At Kanipakam in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh stands the Varasiddhi Vinayaka temple, one of the most revered Ganesha shrines of the South, famed for a living wonder: the self-manifested (swayambhu) idol, which arose within a well, is believed to be slowly growing in size over the centuries. Its legend tells of three brothers — one blind, one deaf, one mute — who, digging a well, struck the sacred image, from which blood flowed; touched by its power, they were healed.
The Lord of Kanipakam is revered above all as an upholder of truth, and tradition holds that those who swear falsely before him meet swift justice, so that disputes were once settled at his feet. Ever thronged and set beside its sacred well, Kanipakam Vinayaka is a powerful and beloved seat of Ganesha.
