About Kanipakam

Country: India | State: Andhra

Ideal Trip Duration: Half Day to Full Day

Nearest City to Kanipakam: Tirupati (71 Kms), Chennai (175 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Kanipakam: September to February

Peak Season: August to October & April to May

At a distance of 71 km from Tirupati, 13 km from Chittoor, 175 km from Chennai, 181 km from Bangalore, 50 km from Vellore, 59 km from Sripuram, 420 km from Coimbatore and 575 km from Hyderabad, Kanipakam is a village and pilgrimage center located in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Famous for the Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple (Kanipakam Temple), Kanipakam is one of the top Andhra Pradesh places to visit. This is one of the ideal weekend getaways near Bangalore & Chennai for a day trip and a major pilgrimage site in Andhra Pradesh.

This village lies close to Karnataka & Tamil Nadu border on the banks of Bahuda River. The temple was constructed in the 11th century by Chola king Kulothunga Chola I and was expanded further in 1336 by Vijayanagara Kings. Kanipakam temple is a rare temple with a self-manifestation (swayambhu) idol of Lord Ganesha.

The striking feature of the idol is that it is still growing in size. According to a legend, there were three handicapped brothers, Dumb, Deaf and Blind. They were farmers and used to draw water for farming from a well nearby. One day the well got dried and they could no longer continue cultivation. One of them got into the well and started digging it up. He was shocked to see blood coming out of the well. Within in a few seconds the entire water turned red. All the three became normal getting rid of their deformities. As soon as the villagers came to know about this miracle, they thronged to the well and tried to deepen the well further. They found swayambhu idol (the self-manifested) of Lord Vinayaka emerging from the swirling waters.

The Annual Festival (Brahmotsavam) is conducted for 21 days starting on the Hindu festival of Vinayaka Chavithi (or Ganesh Chaturthi) that generally falls in the months of August/September. Kanipakam is directly connected by bus with Tirupati (every 30 minutes) & Chittoor.

There are few other temples to visit in Kanipakam like Sri Manikanteswara Swami temple and Sri Varadaraja swami temple. Sri Ardhagiri Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple, Sri Boyakonda Gangamma Temple and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple are some other temples nearby Kanipakam.

Renigunta is the nearest airport (83 km from Kanipakam) which serves direct flights from Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai as well as Bangalore. Chittoor Railway Station (12 km away) is well connected with Hyderabad, Madurai, Trivandrum, Jammu, New Delhi, Vellore, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Nagercoil, Vizag, Bangalore, Jharkhand, Odisha, Kochi, Patna, Mangalore, Kanyakumari, Tirupati, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Pondicherry, Vizag and Madurai. Buses are available from Kanipakam to the adjacent cities like Tirupati, Chennai and Vellore.

There are 6 rooms run by the Kanipakam Devasthanam and 14 rooms run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Choultries along with few private lodges.

The best time to visit Kanipakam is from Sep to Feb while the Peak Season is August to October & April to May. Usually it takes half day to full day to visit Kanipakam.

Timings: 4 AM to 9.30 PM

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Average
STD Code: 08573
Languages Spoken: Telugu, Tamil, English
Major Festivals: Vinayaka Chavithi (Sep/Oct),
Kanipakam Bramhostavam (Aug/Sep)
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Kanipakam

By Air

Nearest Airport: Tirupati - Tirupati Airport - Renigunta (83 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Chittoor Railway Station (13 Kms)
Tirupati Railway Station (71 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Kanipakam Bus Station (0 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

Pilgrimage

#1 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 0.5 km from Kanipakam Bus Station, Varasiddhi Vinayaka Temple (Kanipakam Temple) is a famous and historical temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka. This temple is a rare temple with a self-manifested idol of Lord Ganesha.

The temple was constructed in the 11th century by king Kulothunga Chola and later developed in 1336 by the rulers of Vijayanagara. Here the deity is placed in middle of a well where it's actually found. The striking and strange feature of this Swayambhu idol is that it is still growing in size. At present, we can see the knees and the abdomen of the idol. One of the devotees had offered a Kavacham (armor) to the Lord fifty years ago and today it is out of size and doesn't fit the idol. The holy water from the well is offered to the devotees as theertham.

According to a legend, there were three handicapped brothers, Dumb, Deaf and Blind. They were farmers and used to draw water for farming from a well .....

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Pilgrimage

#2 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 1 Kms from Kanipakam Bus Station, Manikanta Swamy Temple is located near the Varasiddi Vinayaka Temple (Kanipakam Temple). This temple is also known as Lord Ayyappa swamy temple.

It was constructed by Kulatunga Chola King as part of his mission to construct 101 Siva Temple to get rid with the sin of killing Brahmana. Here the Lord is found along with his consort Maragadambika.

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Pilgrimage

#3 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 1 Kms from Kanipakam Bus Station, Varadaraja Swamy temple is located near the main Varasiddi Vinayaka Temple (Kanipakam Temple).

It is belived that, if newly married couples perform Satyanaraya Vrata at this temple, their married life will be ever lasting happily and prosporously.

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Waterfall

#4 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 2.5 km from Kaigal Village, 28 km from Palamaner, 55 km from Kolar, 92 km from Horsley Hills, 142 km from Tirupati, 123 km from Bangalore, 68 from Chittoor, 78 km from Kanipakam, 96 km from Vellore & 225 km from Chennai, Kaigal Water Falls, also known as Dumukurallu Waterfalls is a nice waterfall located on the Palamaner - Kuppam Highway.

The waterfall is natural, perennial and water comes from a big rock at a height of 40 feet, irrespective of seasons. But its force and beauty is increased during the Monsoon season. The name Dumukurallu waterfalls came into prominence because of its sound resembling the fall of stones from above.

The falls is formed by the Kaigal stream which is one of the two streams flowing through Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a big pond below the waterfalls and this is a nice place to visit for nature lovers. It is situated in a .....

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Pilgrimage

#5 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 10 km from Vellore, 70 km from Kanchipuram, 120 km from Tirupati, 146 km from Chennai, and 212 km from Bangalore, Sripuram Golden Temple is a sacred Hindu temple situated in Tirumalaikodi at Southern Vellore, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the popular pilgrimage sites near Bangalore, and among the must visit places during Vellore trip.

Sripuram Golden Temple is dedicated to the goddess Mahalakshmi. Constructed in the year 2007, The temple is built in 100 acres area of land and constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peetham, headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma. The Vimana and Ardha Mandapa have been coated with gold both in the interior and exterior. Sripuram is the biggest structure made out of gold as one and a half tonnes of gold has been used for the construction of the temple with a cost of 600 crores. This is one of the prominent Vellore places to visit.

The .....

Distance (From Kanipakam): 55 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kanipakam - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
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Heritage

#6 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 70 km from Kanchipuram, 106 km from Tirupati, 142 km from Chennai, and 214 km from Bangalore, Vellore is a city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in Tamil Nadu. Situated on the banks of the Palar River, Vellore is one of the oldest cities of South India, and among the popular Tamilnadu tourist places.

Vellore is popularly known as the Fort City of Tamil Nadu. Now a very calm and understated place, it was once a battleground and has seen many wars. The name Vellore also means a City of Spears. Vellore along with Sripuram is one of the popular weekend getaways from Chennai, and among the top attractions, you must include in South India Trip. Vellore has an enriching legacy reflecting the early Dravidian culture. It has been ruled by the Pallavas, Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire, Rashtrakutas, .....

Distance (From Kanipakam): 50 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kanipakam - Including Travel): Half Day to Full Day
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Waterfall

#7 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 13 km from Puttur, 25 km from Nagari, 46 km from Tirupati, 92 km from Chennai, 76 from Chittoor, 86 km from Kanipakam, 85 km from kanchipuram and 110 km from Vellore, Kailasakona Waterfalls are a natural perennial waterfall in the valley of Nagari hills in Chittoor District. The water originates from the split in a mass rock.

The height of the waterfalls is about 30 meters and it cascades down into a small pond below the rock. The water here is crystal clear having considerable mineral values & medicinal powers and can heal ailments. The tourists are not allowed to go uphill to the top of the falls.

There is a small temple of Lord Shiva and Parvati near the waterfall. According to the legend, Lord Kailasanatheswara Swamy came down to earth to attend the marriage of Lord Venkateswara Swami with Goddess Padmavathi at Narayanavanam which is 9 km from Kailasakona falls. Lord Kailasanatheswara was impressed with the .....

Distance (From Kanipakam): 86 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kanipakam - Including Travel): 4 Hours/Half Day
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Pilgrimage | City

#8 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 71 km from Chittoor, 413 km from Vijayawada, 556 km from Hyderabad, 763 km from Vizag, 134 km from Chennai and 259 km from Bangalore, Tirupati is a pilgrimage city in the extreme southeast of Andhra Pradesh in Chittoor district. It is often referred as a synonym to Tirumala (called as Tirumala Tirupati), which is a sacred temple town famous for Sri Venkateswara Temple also known as Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple. Tirupati along with Chandragiri is an ideal Chennai getaways for a two day trip and also one of the top Andhra Pradesh tourist places.

Tirupati is one of the most ancient and sacred pilgrimage sites in India. Tirumala, the home of Lord Venkateswara is at a distance of 22 km from Tirupati. However, Tirupati is the town and transport hub to Tirumala at the bottom .....

Distance (From Kanipakam): 62 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kanipakam - Including Travel): 1-2 Days
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Pilgrimage

#9 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 22 km from Tirupati, 87 km from Chittoor, 435 km from Vijayawada, 574 km from Hyderabad, 785 km from Vizag, 155 km from Chennai and 271 km from Bangalore, Tirumala, located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the most famous pilgrimage centers in India and also one of the top places to experince Andhra Pradesh tourism. Tirumala is commonly referred as Tirupati by devotees, but they are 22 km apart and the sacred Balaji Temple is situated in Tirumala.

Tirumala, adobe of Sri Venkateswara (also known as Balaji - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) is one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centers in India and it attracts millions of devotees every year. The Tirumala Temple is situated atop the Tirumala Hills which consists of seven peaks known as Sapthagiri at an altitude of 3,200 .....

Distance (From Kanipakam): 82 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kanipakam - Including Travel): 1-2 Days
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Pilgrimage

#10 of 13 Places to Visit in Kanipakam

At a distance of 15 Kms from Kanipakam, Ardhagiri Veeranjaneya Temple is located on Ardhagiri Hill near Aragonda in Tavanam Palle mandal of Chittore district.

When Lord Hanuman found Sanjeevani to save Lakshmana during the war with Ravana, he carried the entire Hill as he could not recognize the Sanjeevani plant. It is believed that, a part of the Hill (carried by Hanuman) was dropped at this place and called as Ardhagiri (half hill). It is believed that consuming water of Pushkarini at this temple can get you free from all diseases.

Special poojas are performed here on every full moon day. Hanuman Jayanthi is also celebrated in a grand manner.

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