There is a temple for a british officer. Guess who ( apart from the one we are planning for Benny for mullai periyar and sir arthur cotton for constructing Godavari barrage)
I am giving the outline of the story. Once a King of Trivandrum had a problem due to his sins. The Tantriks of the state made a Golden Statue along of the sin and offered to people who can take that along with lot of Gold. – It was supposed that then People were doing lot of daily pujas and had the capacity to accept that sin - ( That time Sengottai, Tenkasi, Ambasamudram, Cheran Ma Devi, Papanasam were all in Trivandrum state)
But no body was willing to take that fearing the effect of the sin. The King could not bear the agony caused by the sin and hence message was sent all over the country. But no body was willing.
After a long time an young boy from Karnataka came there. Everybody were surprised but since the King was suffering, they took the boy before the golden image. To everyone’s surprise, on seeing the boy the Golden Image of the sin showed him 3 fingers but the boy refused. Then it showed 2 fingers and still he refused. Finally the image with a begging face showed 1 finger for which the boy agreed. The image immediately broke into pieces and the King was relieved. Nothing happened to the boy.
Then everyone asked the boy about the silent dialogue between the boy and the image. The boy replied that the image wanted the fruits of all his 3 daily sandyavandanams, then asked for 2 and finally the boy agreed to part with the punya of 1 sandyavandanam.
With that Gold he was returning back via Tenkasi, Ambasamudram. Those areas were dry and the boy wanted to do some thing for them.
He Prayed to Agasthay in Podihai Hiils – Agasthaya guided him through a cow on the route for channel, places for diversions, small lakes etc etc.
The Boy handed over the Gold to the Gurukkal of Ericha Udayar temple and went back to the King’s approval. The King was impressed and gave more Gold. When he returned the Gurukkal acted as if he was not given the Gold. Then Panchayat before Lord, Gurukkal with his power transferred the power of lord to a tree outside- Lord came in the dream of the boy and asked to have the Panchayat out side the temple under the tree – Gurukkal made satyam before the tree and since the lords power was in the tree , the Gurukkal got burnt and hence the lord got the name ericha udayar. (Simillar to Sundarar’s thiruvotriyur story)
Then after recovering the Gold the channel was dug from Ericha Udayar temple via Kallidaikkurichi.
Thus the channel was called as Kannadian Channel.
The detailed story is in the 7th Volume of deivathin kural. But these chapters were yet to be uploaded in the net.
The Story of Kannadian Canal as stated by you is not in its real and true story. The Story is like this The King is having some problem as prescribed by Agastiyar he is been asked to donate gold and other ornaments to a Brahman who is true and straight forward in his thoughts and actions, unable to find one in his country, meanwhile a physician from Kannadian nadu comes to southern part of tamil nadu for a tour due to a divine calling, meanwhile the king comes to know of this brahmin physician he calls for this gentleman and offers him gold and other precious stones (Not as A Image u have stated). Since Its a huge bag and heavy to carry on his back, This Kanndian Physician puts all the stones and the gold into a walking stick like wood log, for this he learns that there is a learned brahmin from kasyabar temple who is a true and knowledge in vedas and does not utter a lie. The stick is given to this person for safe keeping and the physician goes to Kasi to have a darshan of the Lord. Meanwhile the lord plays a game to test the trueless of the priest, there is a severe drought in the region, for about six months there is no rice to eat, no water total drought, he comes across this stick which was given to him. He breaks the stick in agony he finds the gold and precious stones in the stick and is delighted to have it, he spends the gold and is happy till Kannadian Physician comes along asking for the stick, first he refutes that he has not received any stick or anything from the gentleman.
Now the case goes to the King, The Brahmin refutes all the cases, He comes to know that he is being asked to promise on the Lord's Form, by his yogi powers he transfers all the powers of the Lord to a Tree outside the main shrine where he will be free since the Lord is only a stone image. But what has happed is that on the previous night before the D Day the Lord tells the Physician to ask the Brahmin to promise on the Tree and he will take care, accordingly the Brahmin is made to promise forcibly by the assembly of the King on the Day of the Judgement on the tree. The Lord Burns the Brahmin as he is not true in front of everybody. Later Kannadian Physician requests Agastiar to request the Lord for pardoning of the Brahmin, Accordingly the Brahmin is pardoned by Lord Shiva and regains his original form, to atone for burning the brahmin, the kannadian physician goes on a pilgrimage, he is advised to dig a canal using a Cow. The Cow Goes from a place called Veeravikulam near my native place Kallidaikuirchi, Where the Cow goes in a straight line a canal is dug, where it sits and urinates a town comes up and it finally ends at a place called Palanjeri near Karadimadan temple where it disappears. There are lots of Temples on the banks of the Canadian Canal
Veeravikulam - Kallidaikurichi - Veeravanallur - Cheranmahadevi - Palanjeri is the route of the canal.
Recehcked again now. I have given the version given in Deivathinkural 7th Vol.
But since this is a traditional story - there could have been multiple versions.The difference is only on why the King donates gold to the boy. Rest of the story is same.
Unfortunately the link in deivathinkural is not opening.