Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Kerala State -8 at 3:22 AM

Holy Pilgrimage – Temples in Kerala State

 

Sree Balakrishna Swami Temple, Kuzhuppilly, Kerala

The Sree Balakrishna Swamy Temple, Kuzhuppilly of Goud Saraswat Brahmin (G.S.B.) community is in Kuzhuppilly village, Vypeen Island, Ernakulam district, Kerala.  The temple in the present form was completed in 1964 A.D.

 Other deities and Sub-temples

There are sub-temples for Hanuman, Garuda, Ganapathy, Laxmi, Navagraha and Nagaraja.

History

During the exodus of Goud Saraswat Brahmins from Goa in the 16th century, many families settled down in and around Cochin. A prominent person among them (Venkateswara Pai alias Vensu Pai) settled in Kuzhupilly in the land given by the Raja of Cochin. Vensu Pai's son Anatha Pai once on his pilgrimage to Tirupathi, purchased some metal idols and dolls for his kids. There was an idol of Balakrishna among them. The children used them in their play and made pooja to these idols. However, the children started to become sick regularly and used to have many health complaints. The elders considered that, it was due to not keeping the idol in sacred form, and started pooja. But the pooja was neither regular nor as per sastra. The suffering of the children continued and also there were some child deaths in the family. The worried Anantha Pai approached a known Astrologer Sri Adoor Chakrapani for a solution. The astrological prasnam and prediction revealed that a separate temple is to be built for the Balakrishna idol and regular poojas to be conducted. Sri Anantha Pai considered Balakrishna as his child and divided his properties among his children and Balakrishna. A small temple was constructed in the land given to Balakrishna and Prathista done in 1895 AD.
Over the period, there were internal conflicts in the family of Vensu Pai and the rituals in the temple suffered. The number of GSB families in the area also increased. It was felt that the community should have a common place for worship. Accordingly, the Balakrishna temple was offered to the community and the management was vested with the community in common. However, the Vensu Pai family was given a special status in the affairs of the temple. The samaj members proposed to construct a new temple in a more convenient location.
About one and half acres of land was given free by A. Govinda Shenoy and the work was started. But the progress was in snail's pace due to non-cooperation and lack of initiative among the members. It remained incomplete for more than 35 years.
Later, a group of youth formed a Seva Samithi and took the lead. They completed the work of Garbhagraha through free service and the Murti was shifted to this new temple in 1964 AD facing east. The improvements in the temple was a continuous effort. In the late eighties, the Aanapandal was constructed with decorated pillars. The committee members also took up construction of a shopping complex and Kalyana mandapam. There are extensive paintings of Daśāvatāra on the temple walls inside. The Dhvaja pratishta was done on 18-1-1991. The Centenary of the pratishta was celebrated in 1995 A.D.

Location

Kuzhuppilly village is 18 k.m. towards the North West of Kochi and is 26 k.m. from Cochin International Airport, and 4.5 k.m. from Cherai Beach. It is covered by Ayyambilly Post Office with PIN 682 501. The east border is Veeranpuzha, the northern extension of Vembanad Lake and the Indian Ocean is the western border.

Places of interest

The village contains the Pallathamkulangara Bhagavathi Temple   Mahadeva Temple, Ayyampilly Mahadeva Temple and Chempoozhi Sree Dharmasastha Temple. It is very important to include that this village is developing in a very fast way. Pulauyavamshodharini sabha Sree Rajalangaramoorthy temple is at cheruvype.

 

Sree Venugopala Krishna Swamy Devasthanam, Chendamangalam, Kerala

 

Sree Venugopla Krishna Swami Dewastan is a Hindu temple located in Chendamangalam, Kerala, India.
Sree Venugopala Krishna Swami Dewasthan was established in 1900 at Chennamangalam (earlier known as Jayantha mangalam), 42 km from Ernakulam, 22 km from Alwaye and 5 km from North Parur.
Its main deity is Venugopalakrishna Swamy, and its main idol is Shila Vigrah of Venugopalakrishna Swamy. It also contains an Utsav idol of the Lord and the idols of Garuda and Hanuman at his feet. The temple celebrates a six day-long annual festival in the month of Vaisakh.

Temple history

Those Gaud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB's) settled in Cochin spread to neighbouring suburbs and villages. Some families came and settled in Chennamangalam. Since they did not have any place of worship in the village, they had to visit the nearest temple at North Parur by foot for spiritual needs. To remedy the situation, they joined together under Chennoth parambil Sri Dasa Prabhu and started efforts to establish a temple.
They approached the Paliayam Valiyachan of the Paliyam Swaroopam and requested help. He donated the land for construction of temple. With the liberal donations from local mahajans, the temple was constructed, and the Pratishta made on April 30, 1900. Twelve community members under the leadership of Chennoth parambil Ramachandra Prabhu started a Chitty in 1920. The generated profit was used to acquire land for the temple to meet the daily expenses. Later, in 1956, the children of Chennoth parambil Sri Dasa Prabhu formed an Endowment Trust in his name and donated 10 acres of land and Rs. 65,000 to temple on behalf of the trust. In due course, necessary constructions such as Agrasala, Anapandal, etc. were made. The temple was renovated in 1995 and the Srikovil was covered with Copper plate.
Srimat Sudheendra Tirtha Swamiji had his Chaturmasya Vrita at this temple in 1973. At present there are about 100 GSB families in Chennamangalam.

 

Thrikkakara Temple, Thrikkakara, Kerala

Thrikkakara Temple is one of the few temples in India dedicated to Lord Vamana. It is situated in Thrikkakara, a village panchayat near Cochin in the state of Kerala, South India. It is located 10 km north east of Ernakulam close to the Cochin University of Science and Technology on the Thrissur-Ernakulam highway. The temple houses lithic records of historic significance, and it finds mention in many of the hymns sung by the Tamil Vaishnavite Alwars, particularly Nammalvar of the 7th-9th century CE. It is also one of the 108 Divya Desams (divine places)
The temple complex, which is enclosed in a large area in picturesque surroundings, holds the main sanctum dedicated to Lord Vamana. The sanctum sanctorum of the main shrine houses the idol of Maha Vishnu. The temple is under the administration of the Travancore Devaswom Board. The festivities of the temple arise twice a year, in February - March and in March – April. The most important event of the religious calendar here is Onam. The Onasadya or the Onam feast is held in a grand manner in the temple with a large number of people cutting across religious barriers participating in it. In earlier times the Onam festival was jointly organized by the 61 Naduvazhis (or local rulers) under the leadership of the Maharaja of Travancore. Communal harmony continues to be the hallmark of the celebrations, with people belonging to different faiths and religions turning out in large numbers for the Sadya in keeping with the spirit of the festival

 

Onam festival

The celebration of the Onam festival is the main religious event in the temple. The festival is celebrated over a period of ten days in the Malayalam month of Chingam. The temple is considered to be the centre of Onam celebrations over the world, as Thrikkakara is considered to have been the abode of the King Mahabali  The temple houses the main deity Lord Vamana. During the Onam celebration period, a pyramidal statue symbolizing Lord Vamana is installed as a symbol of honour at all other sites of the celebration, and named Onathappan or Thrikkakara-appan. The temple is the site at which the king Mahabali is said to have been sent to the underworld Patala by Lord Vamana with his foot, hence marking the genesis of the Onam festival. The etymology of the name Thrikkakara ('place of the holy foot') is also derived this way.
During the period of 10 days, the temple showcases performances in several cultural arts such as Chakyar Koothu, Ottamthullal, Kathakali and Patakam   as well as dance and musical performances such as Panchavadyam and Thayambaka. Each day also has its own ceremonial significance, and the temple authorities perform several ceremonial rites which involve the main deity and the other deities housed at the temple (namely Lord Ayyapa, Devi, Lord Krishna and Rakshassu). The Shiva temple located beside the main temple is also involved in these rites
he temple festival begins on the first day (Atham) with the Kodiyettu ceremony, which is a flag-hoisting ceremony common in festivals in temples in Kerala.  Parallel to this, the festival is flagged off all over Kerala by a grand procession beginning at Thrippunithura near Kochi called Athachamayam. In olden days, the Kochi Maharaja would head a grand military procession in full ceremonial robes from his palace to the Thrikkakara temple. The festival ends on the 10th and final day, which starts off with a symbolic welcome of the Asura king Mahabali.  The closing of the festival is marked with the lowering of the flag and bathing of the idol, referred to as Aarattu.  A main highlight of the festival is the grand banquet, or Sadya, held on the last two days of the festival at the temple campus. The feast has grown significantly in magnitude each year, and is currently attended by about 10000 people. People belonging to different faiths and religions turn out in large numbers for the sadya in keeping with the spirit of the festival.
The Chaarthu is a form of decoration of the Vamana idol using mainly sandalwood paste, ornaments and clothing. On each day, the idol is decorated in the form of one of the Ten Avatars of Vishnu, including the Matsya (fish), Kurma (Tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (half-man half-lion), Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna, Kalki and Trivikrama (another form of Vamana).
The Pakalpooram is a grand procession held on the penultimate (9th) day of the celebrations. A similar procession, called Seeveli, is also held on the final day.  The procession involves leading the main deity Vamana on a ceremonial elephant around the temple campus, along with a group of about eight caparisoned elephants and accompanying Panchavadyam. The procession pauses at each of the gates of the temple (East, West, North and South), and proceeds to return the idol back to its inner sanctum. The procession is similar to the one held in festivities at the Guruvayur temple

 

Thrikkara Temple, Kerala

 

Thrikkara temple is a Hindu temple close to Aluva, Kerala, India, one of the hundreds of Temples of Kerala.

 

Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple, Kerala

 

Kurumba Bhagavati Temple (alternatively Kodungallur Bhagavati Temple) is a Hindu temple at Kodungallur, Thrissur district, Kerala state, India. The idol of the goddess Bhadrakali (popularly known as "Kodungallur Amma") in the temple is unique as it has eight hands with various attributes. One is holding the head of an Asura, another a sword, next an anklet, another a bell, and so on. Routine worship at the temple every day at 03:00 and ends at 21:00 local time.
Kurumba Bhagavati Temple is perhaps a memorial built by a Chera king to Kannaki, heroine of Ilamkovadigal's Tamil classic Silappathikaram.  It is believed to be a former Budhhist shrine, later converted as a Hindu temple.  During the reign of Later Cheras, Mahodayapuram (Kodungallur) was the capital of the state and one of the most important parts of the region.

History

The temple was built to commemorate the martyrdom of Kannagi. It is said that sixth avatar of Vishnu, Sage Parasurama built this temple for the prosperity of the people. According to the old chronicles, this Bhagavathi temple was created in the heart of the town many centuries ago to serve a special purpose
Legend says that, after the creation of Kerala by Parasurama, he was harassed by a demon called Daruka. To kill this evil demon, Parasurama prayed to Lord Shiva for help. As advised by Shiva, Parasurama constructed the shrine and installed the Shakti Devi as Bhagavathi. The deity in the temple, it is believed, is Parashakthi herself. According to legends, it was Bhadrakali who killed the evil demon Daruka.
According to popular beliefs, the temple was once a Buddhist monastery. According to Kerala historians, Kodunganallore, Trikkanamathilakam and the neighboring areas were Buddhist and Jain centres during the Chera period. Legends say that Palliband Perumal, a ruler from that area embraced Buddhism and, as a result, he had to abandon the Perumalship owing to severe opposition from the Hindu community. In Tantric terms the divinity is installed in what is called the "RURUJIT VIDHAANA" a form of installation where at one end is shiva and at the other end Ganapathy with Sapta Matrus in between.
According to another belief, the temple was built by Charan Chenguttavan. Elango Adigal, younger brother of Chenguttavan, wrote his monumental work Shilappadikaram residing at Kodungallur. He later embraced Buddhism and spent the rest of his life in the Buddhist monastery at Trikkanamathilakam. From time immemorial, persons wishing to earn merit have been offering animal sacrifice. Countless fowl and goats were sacrificed to the deity as vowed gifts for the protection and fulfillment of desires. At the intervention of many social reformers, the government of Kerala has banned animal sacrifice in any form at this place. At present, only red-dyed dhotis are offered to the deity. Many devotees offer rich presents and gold ornaments.
The people of Kodungallur believe that this temple was, in the olden days, a Shiva shrine and it was Parasurama who installed Sri Kurumba Bhagavathi close to the idol of Shiva. Although this is a small town and has several temples, most of them are Shiva shrines. The poojas are conducted under direct instructions from Sri Bhagavathi Herself. Five 'Sri Chakras' installed by Adi Shankaracharya are believed to be the main source of the powers of this deity. The priests are Namboodiris and Adikas (Madhu Brahmins) who have a right to perform ‘Pushpanjalis' to the Goddess.
Bhagavathi being the patron of the royal family of Cranganore, the Raja plays an active part in the celebrations of the festival. Standing upon a rostrum built around a banyan tree, the Raja spreads out a silken umbrella soon after the door of the Devi shrine is opened. The peculiarity of the event is that it denotes the giving permission for all castes to enter the precincts of the temple for worship. This is known as ‘Kavu Theendal'. Devotees run round the temple thrice with sticks in hand before they enter the shrine. The legend goes to prove that the killing of the Demon has taken place and the sticks are substitutes for the arms and swords used in olden days.
Old Sree Kurumba Temple situated at the South Side of the Town.KUDUMBI Community Peoples are Services all the activities related to this kurumbamma temple.

Temple structure

The temple is situated in the middle of a plot of land about ten acres, surrounded by banyan and peepal trees. The srikovil is facing north. The western chamber of the inner temple is the seat of Sapthamatrukas (Seven Mothers) who also face north. The idols of Ganapathi and Veerabhadra are found in the chamber, one facing east and the other facing west, respectively. The idol of bhagawati is about seven feet high and made of wood, carved from a jackfruit tree. The idol has eight arms that carry weapons and symbols.
To the left of the temple is the walled enclosure which has a peculiar ‘Samadhi of Vysoori', perhaps a medieval shrine deity for small pox, chicken pox, mumps and other contagious diseases. Devotees offer auspicious turmeric powder which gives credence to the influence of the Goddess and the legend. Its widespread fame is evident through its clean and well-kept sanctuaries. About fifty metres away to the left is a sacred pond (Pushkarini), where devotees bathe before entering the main shrine. It is believed that this pond was created by the goddess by striking the ground with her sword.

Festivals

Bharani festival

The Bharani festival at the Kodungallur Bhagawati temple is one of the grandest in Kerala. It is a month of festivities from the Bharani asterism in the month of Kumbham to 7 days after the Bharani asterism in the month of Meenam. It normally falls between the months of March and April. The festival usually starts with the ritual called 'Kozhikkallu moodal' which involves the sacrifice of cocks and shedding of their blood, which forms an important feature of this temple. The members of the Kodungallur Bhagavathy temple are allowed to participate in this ritual. It is to appease the goddess Kali and her demons who take delight in blood offerings.
'Kavu Theendal', another important event of the festival, overseen by the King of Kodungallur where a horde of Vellichapads (oracles) make a mad rush around the temple waving their sabres in the air while the members of their retinue throw objects (including cocks) over the inner quadrangle. They make a wild cry of abuse at the goddess in bawdy language. Their abuse is said to be accepted by the goddess followed by the purification ceremony the next day. Chandanapoti Charthal is yet another festival of smearing the image with sandal paste.

Thalappoli festival

The Thalappoli festival is in the month of Makaram (January–February). The four day Thalappoli commences from the evening of Makara Sankranthi with religious rituals. Big procession headed by richly caparisoned elephants are taken out to the accompaniment of Pancha Vadyam, Paancari, Paandi, etc.It is the Main Celebration of KUDUMBI Community.

 Location

Kodungallur is 29 km northwest of Kochi and 38 km southwest of Thrissur, by National Highway 66.

 

Ammathiruvadi Temple, Kerala

Ammathiruvadi Temple is a Hindu located about 12 km away from City of Thrissur in Kerala state in India.

 Folklore

According to the Kerala folklore, Poomulli Namboothiri (also sometimes referred to as Thiruvalayannur Bhattathiri) founded Ammathiruvadi temple about 700–1000 years ago. The temple site was once the location of the Namboothiri's household. Ūrakam was then a part of the Peruvanam village (one of the 64 villages of ancient Kerala). Legend has it that Namboothiri went to Kanchipuram to visit the Kamakshi Amman Temple, and, happy with the devotion of the Namboothiri, Kanchi Kamakshi decided to come to Kerala on his palm leaf umbrella. He reached home and placed the umbrella on the floor of his house. When he came back later he was unable to take back the umbrella. It was heavily grounded to the floor. Later upon further investigation it was revealed that Kanchi Kamakshi was residing on that umbrella. The goddess came in Namboothiri’s dreams that night and let him know that he was supposed to build a temple for the goddess, and leave Ūrakam. She also let him know that he was to find an idol in a well far away and reinstate the goddess from the umbrella onto that idol. Namboothiri did as the goddess wished. He built the temple, left all that he owned to the temple, and gave the administration to the Maharaja of Cochin. From then on the goddess was known as the Ammathiruvadi.Ammathiruvadi will always participate in pooram festivals with the presence of Chathakudam Sree Dharma Sastha

Architecture

The temple consists of the two majestic and lofty Gopurams (ornamental gateways), the Mathilkettu (compound walls), Ootupura (feeding hall), Naalambalam (building immediately surrounding the sanctum sanctorum) and the double storied Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).

 

Annamanada Mahadeva Temple, Kerala

Annamanada Mahadeva Temple is located at Annamanada in Thrissur District. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. The shivling is almost four feet tall and is considered as the Kiratamoorthy in a pleasing mood while giving Pashupatastra to Arjuna.
The temple faces to the east and the sanctum is square shaped. There is a low Valiabalikkal in front of the Agramandapam on the eastern side and a bali peetha equal in height of the basement of the shrikovil. The sopana with carved hasti-hasta railings on either side provides access to the square Mukha Mandapam. The doors on the south and the west lead to the shrines of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati respectively. The Mukha mandapam and the shrikovil have dvi-tala structure, which is covered with copper sheet. The nalam balam of the temple has two thidappallies. On the northern side of the nalambalam lays the shrine of Lord Vishnu. In the outer prakaram (outer courtyard) there is a tank and the oottupura in the north-east corner. The other deities of the temple are Shasta, Goshala Krishnan, Mahakali, Nagaraja, Durga mounted on lion and Narasimha.
  The annual festival is celebrated during February or March. The festival lasts for ten days and is observed with pomp and pageantry. The arattu on the concluding day of the annual festival is done in the Annamanada River.
The temple is 10 km south of Chalakudi on the Mala route and is about 5 km from Mala.

 History

Being one of the thirty two grama kshetras in the Kerala coast, the nucleus of the temple can be dated to an antiquity of at least 1200 years.
Earlier the temple was being administered by about 10 or 12 Nambudiri illams who were the traditional uraymas of the temple. Subsequently, by the middle of the eighteenth century, the melkoyma (overlordship) was usurped by the Zamorin of Kozhikode. Cochin (in whose territory the temple was situated) successfully colluded with Travancore to oust the Zamorin from the overlordship of the temple. The namboothiris of the gramasanketham who did not relish the overall administration of Cochin, surrendered the melkoyma rights of the temple to the Travancore ruler. Travancore claimed and exercised sovereignty over the temple for about a century. Cochin ruler approached the British East India Company to mediate in their dispute with Travancore regarding melkoyma of the temple. By 1814-15 the East India Company who were meddling with the affairs of the princely states ruled that Cochin had sovereign rights over the Adoor Grama and the Annamanata temple, but certain rights of the temple were conceded to Travancore state. Later, considering the difficulty of exercising those special rights in a foreign territory, Travancore conceded those rights as well to the Cochin ruler in 1902. Now the temple is being administered by the Cochin Devaswom Board.

Traditions

The sinking of the valiabalikkal is attributed to the traditional explanation that it was ordained by the Lord for affording clear darshan from outside the naalambalam to the untouchable Pakkanar or to Perumthachan of the legendary Parayi petra Pandirukulam. The temple was well endowed earlier with an annual paattom (levy) of 64,000 paras of paddy and the agram (daily nivedyam) was of the order of 10 paras of rice per day.

Highlights

As mentioned earlier the providentially sunken valiabalikkal provides an interesting riddle.
The namaskaramandapa which is usually present in all the Mahakshetras is conspicuous by its absence.
The mukhamandapam with wooden slat enclosure is devoid of the usual dvara-paalaka sculptures, but dvara-paalakas are supposed to be prakshiptham (concealed) as they have their share in bali oblation.
The wood carvings in the Shrikovil and mukhamandapam as also those in the ceiling of the tow dvaragopurams deserve special mention.
The temple has also contributed to the promotion of Koothu and Koodiyattom. Out of the 18 traditional Chakyar families of Kerala, the Mekkatt family had its original habitat near Annamanata temple and they were the sthanis there. Later, this family along with two other families - Valia Parisha of Ambalapuzha and Cheria Parisha of Kidangoor merged with the Kazhakuttom chakyars. Cheria parisha Parameswara chakyar is credited with the formulation of Mantrankom Koothu of Bhasa in current format in the Annamanata temple in the latter half of nineteenth century. The mantrankom koothu and koodiyattom used to last for 41 days during the Mandala Kaala starting from Vrishchigam first (Nov - Dec). In the absence of a Koothambalam, the valiambalam was the venue for staging plays and Annamanata temple is one of the two temples in Kerala where such marathon performance of Koothu used to be held in the Valiambalam in front of the main sannidhi

Rituals and festivals

Annamanata Mahadeva Temple is a Mahakshetra by all criteria, though less popular and known outside Thrissur district. It has all the constituent units of a Mahakshetra. Five poojas and three shribalis constitute the daily pooja routine. Pradosha Shivarathri and Ardra (particularly in Dhanu) days are of special significance. With three Vishnu sannidhis, ashtami rohini also assumes importance in this temple.
The annual festival in Kumbhom (Feb-March) lasting for ten days is celebrated with pomp and pageantry and culminates in the aarattu on Ardra asterism.
The tantram of the temple is vested with Kuttalakkatt and Avanaparambu illoms.

Transportation

Annamnada  is situated 8 km from Mala and 10 km south of Chalakudy.

Buses avail from Chalakudy, Ankamaly(Pongam Jn.), Kodungalloor, Irinjalakuda, Alwaye, North Paravur(Kurumassery),Trichur bus stations to Annamanada Bus Station. Nearest Railway station Chalakudi – 12 KM and Koratty 5 KM. Nearest Airport- Nedumbassery (Kochi)-16KM, Total Area -2.5 km² (Approx))

 

Arattupuzha Temple, Kerala

The Arattupuzha Temple is a Hindu temple situated at Aarattupuzha in Thrissur district of Kerala in India. The antiquity of this temple dates back 3,000 years. The temple has been the host of the most ancient and well-known yearly Devamela a festival when all gods and goddesses assemble at Aarattupuzha. It is believed that the deity of Arattupuzha temple is the embodiment of the divine potential of Guru Vasishta, the great master of Lord Sree Rama.

History

Located on the banks of the Karuvannur river, legend has it that Arattupuzha was the meeting place of all the Gods of the world until floods ravaged the area and forced some of participants to meet 14 kilometers north of the village—in the city of Thrissur. The Arattupuzha Pooram is still quite popular, even though it is much less famous than the Trichur Pooram. The Arattupuzha Pooram is commonly referred to as the "grand-daddy of all Poorams." It takes place in front of the famous Sree Sastha Temple, a temple which is believed to be more than 3,000 years old.
On the sixth day of the seven day festival at Arattupuzha temple, 61 gaily caparisoned elephants gather in the temple grounds, accompanied by the temple music of Panchavadyam, nadaswaram, pacharimelam and pandimelam.

 

Chiravarampathukavu Bhagavathi Temple, Kerala

Chiravarampathu Kavu Temple enshrines Bhagawati, the mother Goddess, one of the most popular deities in Kerala. The town of Aruvayi, Pazhanji is near the city of Kunnamkulam.
The annual festival here is celebrated on the second Sunday of Kumbha (February). Over 35 committees are involved and over 75 elephants participate in this festival.

 

Koodalmanikyam Temple, Kerala

Koodalmanikyam Temple or Kudal Manikkam Temple is a Hindu temple in Irinjalakuda, Trissur district, Kerala state.
Koodalmanikyam Temple is the only temple in India dedicated to the worship of Bharata, the second brother of Rama. The temple is one of four in Kerala state that form a set called "Nalambalam", each temple dedicated to one of the four brothers in Ramayana: Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
On the temple website, the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom clarifies that though the deity worshipped is generally believed to be Bharata, the idol in the sanctum sanctorum is that of Vishnu. "Sangameshwara"(Lord of the Confluence) is another name associated with the deity at Koodalmanikyam.
 The custom in most of the temples in Kerala is to have five poojas and three sivelis a day. But in Koodalmanikyam there are only three poojas and no siveli. There is no Usha Puja and Pantheeradi Puja at this shrine. The deity is taken out for ceremonial procession only during the annual festival. There is no deeparadhana. There are plans to start deeparadhana here. This is the only temple without it.
Sticks and camphor are not used for the pooja. The floral offerings to the deity consist of lotus, tulasi (ocimum sanctum) and chethi (ixora). But they are not grown in the temple compound. No other flower is taken for pooja or for making garlands. Lotus garland is an important offering to the deity. A garland will be offered to the deity which does have not less than 101 lotus flowers.^{[citation needed]}
The temple holds its chief annual festival for ten days each year in the month of Medam (April/May). The first day of the festival is calculated by the appearance of the Uthram asterism and signified by hoisting a ceremonial flag. (The start day falls one day after the famous Thrissur Pooram festival in nearby Thrissur.)
Each day of the festival, a seeveli (procession of caparisoned temple elephants) is held twice, once in the morning and once at night, to the accompaniment of Panchari melam (sacred music). Seventeen elephants take part. Two features of the seeveli are unique to the Koodalmanikyam Temple: first that two baby elephants are included in the procession, one standing on each side of the elephant carrying the deity. Second, while the headdresses ('Netti pattam' in Malayalam) of seven elephants are made of pure gold, the rest are made of pure silver. The last two days of the festival feature Panchavadyam (sacred music from an orchestra of five instruments), and the festival ends at the Thiruvonam asterism.

Ponds

 There are four ponds that are located in and around the temple. The largest of the four are Kuttan Kulam, located outside the compound on the eastern side, and Kulipini Theertham, located inside the compound. Kulipini Theertham is believed to be sanctified by the sage Kulipini Maharshi, who held a great ritual sacrifice, a yajna, at the spot. Water from this source is used for rituals and ceremonies within the temple.

Priests are allowed to take part in the ceremonies after clensing themselves at the "Kuttan Kulam" outside the temple and then have to take a dip in "Kulipini Theertham" before entering Sanctum Sanctorum. The pond outside the compound located at the western side is called "Padinjare Kulam" and the pond outside the compound located at the southern side is called "Thekke Kulam". These three water bodies constitute a significant area as much as the size of the temple itself. Except "Kulipini Theertham" the other three water bodies are open to the public

Transportation

Road

Irinjalakuda is located on State Highway 22 (Kerala), which links to major national highways NH 47 and NH 17 in the State. Two main roads State Highway 22 (Kerala) (Kodungallur-Shornur) Road and State Highway 61 (Kerala) (Potta-Moonupeedika) criss-crosses Irinjalakuda town. There is a private bus station in Irinjalakuda which serves local and inter-district travellers.

Railways

The nearest railway station is the Irinjalakuda Railway Station which is about 7 km East of the town at Kallettumkara. Irinjalakuda Railway Station is managed by the Southern Railways of Indian Railways. Most express trains stop at this station. Thrissur Railway Station is another major railhead around 20 km from Irinjalakuda. Guruvayoor–Chennai Egmore Express, Venad Express, Kanyakumari-Bangalore Express, Parasuram Express, Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore Express and Chennai-Alappuzha Express are the some trains which stop at Irinjalakuda Railway Station.

Air

The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery, which is 34 km away. The airport is well connected to all major airports in India and also connected to many foreign cities. Direct flights are available to Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

 

Kuttankulangara Sri Krishna Temple, Kerala

Kuttankulangara Sri Krishan Temple located in Punkunnam, Thrissur district of Kerala, south India and is considered to be over a 300 years old. This temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture.

 

Mithranandapuram Vamanamoorthy Temple, Kerala

Vamanamoorthy Temples are rare in Kerala and other parts of the country. This is a very old temple: According to the legends, the idol worshiped here is more than 1500 years old .The temple is situated in Perumbillissery, about 10 km from Thrissur Town by the side of Thrissur-Thriprayar route. This temple is one of the most popular in the "Cultural Capital of Kerala" district.

Story

Mahabali, the king of the Daityas or Asuras, i.e., demons in the Treta Yuga, reached the zenith of power and fame. He owed his tremendous success and prosperity in life to his observance of an austere and virtuous lifestyle. He performed many ritual sacrifices or Yajna to consolidate his sway over the three worlds of the universe (Heaven, Earth and Underworld). Lord Vamana has blessed king Sri Mahabali on his request for three feet of mud; the mood of the deity in the temple is that of blessing the king Mahabali. Vishnu was immensely pleased with the goodness of Mahabali. He educated Bali about the demerits of pride and arrogance, which forbids man from optimum progress. He allowed Mahabali to take shelter in the Paradise of the sacred abode, where lived the pure Prahlada. MahaVishnu further blessed Mahabali, that he would be the ruler of the earth in the following age or Yuga. Those who sacrifice themselves in the lotus feet of the deity get his blessings.

Ownership

The temple is owned by three uranmakkar: Alakkattu Mana, Pattachomarayath Mana and Akkarachittur Mana. The present administration of the temple is done by Sri. Krishnan Namboodiri, Kizhillath Mana, Perumbillissery on the strength of the authority given by the uranmakkar. The chief priest or Thanthri of the Temple is Nedumpilly Tharananellur Mana, Irinjalakuda. Lord Ganesha, Swamiyar (guru) and Lord Annapoorneswari are the other deities.

Visiting

One can get down at Perumbillissery Centre from the bus and walk less than 0.5 km west to reach the temple. Anybody in the centre can guide, as the temple is known to all.
The temple is open from 5.30 AM to 10.30AM and 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM all days. This are subject to change on special days like Thiruvonam, Prathishta Dinam, Othukottu, lunar and solar eclipse days.

Othu Kottu festival

The main festival of the temple is Sampoorna Yajurveda Yajna or Othu Kottu. Yajurveda Samhitha recital is one of the special prayers offered in the temple. Othu means Veda and Kottu means recitals. The whole text of Yajurveda is recited once in every three years by Yajurveda scholars from parts of Kerala. The Yajna is conducted by 10 Namboodiri families of the locality with co-operation of devotees.

 

Mudapilavu Temple, Kerala

Mudapilavu temple is a well known Vishnu temple in the Chiyyaram region, Thrissur district, Kerala state, India. It is situated near the Vakayil Road. It is well known for its nostalgic atmosphere.

Paramekkavu, Kerala

Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala. Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple is located in Thrissur in Kerala, South India and is considered  to be over 1000 years old. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is one of the two rival groups participating in Thrissur Pooram, which is the biggest local festival in Kerala.

Poonkunnam Seetha Ramaswamy Temple, Kerala

Punkunnam Seetha Ramaswamy Temple located in Punkunnam, Thrissur district of Kerala, South India. The congregation ceremony of the temple was held on 13 June 1895. T. R. Ramachandra Iyer constructed the temple for Lord Rama. Ramachandra Iyer was conferred with the title of Diwan Bahadour by the Government in recognition of his service to society. This temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture.

Poonkunnam Siva Temple, Kerala

Punkunnam Shiva Temple, located in Punkunnam, Thrissur district of Kerala, south India is considered   to be over 1000 years old. This temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture.

 

Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, Kerala

Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple is a Hindu temple located in City of Thrissur in Kerala, India. The temple is one of the two rival groups participating in Thrissur Pooram, which is the biggest local festival in Kerala.

Thiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple

The Thuiruvullakkavu Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple located in the Thrissur district of Kerala in India. The deity is Lord Sree Dharma Sastha, in standing posture with arch and a bow.

 

Thottipal Bhagavati Temple

Thottipal Bhagavati Temple is located in the Thrissur district of Kerala state, India. It is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from National Highway 47, near Pudukad.
Adherents to the faith believe it to be one of the 108 Devi temples installed by Parashurama and it is known for the Thottipal pakalpooram, an event where the deity is taken out of the temple in procession.
Devi is considered to be the sister to the Chathakudath Shasta. This ancient temple was destroyed in the attacks by Tipu Sultan and was in a state of distress for centuries. The temple was renovated in late 19th century.
Thottipalamma is considered by believers to be all benevolent and to give strength to her devotees so that they may counter the struggles of life.
Adjacent to this temple is the Thottipal Mahavishnu temple.

Trikkur Mahadeva Temple, Kerala

Trikkur Mahadeva Temple is a rock-cut cave temple in Trikkur village in Thrissur District in Kerala believed to have been built in the 7th or 8th century. The temple was originally a Jain temple. It is a protected monument under the Department of Archaeology, Govt of Kerala since 1966. The temple and its premises are now owned by Paliyam Trust which is managed by Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti (Temple Protection Committee).

Vailikulangara Bhagavathi Temple, Kerala

Vailikulangara Bhagavathi Temple is a Bhadrakali temple in Thrissur district of Kerala, south India. It is near to Guruvayoor.
The main festival of this temple is Makara Chowa (The first Tuesday (Chowa in Makara Masam in Malayalam Calendar). Navaratri Sangeethothsavam is another festival in this temple."Thazhthe Kaavu Vela" will be celebrated on next day of the Makrachovva. The Nadan Kalaroopam "Kaali Kali" will be conducted on that day.

 

Vazhappully Shree Rajarajeshwari Temple, Kerala

Vazhappully Shree Rajarajeshwari Temple is among the first and foremost family temples in Kerala which ages back to more than 500 years.

This temple is situated towards the west of Edamuttom in Thrissur District, Kerala State, India.
Due to the presence of the supreme soul of Goddess Bhadrakali,  in olden days devotees sacrificed chicken and goat to this temple as offerings. Later in Malayalam Year 1122 Edavam month (1947, May) a beautiful Panchaloha idol of Sri Rajarajeswari was reinstalled as the main deity by Sri. Narasimha Swamikal, the first disciple of Sri Narayana Guru. 

It was predicted by Sri. Narasimha Swamikal that this transformation from Goddess Bhadrakali to Goddess Rajarajeswari (from fierce form to meekness) may show some unusual changes in nature at the reinstallation time.  Surprisingly during reinstallation of the idol in May 1947 the trunk of a huge Mimusops Elengi Tree at the south side of temple split into two and fell down showing the powers of Goddess Rajarajeswari. This was one of the remarkable ”Miracle” witnessed by our forefathers and elders.
Eventhough the idol is of Goddess  Sri Rajarajeshwari the base mantra is of Goddess Bhadrakali

Goddess Rajarajeswari is having the combined powers of Mahalakshmi, Saraswati, Parvathi and Bhadrakali . Devotees are blessed with prosperity, wealth and Boon-bestowing.

Goddess Rajarajeswari is considered as the protector of this region.
All devotees irrespective of their nationality, caste, creed and religion are welcome to this temple to get their wish fulfilled

 Gandharva Pooja - for Women
Gandharva Dosha may cause Frequent abortions, Infertility, Marriage obstacles, Hysteria & Depression in a woman. Gandharva pooja can help to eliminate the evil effects of Gandharva Dosha

Vazhappully temple is well connected with other parts of the country by road. The National highway 17 is just 1.5 Kms from the temple. Devotees coming by Bus can get down at Edamuttom bus stop and can walk or take a cab or auto. It is just 45 minutes drive from Thrissur town by car and public transport busses ply every 10 minutes through Edamuttom from Thrissur.

Devotees need to get down at Thrissur Railway station and take a bus to Edamuttom. Busses ply every 10 minutes to Edamuttom from Thrissur private Bus Stand.

 

Cochin International Airport (Nedumbassery) is 50 Kms from Vazhappully Temple. All major International Flights operate from Cochin Airport. Bus service is available from the Airport to Thrissur.

 

Madathikkavu Bhagavathi Temple, Kerala

Sree Madathikkavu devi temple is one of such places of worship in kerala, the southern most state of India. The main diety here is godess kali, the same 'chaithanya' sri Kurumba Bhagavathy of Kodungallur, situated in a village called Pooppathy, 6 to 7 kms east of Kodungallur, the temple continues to be thronged by devotees from various places.

The origin of this legendary temple dates back to the 17th century - around 300 years ago. It's history is closely intertwined with the lords(thampurans) of the erstwhile Kodungallur Kovilakam(the palace of the local kings). That was the time when the Kochi rajah (under whose rule lived these lords) was under frequent attacks from the Zamorins, the ruler of the neighbouring princely state, kozhikkode. Kodungallur was one of the special targets of their attack, which, literally drove them out of the area. When it was almost certain that the zamorin's army would force an entry into their premises, they left the place.
    Ardently devoted to devi Kurumba of Kodungallur, they were the most hurt when they had to take leave of her, thereby depriving themselves of the diety worship and poojas[rituals]. As a way out, they carried with them the sword invoked with her divine spirit[chaithanya] to rather an obscure hamlet called Pooppathy where they settled down and they continued with their offerings and poojas in the presence of the sword.
    This phase ran upto a few decades during which they kept 'the holy sword', first in the court yard of Thamarassery Mekkat Mana[a prominent Namboothiri family of the locality], and then, in the 'madhom' which was used as their granary. Once the political turmoil and the subsequent instability ended, these lords returned to Kodungallur. But, it is believed, that the sword refused to be stirred out of the place.
    'Prasna' [a kind of astrological calculations to know the divine will] was conducted and the 'oracular' revelation was that it was 'Her' will to stay back. That was why and how a temple was constructed, as it is seen now, by the then seniormost member of the Thamarassery Mekkat Mana[presumably Sri Sankaran Namboothiripad, who was a predecessor to 4/5 generation]. Devi's holy spirit from the sword embedded in a 'valkannadi' [a mirror-like idol] was ceremoniously placed[prathistha] in the sanctum sanctorum and the temple was consecrated.

 

Devaswam Ph No: 0480 2891257

Madathikkavu Bhagavathi Temple
Kerala
Thrissur district
Pooppathy PO
PIN: 680733

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)                                                                                                                              

(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )