selva vanayakar

Selva Vinayakar –Shen paakkam – near veloor.
Veloor is a famous place not only for the famous hospital called C.M.C. but also historically. Here it has one of the beautiful fort built by Arcot Nawabs.
It is now famous for temples also. This selva vinayaker is very old and the pillaiyar is swayambu pillaiyar and a group of many pillaiyars. People have been trying to cover the pillaiyar with a roof but any time they try to do it with any type of materials it gets burnt. So the pillaiyars live in the open place. This resembles the Vakrakalli Amman of Uraiyoor near Thiruchi.

The story here told by a lot of people is – the raja of that place welcomed Adi sankara with a lot of pomp and pageantry in a procession. When they were passing this temple a big elephant came and refused to allow them by sitting in the middle of the road.
Adhi Sankara asked whether there is any pillaiyar temple nearby and he also told them that some prayer offerings was forgatton.

The King agreed that he was accupied with the great man’s visit and did not do the offereings to God,which is supposed to be done every around 7 a.m. So Adhi sankara said that people should not make God to wait, always He will be the first.
He offered the pooja and velleam, coconut, sugar cane etc. and the elephant made way for the people to pass the temple.

The elephant is very sensible and kind animal so long as we do not hurt him.