Kannappa

For The 2025 film, see Kannappa (film).

Painting, c. 1820 – c. 1825, portrays Shiva intervening to prevent Kannappa from sacrificing his eye.

In South Indian traditions, Kannappa was a devotee of the Hindu god Shiva. ^[1] His story is closely connected with the Srikalahasteeswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh. He is one of the 63 Nayanmars in the Tamil Saiva Siddhanta tradition.

Originally a hunter, Kannappa offered his devotion to a shiva lingam by making simple offerings and eventually sacrificing one of his eyes. As he prepared to offer the second, Shiva appeared from the linga, granting him liberation. ^{[2] [3]}

Life and legend

Kannappa was born in present-day Andhra Pradesh as Thinna. ^{[1] [4]} He belonged to a Chenchu hunter family, and his father was the village chief. ^[5]

Kannappa's devotion to Shiva began when he discovered the vayu linga (embodiment of air) while hunting in the forest. He offered the aniconic representation of Shiva whatever he could, including water from his mouth and meat from his hunts. These acts, while unconventional, were accepted by Shiva due to the hunter's sincerity and pure heart. ^{[6] [7]} Kannappa once noticed that the lingam was bleeding from one of its eyes. Without hesitation, Kannappa plucked out one of his own eyes and placed it on the lingam to stop the bleeding. When the other eye of the lingam began to bleed, Kannappa prepared to offer his remaining eye. To ensure he could correctly place his eye, he marked the spot with his foot. Moved by this act of devotion, Shiva appeared and stopped him, restoring his sight and granting him liberation. ^[8] The vayu linga is worshipped at the Srikalahasteeswara temple in Andhra Pradesh.

Commemoration

Statue of Kannappa at Tanjore Museum, Thanjavur

The story of Kannappa's devotion is recounted in several literary works, including the Kalahastisvara Satakamu by Dhurjati (16th century) ^[9] and the Basava Puranam (13th century) in Telugu, and the Ragalegalu by Harihara (12th century) in Kannada. ^[10]

In Tamil Shaivism, Kannappa is venerated for his devotion, and his story is documented in the Periya Puranam, a 12th-century Tamil hagiography of the 63 Nayanars, ^[11] Kannappa is portrayed, along with other devotees, in the thousand-pillar corridor of the Meenakshi temple in Madurai. ^[12]

The scene of Kannappa's sacrifice is portrayed in Shaiva temple pillar reliefs of early Vijayanagara. ^[13]

Depictions in film

Year	Title	Language	Character played by	Notes
1938	Kannappa Nayanar	Tamil	V. N. Sundaram	[14]
1954	Bedara Kannappa	Kannada	Dr. Rajkumar
	Kalahasti Mahatyam	Telugu
1955	Shiv Bhakta	Hindi	Shahu Modak
1976	Bhakta Kannappa	Telugu	Krishnam Raju
1988	Shiva Mecchida Kannappa	Kannada	Shiva Rajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar (younger version)
2025	Kannappa	Telugu, Hindi, Kannada	Vishnu Manchu	[15]

References

1. M. Rama Rao (1970). Mohd. Abdul Waheed Khan (ed.). Select Andhra Temples. p. 16. Tinna or Kaņņappa, a great devotee of this god, occupies a prominent place in the galaxy of Saiva devotees and his name is familiarly known all over south India.
2. Michell, George (2013). Southern India: A Guide to Monuments Sites & Museums. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN   978-81-7436-903-1.
3. E, Desingu Setty (1990). The Veduvar of South India: Society and Religion. Inter-India Publications. ISBN   81-2100-237-0.
4. Dehejia, Vidya. Slaves of the Lord: The Path of the Tamil Saints. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1988. ISBN   9788121500449.
5. M. Rama Rao (1970). Mohd. Abdul Waheed Khan (ed.). Select Andhra Temples. p. 29. There was, in Pottapinādu; a village named Vadumūru, inhabited by a number of Chenchus. Its chief was Natha-nàtha. He begot by his wife, Tande, a son, named Tinna. Tinna grew into a fine youth, skilled in archery and interested in hunting.
6. Peterson, Indira V. Design and Rhetoric in a Sanskrit Court Epic: The Kiratarjuniya of Bharavi. State University of New York Press, 2003. ISBN   978-0791457386 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help).
7. Zvelebil, Kamil. Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature. BRILL, 1992. ISBN   978-9004093652.
8. Sekkizhar, Periya Puranam, Tamil Text Society, ISBN   978-8192880789 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help).
9. Heifetz, Hank; Narayana Rao, Velcheru (1987). For the Lord of the animals ; poems from the Telugu: the Kāḷahastīśvara śatakamu of Dhūrjaṭi. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN   9780520056695.
10. Ben-Herut, Gil (2018). Śiva's saints: the origins of devotion in Kannada according to Harihara's Ragaḷegaḷu. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 128. ISBN   978-0190878849.
11. Vidya Dehejia, Slaves of the Lord: The Path of the Tamil Saints, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1988, ISBN   9788121503071 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help).
12. S., Rajagopal & Praiya, R. (2023). THOUSAND PILLAR MANDAPA IN MEENAKSHI SUNDARESWARAR TEMPLE, MADURAI, TAMILNADU - A STUDY. XCVI. 66-72.
13. Dallapiccola, Anna L.; Verghese, Anila (1998). Sculpture at Vijayanagara: iconography and style. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers & Distributors for American Institute of Indian Studies. p. 76. ISBN   9788173042324.
14. FilmiClub. "Kannappa Nayanar (1938)". FilmiClub. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
15. Ramachandran, Naman (23 November 2023). "'Lord of the Rings' Vision Revealed by Vishnu Manchu for 'Kannappa,' Featuring Prabhas, Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 23 November 2023.