Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh): The sacred shrine of Lord Ganesha commonly known as Varasidhi Vinayaka in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh is among the most revered in the southern Indian state.
The temple situated by the bank of Bahuda River is visited by devotees from across the country and members of all faiths.
It is believed that the temple dates back to a thousand years.
As per folklore, in a village called Viharpuri lived three brothers who were deaf, dumb and blind and were known for their truthfulness.
During the later years, Viharpuri was hit by famine and there was no food or water. Determined to conquer the drought, the brothers decided to dig a huge well on their farmland to get drinking water.
As they dug deep into the land, they hit a huge boulder which started oozing blood and water drenching the brothers and they were healed of their disabilities.
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When news of the 'miracle' reached the villagers, they gathered at the well and started digging deeper and discovered an idol of Lord Ganesha.
Overwhelmed by the chain of events, the villagers offered prayers and loads of coconuts to the idol.
Water from the coconuts started flowing like a stream stretching across an acre of land. This led to Viharpuri being named as Kanipaarkaram and later Kanipakam, where 'Kani' means wetland and 'Pakam' means the flow of water into wetland.
Kanipakam Varasidhi Vinayaka is also known as the God of truthfulness and justice. Devotees belief that anyone falsely swearing before the idol will be punished.
Another astounding story about the temple is the ever-increasing size of the Ganesha idol.
A devotee offered a silver armour to Lord Ganesha in 1974, which a few years later, did not fit the idol, which was believed to be growing.
Subsequently, in the year 2000 and 2006 new armours were made for the idol, and these like the one before were found to be small for the idol.
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Next to the Ganesha temple, idols of Mahaganapati, Dakshinamoorthy, Suryudu, Shanmukhudu and Durgadevi have also been installed.
Rituals like as Sarpa Dosha nivarana, Rahu & Ketu pujas are held at the temple as devotees believe it leads to spiritual healing.
The temple remains filled with pilgrims during the annual Bramhotsavams that begin on the festival of Ganesha Chaturthi. It is a 21-day annual festival celebrated with pomp and devotion by temple authorities and devotees.
People from 14 villages surrounding the temple gather to worship Lord Ganesha during the festival. Lord Ganapati appears in a procession on different vehicles depicting the swan, peacock, mouse, bull, elephant, horse, Ravana Brahma and the Yaali.
