There is another very interesting and devotional legend connected with Kalahasti, namely the story of a great Saivite Bhakta called Kannappa. Kannappa was a hunter who was called Tinnappa before he became a saint, and be lived in the forest hunting animals. He was a great Bhakta of the Lord, and he used to offer the flesh of the animals to the Lord first as sacrament after tasting if they were good enough to be offered to the Lord. To test his sincerity and devotion, the Lord one day made it appear as if water was dropping from the eye of the Lingam. Tinnappa. Thought that some one had harmed the Lord, and immediately without any hesitation removed one of his own eyes and offered it to the Lord in place of the one from which water was flowing. The water from the eye of the Lord stopped at once. After some time Tinnappa noticed that the other eye of the Lord was also affected. He at once began to remove his other eye also to offer it to the Lord as he did with his first.Since on removal of both his eyes he would become blind, and would not be able to locate the Lord's eye, he with his left foot marked the place of the Lord's eye, so that by feeling the eye of the Lord with his leg he could locate the exact spot where the Lord's eye was and replace it with his own eye. At that time the Lord, pleased with the strength of his devotion, gave him Darsan and restored his eyesight and also gave him the name "Kannappa," that is, one who gave his eyes to the Lord. Pleased with his devotion the Lord also ordained that be should be near the Lingam permanently.
Therefore we find the idol of Kannappa near the Lingam and Pujas are first offered to him and then only to the Lord. On the top of the hill there is another temple of Kannappa Nayanar.
