Kanisapakkam Village with - 1500 Years old Heritage Temples & History, in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu,

August 2019.

This Kanisapakkam village in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, is about 2 km off from Chennai to Thanjavur main road. From the evidence of sculptures and the statues unearthed in recent years, it has more than 1500 years old history. The village has guardian temples like Sri Kanaka Thandu Mariamman, Sri Kanni Aatha, and Sri Ellai Pidari. Also has the Kaman Temple, Shiva Temple, Vishnu Temple, and a Jinalaya constructed in different periods.

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SAPTHA KANNIS

The villagers call this Kanni Aatha. A 7 Kannimar panel with a devotee in a worshiping posture is installed in the midst of a sugar cane field. In addition to this, Veerabhadra and Ambal statues are in front. The villagers offer wooden statues as a prayer.

SAPTAMATRIKAS OR SAPTHA MATHAS

These Saptamatrikas might be in a separate Temple. Saptamatrikas are in a single panel. Vinayagar and Veerabhadra are individual sculptures. This Saptamatrikas is now called Porayatha. The annual festival is being celebrated by the Villagers during the Tamil Aadi month. As per the experts, this Saptamatrikas panel may belong to the Pallava Period, 9th-10th century. 

SRI KANISHWARAR SHIVA TEMPLE

This temple was built in recent years with the Old big Shiva Linga, Nandhi, and Ambal.

Moolavar    : Sri Eswaran

Consort      : Sri Periyanayaki.

Some of the important details of the temple are. 

The temple consists of a sanctum sanctorum, an ardha mandapam, and a mukha mandapam. The mukha mandapam is under construction. In koshtam Vinayagar, Dakshinamurthy, Mahavishnu, Brahma, and Durgai. Vinayagar, Lingas, Sri Valli Devasena Subramaniar, Chandikeswarar, Navagrahas, Bairavar, and Hanuman Sannadhis are around the sanctum sanctorum. It was said that the Shiva Lingam was unearthed during the plowing of a field.

KAMAN TEMPLE.

An old Shiva Lingam with a round avudayar and a Rishabam is found on the west side of the water tank. The villagers do not have any idea when the same was unearthed and how it came to this place. There are two bricks erected behind the Shiva Lingam. The villagers said that these were the Manmathan & Rathi. Every year, a 10-day festival will be conducted as per the Rathi & Manmathan story, which includes Theru Koothu, the burning of Manmadhan, etc.

ELLAI PIDARI AMMAN TEMPLES.

This village has 2 Ellai Pidari statues installed open to the sky in the two directions of the village. Basically, these are stone slabs inscribed with a yantra. It is believed that these Ellai Pidari Ammans are the guarding deities of this village from any diseases entering the village and protecting it. Regular Poojas are also offered to these deities.

SRI KANAKA THANDU MARIAMMAN TEMPLE

This is a newly constructed village deity on the Eeasniya corner of the village. This complex has a sanctum for Sri Kanaka Thandu Mariamman, a mandapa, and Nagars under a peepal tree.  Pothu Raja’s stone statue is erected in front of Amman. The ceilings and walls have paintings of Shiva and Amman.

Pothu Raja

JAIN TIRTHANKARA.

This Tirthankara was identified about 4 years ago. Based on the iconography and the inscription on the back, the experts believe that the Tirthankara may belong to the 11^th Century. The details of this Kanisapakkam Tirthankara were written in a separate post.

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---