Besides Vatapi Ganapati, the temple complex also has a shrine to Ganesha, who is depicted with a human head, instead of the elephant head he is usually depicted with. The Shiva temple was known as Siruthonda Ganapatishvara, named after Siruthondar. The name "Ganapatishvara", which also gives the town its alternate name "Ganapatishvaram", denotes Shiva as "Lord of Ganesha" and alludes to the legend that Ganesha killed a demon and then worshipped his father Shiva here. The "Vatapi Ganapatim" hymn is composed in Sanskrit by Muthuswami Dikshitar. Dikshitar praises Vatapi Ganapati, as the elephant-headed god, who grants boons. The universe and the elements are said to be created by Ganesha. Ganesha is described as the remover of obstacles. He is worshipped by the sage Agastya and the god Vishnu. He resides in the Muladhara chakra and exists in four kinds of speech – Para, Pashyanti, Madhyama and Vaikhari. The sacred Om is said to be his body. Ganesha's iconography is described. He has an elephant-head and curved trunk. The crescent moon adores his forehead. He holds a sugarcane in his left hand. He also carries a "pāśa" (noose), a pomegranate fruit, a guava fruit and other things. He has a large body. This form pleases his father Shiva and brother Kartikeya. The last line notes that Ganesha is pleased with the Hamsadhvani raga, indicating the raga in which the composition should be sung. Dikshitar composed "Vatapi Ganapatim" in "Hamsadhvani" raga (musical mode) of Carnatic music, which was created by his father Ramaswami Dikshitar (1735–1817) in 1790. The hymn is the only piece of Muthuswami Dikshitar in this raga; Muthuswami generally preferred "more traditional – and usually more complex -" Carnatic ragas. Ramaswami's other two sons, who were also composers, did not compose in this raga. However, the raga is still popular and has found takers in the Hindustani classical music school of North India.