archaeological Survey of India, Excavation Site / Amirthamangalam Excavations/ அமிர்தமங்கலம் அகழாய்வுகள், Amirthamangalam, Puliyur Forest, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this ASI excavation site at Amirthamangalam in Tiruvallur District was part of the Gajaprishta Vimana Temple, Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and ASI Excavation site in Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu and Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh.  

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பெருங்கற்கால ஈமச்சின்னங்கள் (Megalithic Monuments):

இப்பகுதியில் சுமார் 2,000 முதல் 3,000 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முந்தைய (இரும்புக்காலம் / சங்க காலம் சார்ந்த) கல்வட்டங்கள் (Cairn Circles) மற்றும் கல்திட்டைகள் (Dolmenoid Cists) பரவலாகக் காணப்படுகின்றன. பழங்கால மனிதர்கள் இறந்தவர்களைப் புதைத்து, அவர்களின் நினைவாக பெரிய பாறாங்கற்களை வட்டவடிவில் அடுக்கி வைத்துப் அமைத்த ஈமச்சின்ன அமைப்புகள் இவை.

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The chain of exploration began when Sir Robert Bruce Foote, a British Geologist, accidentally found a stone tool at Pallavaram in May 1863, followed by the discovery of numerous artefacts in and around Poondi near Chennai. This tremendous discovery in the field of prehistoric archaeology pushed back the antiquity of man in Tamil Nadu to more than half a million years ago and placed this region indisputably on the world map of prehistoric culture. Most of the stone implements have so far been collected from the surface of the earth, but some are from river terraces. These early stone implements have been discovered at Kortallayar Valley in and around Thiruvallur.

As per the Excavation in Tamil Nadu report, published in 2011 by the Archaeological Survey of India, the excavation at Amirthamangalam in Tiruvallur District was carried out in 1944 – 49, under the Megalithic / Iron age site category. This was the 16th site of 72 sites excavated by ASI. The megalithic types in northern parts of Tamil Nadu (comprising the districts of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, etc.) show mainly slab cist burials. At Amirthamangalam, Urns with tapering bottoms occurred within cairn circles. These cairn circles are created using laterite stones, which are available in this region.  

Systematic excavations were conducted by different agencies in various places in Tamil Nadu, including Amirthamangalam. The excavation yielded about 250 Urns, which contain skull bones along with Black and red pottery.

The excavation at Amirthamangalam in the lateritic zone of Chingleput District (presently in Tiruvallur District), where urn-burials occur without any obvious megalithic appendage, was carried out by the Southern Circle under Shri N R Banerjee as a complement to the excavation of megalithic monuments at Sanur in the granitic zone of the same District. The objective was to find out the mode of burial and how far it resembled or differed in nature from the urn-burials surrounded by stone circles that are met with in the region.

The location of the urn-burials on a lateritic plateau, surrounded at the fringe by many rain-fed ancient irrigation-tanks, conforms to the general principle of the situation of megaliths elsewhere in the District The exposed and damaged urns (pl XL) at this extensive site, numbering about two hundred and fifty, displayed a large variety of sizes and shapes ranging from oval to nearly globular All were hand-made, thick, of coarse granular fabric and pale red colour and had rolled rims with or without additional decorations below and either pedunculated bottoms, which pinned then into the earth, or heeled solid bottoms, flat at the lower end, varying in diameter from 4 inch to 11 inch.

Excavation of a few urns (pls XLI and XLII B) showed that they were each placed in an adequate pit cut into the lateritic gravel and, wherever necessary, even into the underlying lateritic bedrock. The skeletal material, consisting of a selection of uncalcined, disarticulated and excarnated bones, including the skull, long bones, loosened teeth and fragments of ribs, was deposited at the bottom (pl XLII A) Over the skeletal deposit were placed a few (three or four) pots in Black-and-red Ware A few iron objects were also placed inside The urns were then filled up with earth and covered with dome-shaped bds (a variant in the form of an oblong lid was also rarely noticed) Being large and commodious, the rims of the lids reached the belly-level of the urns and sealed the burials completely The lids had the same type of rolled rims and had the same fabric and colour as the urns A few pots were also placed over them The pit was thereafter covered up, and a few blocks of laterite, deliberately cut, appear to have been invariably placed along its edge The tumulus, if any, over the interments was not extant, but the pit was sealed by an overlying layer of loose gravelly earth (fig 5)

Urns with human skull and bones

On the whole, these burials appear to be simpler than the elaborate megalithic burials. The absence of the stone circle, the comparative paucity of pottery and iron objects, and the smaller quantity of skeletal material all suggest a less sophisticated mode of disposal of the dead. Whether they indicate a form earlier than the full-fledged megaliths or are a degenerate form thereof requires further investigation.

இந்திய அரசுத் தொல்லியல் துறையால் இந்த இடம் 1954-55ல் அகழாய்வு செய்யப்பட்டது. இங்கு சுமார் 250 தாழிகள் காணப்பட்டன. இவற்றில் சில அகழாய்வு செய்யப்பட்டன. இவை செம்புராங்கற் பாறையில் குழி தோண்டப்பட்டு புதைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தன. சில தாழிகளில் இறப்பிற்குப் பின் சேகரித்து வைக்கப்பட்ட மனிதர்களின் மண்டை ஓடுகள், பிற உடல் எலும்புகள், விலா எலும்புகள் மற்றும் பற்கள் காணப்பட்டன. தாழிகளில் கருப்பு-சிவப்புப் பானைகள் வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தன. இந்த ஈமதாழிகள் (Urn Burials) சுடுமண் மூடிகளால் மூடப்பட்டிருந்தன.

Poondi Museum: To focus on the prehistory of Tamil Nadu as a whole and the Palaeolithic age of this region in particular, the State Department of Archaeology has established a site museum at Poondi in the year 1985 for the benefit of the public, students and scholars. This museum is a unique one as it features the prehistoric heritage of Tamil Nadu. It is the only site museum in India that portrays the palaeolithic culture of the region. The collections in and around Tiruvallur are on display, including Amirthamangalam.

References

1. ANCIENT INDIA, Bulletin of the Archaeological Survey of India

2. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO-163 ANSWERED ON 9.3.2021 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN TAMIL NADU.

3. A website of Real Estate

4. Parliament assurance 1202 - Verification of the list of Centrally protected Monuments of Chennai Circle.

5. An Excavation in Tamil Nadu, An Archaeological Report, by Dr T S Sridhar, Published by Government Museums, 2011.

6. Indian Archaeology 1954 - 55, A Review, Dept of Archaeology. 

7. Poondi Museums, Display.  

 

LOCATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sri Agastheeswarar Temple/ Agathiswar Temple / ஸ்ரீ அகஸ்தீஸ்வரர் கோயில், Amarambedu, Panchalai, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Sri Agatheeswarar Temple at Amarambedu in Tiruvallur District was part of the Gajaprishta Vimana Temple, Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and ASI Excavation site in Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu and Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh.  

Moolavar    : Sri Agastheeswarar

Consort      : Sri Parvati

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces east with balipeedam and Rishabams. Moolavar is small on a square avudaiyar. No murtis are found in the Deva koshtams. No parivara deity sannidhis in the praharam.

ARCHITECTURE

The temple and the compound wall are built with laterite stones.  The temple consists of the sanctum sanctorum and ardha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on an adhistam. The bhitti starts with vedikai. The pilasters are of Brahmakantha pilasters with pothyal. There is no super structure/ vimanam over the sanctum sanctorum.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

There are no records available to prove its antiquity. Based on the structure, the temple may be 200 to 300 years old.

LEGENDS

It is believed that this is one of the 108 Shiva Lingas installed and worshiped in Thondai Mandalam by Agathiyar on the way to Pothigai Hills to balance the earth during Shiva and Parvati’s celestial wedding.  Hence Shiva is called Sri Agathiswarar.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Poojas are done occasionally, and special poojas are not conducted

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple is kept open always

CONTACT DETAILS

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 8.7 km from Satyavedu Town, 27 km from Uthukottai, 16.5 km from Gummidipoondi, and 25 km from Kavaraipettai.  

The nearest Railway Station is Gummidipoondi.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sri Madhangeswarar Temple/ Matangeswarar Temple, శ్రీ మదనగేస్వరార్ ఆలయం, Satyavedu, Tirupati District, Andhra Pradesh.

The visit to this Sri Madhangeswarar Temple at Satyavedu in Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh was part of the Gajaprishta Vimana Temple, Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and ASI Excavation site in Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu and Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh. This place, Satyavedu, was once in Chengalpattu District, later transferred to Andhra Pradesh during the division of States based on language. The temple is a little away from human habitation.

Moolavar  : Sri Madhangeswarar

Consort    : Sri Parvati

Some of the salient features of this temple are….

The temple faces east with a temple tank. Balipeedam, Dwajasthamabam, and Rishabam are in front of the temple. Vinayagar and Murugan are on either side of the sanctum sanctorum. Moolavar is a Bana lingam on a round avudaiyar. In the koshtam, Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, Brahma, and Durga.

In the praharam, Vinayagar, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, A Shiva sannidhi, Bairavar, Navagrahas, Chanikeswarar, and loose sculptures / old koshta images and sandstone Vinayagar (under the canon ball tree).

Ambal is in a separate sannidhi in the ardha mandapam, facing south. Ambal is in a standing posture with abhaya varada hastam.

 Sandstone Vinayagar

Koshta Murtis will be installed before Maha Kumbhabhishekam

ARCHITECTURE

The temple was constructed with brick and cement concrete. The temple consists of sanctum sanctorum, antarala, and ardha mandapam. The sanctum sanctorum is on a pada bandha adhistam with jagathy, three patta kumudam, and pattikai. The bhitti starts with vedikai. The pilasters are of Brahmakantha pilasters with kalasam, kudam, palakai, and pothyal. The prastaram consists of valapi with madhalai and kapotam. The vimanam over the bhumi desam has 2 talas, greevam and vesara sigaram. Shiva, Dakshinamurthy, Maha Vishnu, and Brahma are on the tala and greeva koshtams.

Koshta Murtis will be installed before Maha Kumbhabhishekam

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The original temple belongs to the 9th-century Pallava period and later received contributions from Chozha and Vijayanagaras.  The temple was completely renovated, retaining the original moolavar.

பல்லவ மன்னன் அபராஜிதனுடைய ஆட்சியின் போது குமாரந்தை குறும்பராதித்தனாகிய காடுபட்டிபேரரையன் மனைவி நங்கை என்பவள் திருமதங்கப்பள்ளி மாதேவர்க்கு ஒருநந்தா விளக்கு எரிக்க நூறு ஆடுகளை வழங்கினாள். ஊர்ச்சபை தினமும் விடேல் விடுகு அளவுக்குச் சமமான உழக்கில் ஓர் உழக்கு நெய் வழங்கியது. குறும்பர் மற்றும் காடுபட்டி.

The Pallava King Aparajitavaraman’s 4^th reign year 899 CE Tamil inscription, on a stone lying in the courtyard of the Mātańgēśvara temple, registers a gift of (the village) Turaiyur¹ in Tekkur-nādu, (together with income from taxes) inclusive of the pon and puravu to the temple of god Mahādēva at Tirumatanganpalli in the same nādu, (a s.d. of) Paiyūriļań-kõttam by Kumārandai Kurumbarādittan alias Kādupattippēraraiyan of Cera-nādu.

The Pallava king Aparajitavarman’s 5^th reign year 900 CE, Tamil inscription on a stone in the ardha-mandapa of the Mātańgēśvara temple, registers an undertaking by the ūrār of Pūvanur, (a part of) Tirumatań-ganpalli, (in respect of) 100 sheep, gifted by Porri Nangai, wife of Kumārandai Kurumbarādittan alias Kādupattippēraraiyan for burning a perpetual lamp in the temple of god Mādēvar at Tirumatanganpalli in Tekkūrnādu, (a s.d. of) Paiyyūr-ilan-kōttam, that they would supply daily one ulakku of ghee (measured) by the ulakku equivalent to that of (the liquid measure called) Videlvidugu. Also contains a stipulation in case of default. 

References:

1. ARE, 1912, no. 31;

2. South Indian Inscriptions Volume - XII.

3. Inscriptions of the Pallavas by T V Mahalingam.

4. Tamil Nadu Inscriptions Volume – XXX, Tiruvallur District Inscriptions Volume Part – II, by S Krishnamoorthy.

  The only fragment of an inscription stone available at the site

Sandal paste grinding stone donated by Nalli Reddy

LEGENDS

As per the legend, Rama with Sita worshipped Shiva of this temple.

Matanga Maharishi created an ashram and worshipped Shiva of this temple. Hence, Shiva is called Matangeswarar.

It is said that there was a tunnel that existed between this temple and Kalahasti.

It is also said that the well in the praharam has a connection with the Kalahasti temple. If a flower is dropped at Kalahasti, it will reach this temple well.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

Apart from Oru Kala poojas, special poojas are conducted on Pradosham and Maha Sivaratri days.

There is a small well inside the sanctum sanctorum. The water from the well is used for abhishekam of the Moolavar and Ambal.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

Since the temple is a little away from Satyavedu and there are no transport facilities, Devotees are advised to contact the Gurukkal before going to the temple.

CONTACT DETAILS

The Gurukkal Chandran may be contacted on his mobile number +918686369979 for further details and poojas.

HOW TO REACH

The temple is about 1.6 km from Satyavedu Town, 16 km from Uthukottai, 23 km from Gummidipoondi, and 30 km from Nagalapuram. 

The nearest Railway Station is Gummidipoondi.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

A Shiva Sannidhi with Gajaproishta Vimanam

A Shiva Sannidhi with Gajaproishta Vimanam

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---