Atop the great Rockfort — a massive outcrop of ancient stone rising above the city of Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu — stands the Ucchi Pillayar temple, a shrine of Lord Ganesha reached by a climb of over four hundred steps cut into the rock. Its legend is woven with that of nearby Srirangam: when Lord Rama gave the image of Ranganatha to the demon-king Vibhishana, Ganesha, appearing as a boy, held it while Vibhishana bathed, then set it down at Srirangam and fled to the top of this hill — where Vibhishana, catching him, tapped his forehead, and the boy revealed himself as Ganesha.
From its summit the temple commands a sweeping view over Tiruchirapalli and the Kaveri. Ucchi Pillayar — Ganesha of the height — is among the most striking and beloved hill-shrines of Tamil Nadu.
