Since we have started discussing about Vinayagar and TNadu, just thought I could share some info about this temple, which I have visited several times.
* The temple is believed to be built by early pandiyas. (Ref Early pandiyan rock cut temples by Dr.C.Sivaramamoorthy)
* It defies the myth that only pallavas were executing rock cut temples - because this pillayar is also rock cut structure. (Namakkal temple believed to be of narasimhavarman origin is actually by the Kongu adiyamans - but that is beyond our present topic)
* It is also slightly different to pallava style of rock cut structure - because only the main moorthy has been carved in a small rock - the temple seems to have been built around a bit later.
* Looking at the temple, I also have a feeling that it was ganesh who was carved first. Because, only after getting the carving right could the temple be built. Thus, a ganesh temple could have been convered to shiva temple - at a later date. I am not sure about this - may be a baseless speculation.
* It is a valampuri vinayagar - not commonly found in many places.
* The original temple is a shiva temple (sung in devaram, if I am not wrong) - but became a prominent ganesh temple in course of time.
* The temple is pretty big and is presently maintained by chettiyars very neatly. It is one of the 9 temples of Nattukottai chettiyars.
Ganesh worship was in Tamilnadu well before Siruthondar episode. It is interesting that we see Lord muruga in sangam literature but not ganesh (if I am not wrong). Ganesh appears somewhat with avvaiyar episodes and can be considered to be a bit late that Lord Muruga. But since there were many avvaiyars at several points of time, it is difficult to pin point when Pilliyar worship started exactly. Can anybody quote the first reference to pillayar in ancient tamil scripts ?
Wow... I didnt know.. So the avvaiyar in "thiruvilaiyadal", who sings pazham neeyappa.., the aathichoodi avvaiyar, the sutta pazham avviyar, adhiyaman's avvaiyar... are they all different? or am i overlapping any of the avvaiyars? was it kind of a patta paer, or was it a last name? -Thilak
And regarding the museum artefacts, sad to know that many copper plates are sold and destroyed for their metal value. Probably if we indians had the realization and preserved these treasures probably we would have got lot more info about our history and culture.
Someone has to take initiative to preserve atleast whatever is existing, and to bring back the treasures from the foriegn countries. But on second thoughts, after thinking about how well these would be preserved in India, I think probably it is better that these treasures have found place in foreign museums where they will atleast be properly maintained, rather than face the destruction in India though it would mean that we cannot get hold of the information or see them when we want.