Holy
Pilgrimage – Temples in Kerala State
Guruvayur Temple
Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple (Malayalam: ഗുരുവായൂര് ക്ഷേത്രം, Guruvāyūr Kṣētṟaṁ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Krishna, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus of Kerala and is often referred to as "Bhuloka Vaikunta" which translates to the "Holy Abode of Vishnu on Earth". The idol installed at Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple represents a form of Krishna with its four arms carrying the conch Pancajanya, the magical discus with serrated edges Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki and a lotus with a Holy basil garland. This idol represents the majestic form of god Vishnu as revealed to Vasudeva and Devaki around the time of Krishna; hence Guruvayur is also known as "Dwaraka of South India". Krishna is popularly known in Kerala by different names such as Kannan, Unnikkannan ("Baby" Kannan), Unnikrishnan, Balakrishnan, and Guruvayurappan.The "presiding" deity in the Sri Kovil of the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple is Vishnu. He is currently worshipped (the "puja") according to routines laid down by Adi Shankara and later written formally in the tantric way, the inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, by Cennas Narayanan Nambudiri (born in 1427). The Cennas Nambudiris are the hereditary tantris of the Guruvayur Temple. The temple (puja) routines are strictly followed. The tantri is available full-time at the Temple to ensure this. The Melsanti (Chief Priest) enters the sanctum sanctorum at 2:30 in the morning and does not drink anything up to the completion of "noon worships" at 12:30 PM. The Vedic traditions being followed at this temple with absolute perfection is the hallmark of the Guruvayur temple. It is important to note here that, even though the shrine is considered to be one of the holiest spots for Vaishnavites, the temple is not a part of the famous 108 Holy Temples.
History
Pre-Colonial history
According to legends, the deity worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. In 14th century, "Kokasandesam" (a Tamil literary work), references to a place called Kuruvayur are made. As early as the 16th century (fifty years after Narayaniyam was composed) many references to Kuruvayur are seen. In ancient Dravidian languages, "kuruvai" means "sea", hence the village on the Malabar Coast may be called Kuruvayur. The earliest temple records date back to 17th century. The earliest mention of the many important Vishnu temples of Kerala are found in the songs of Alwars, Tamil saints, whose time-line is not exactly fixed Mamankam was a very famous local event at Tirunavaya, on the bank of Bharatappuzha. The battles between the Calicut under Zamorins and Valluvanad popularised Guruvayur Temple. Due to the prolonged battles, people across the riverbank started preferring Guruvayur. Even the Zamorin of Calicut become a devotee and thus his subjects followed him. The central shrine that see today is said to have been rebuilt in 1638 AD. "Viswabali" was performed later to propitiate all the spirits, good and bad. By the end of 16th century Guruvayur had become most popular pilgrimage centre in Kerala.Guruvayur in Colonial age
Ullanad Panikkars rescued and looked after the temple from 1825 to 1900. Like Cempakasseri Nambudiri and Desavarma Nambudiri, Panikkars offered everything from service to property. Thus with their help daily puja and annual festivals were once again restored. From 1859 to 1892, the Cuttambalam, the Vilakkumatam, the Koottambalam and Sasta shrine were renovated and roofed with copper sheeting. In 1900, Konti Menon, as a manager fixed the hours of worship and led the drive to keep the temple premises clean. He set up the big bell and reconstructed Pattayappura (granary). In 1928, Calicut once again became the administrator of Guruvayur.Story of the deity
The deity of the Guruvayur Temple is unique, since it is carved out of a stone called "Patalanjana Stone", and is considered extremely sacred by the Hindus. This idol was once worshipped by god Vishnu in Vaikuntha and he handed it over to god Brahma. King Manu and his wife, Satarupa worshipped Brahma for a child and being gratified with their devotion, they received this Deity from him and advised them to start worshipping it. Being pleased with their worship, Vishnu appeared before them and blessed them with the boon that he himself will be born as their child in their four re-births in three different forms and in four different situations, with the deity.Thus they got the good fortune to worship the same deity in all four rebirths. They gave birth to Prsnigarbha who gave to the world the practice of Brahmacarya (Celibacy). In their next birth, Sutapas and his wife were born as Kasyapa and Aditi and their son was Vamana. In the third rebirth as Dasaratha and Kausalya, Vishnu was born as their son Rama. In the fourth rebirth as Vasudeva and Devaki, Vishnu was born as their eighth child Krishna. In the long run, god Krishna himself installed this deity at Dwaraka and worshipped it knowing that it is none other than himself.
At the time of Krishna's ascension to heaven, his devotee Uddhava became sad thinking of the departure of Krishna. Krishna then gave his foremost disciple and devotee Uddhava this deity and instructed him to entrust Bṛhaspati (the master of the demi-gods) with the task of taking the deity to a suitable location. Uddhava was plunged in grief thinking of the fate that would befall the world in the Age of the Demon during his absence. Krishna pacified Uddhava and promised him that he himself would manifest in the deity and shower his blessings on the devotees who take refuge in him.
A deluge had closed in on Dwaraka, but Bṛhaspati salvaged the deity floating in the water, with the help of his prime disciple Vayu. Bṛhaspati and Vayu went around the world in search of an ideal place. At last they entered Kerala through Palakkad gap where they met Parasurama who was going to Dwaraka in search of the very deity they were bringing. Parasurama led Bṛhaspati and Vayu to a lush green spot with a beautiful lotus lake where they felt the presence of god Siva. Siva along with Parvati welcomed them and told them that this would be the ideal spot for installing the deity. Siva permitted Bṛhaspati and Vayu to perform the consecration rites and blessed them that henceforth this place would be known as "Guruvayur" (since the installation was done by guru ("master") Bṛhaspati and Vayu). Siva with Parvati then left to the opposite bank to Mammiyur.
It is in memory of this incident that a pilgrimage to Guruvayur is said to be complete only with a worship of "Mammiyur Siva" also. Viśvákarma, the divine architect of the demi-gods built the temple. He made it in such a way that on the day of Vishu (summer equinox) the first rays of the sun fall straight on to Vishnu's feet. The deity was installed in the solar month of Kumbha (February - March) and the ceremony was begun on the seventh asterism of Puyam and completed on the day of Anizham[3]
The Temple of Guruvayoor
The whole life of this town revolves round the temple and there is very little activity beyond what is connected with the temple even though there are a few other noteworthy temples in the area. One can get to Guruvayoor by car or train from the town of Thrissur which is very close to Cochin. There are many flights connecting Cochin with all the big towns of India.
The history of the idol goes back to the hoary past to the age of Dwapara when God Krishna was alive. His parents were Vasudeva and Devaki. She was the sister of Kansa, the cruel king of Mathura. They two of them had been great devotees of God Vishnu for many ages. After assiduously wooing him for many births, the God had manifested himself to them and promised that he would be born as their son for three lives in succession. He promised them liberation at the end of these three births. This was their last birth as Devaki and Vasudeva in the clan of the Yadavas in the city of Mathura and Krishna was born to them as their eighth son. The idol of God Vishnu which is found in Guruvayoor is one which had been worshipped by Devaki and Vasudeva and one can easily imagine that it must also have been worshipped by God Krishna himself. This is the greatness and glory of this particular idol of God Vishnu – that Vishnu himself had done puja to it in his incarnation as Krishna.
At the end of his earthly sojourn, Krishna prophesied to his friend and devotee, Uddhava that the island of Dwaraka, which had been his stronghold, would be swept away by the sea, seven days after he left his mortal body. He instructed him to rescue the precious idol of Vishnu which his parents had worshipped, and hand it over to Brihaspati, the guru of the gods who would come to him. After seven days, the island submerged in the sea as foretold by God Krishna. Uddhava went sadly to the seashore and saw the idol bobbing up and down on the waves far out in the sea. He begged the wind god – Vayu to bring it closer to him. The wind wafted it gently to the shore and Uddhava picked it up lovingly and cradled it in his arms. As he was wondering how to contact the guru of the gods, he found that Brihaspati himself was walking towards him. Uddhava told him the whole story of how God Krishna had instructed him and Brihaspati who knew everything agreed to take it and install it at some special place. He was sure that he would be given further instructions.
Now Brihaspati asked Vayu, the wind god to transport him through the air so that they could choose a perfect spot for the installation. Carrying the precious idol in his hands, Brihaspati was wafted across the sub-continent of India till they came almost to the sea shore to the spot where the present town of Guruvayoor now stands. Looking down Brihaspati saw a beautiful lake filled with lotuses on the banks of which Shiva and Parvati were dancing. He was charmed by the sight and he requested Vayu to float him down. For some time he stood spell-bound by the dancing couple. When they had finished he prostrated to them and begged Shiva to tell him of a perfect spot to install the idol of Vishnu. Shiva said that this was indeed the ideal place. He told him to build the temple right there at one end of the lake where he and Parvati had been dancing. He magnanimously said that he himself would take up residence at the other end of the lake which was known as Rudrathirta. The temple of Mammiyoor to which Shiva shifted still exists. However during the course of time the lake dried up little by little and now only the temple tank adjoining the Guruvayoor temple remains to tell the tale of this ancient lake. The word Guruvayoor has special connotations. It is made up of two words “guru” and “vayu”. Guru means preceptor and vayu is wind. The idol was installed by Brihaspati, the guru of the gods and Vayu, the god of wind and hence came to be known as Guru-vayoor! The word also has an esoteric meaning. It stands for the body of the human being which is the abode of wind. The five pranas or vital breaths are what sustain the body and make it function properly.
Myths surrounding the Guruvayur Temple tank
God Siva (Rudra) performed a tapasya and worshipped god Vishnu for years under the sacred tank located on the northern side of the present day Guruvayur Temple and hence this tank got the name of "Rudra-tirtham".
It is said that in the ancient days, the pond extended up to Mammiyur and Thamarayur (about 3 km away from the Temple) and was known for its ever blooming magical lotus flowers. Pracetas (the ten sons of mythical King Prajinabarhis and his Queen Suvarna) came to this place to do undergo a tapasya to become "the king of all kings" with the help of god Vishnu. Sensing the motive of the Pracetas, Siva emerged out of the sacred tank and revealed to them the "Rudragitam", a hymn in praise of Vishnu. Siva suggested them to chant the hymn with all their heart to get their wishes fulfilled. The princes won the favour of Vishnu after rigorous tapasya for 10,000 years under the tank by chanting the hymns.
Dress code for entering the temple
Guruvayur Mahatmyam - early legends of Guruvayur temple
Sri Narada purana mentions how Janamejaya was cured of leprosy by taking refuge under the feet of Guruvayuruppan. The Pandavas handed over the kingdom to their grandson Parikshit, and left for the forest to spend their last days. Parikshit died of the curse of a saint, who cursed that Parikshit will die of snake bite by Takshaka, the king of serpents. After the death of Parikshit he was succeeded by his son Janamejaya. Janamejaya conducted a sacrifice to destroy all the snakes of the world including Takshaka, who was the cause of his father's death . Hundreds of thousands of snakes fell into the sacrificial fire and were killed, but the sacrifice was stopped by a Brahmin called Astika, before Takshaka was killedSince Janamejaya was responsible for the death of millions of snakes, he was afflicted with leprosy. He lost all hope of a cure. One day Sage Atreya (son of Atri) came before Janamejaya and told him to take refuge under the feet of Krishna at Guruvayoor. Atreya told him that in the temple at Guruvayur the effulgence of Sri Hari is at its best and Vishnu showers his blessings on all devotees. He immediately rushed there and spent the next ten months worshipping the God at Guruvayur. At the end of ten months, he returned home hale and hearty and took the astrologer to task for making a false prediction. The astrologer told him that he would find the mark of a snakebite on his left leg. He had escaped death only because he was at that time in a temple where Anantha (the emperor of serpents) was present and Anantha was the brother to the God at Guruvayur where he had finished worshipping.
The king being convinced of the astrologer's verdict decided to build a full-fledged temple at Guruvayur. In course of time, this temple came to be downgraded and reduced to poverty during the days when Kerala was ruled by the Perumals. The Perumal rulers were mostly Shaivites and did not extend their patronage to Vaishnavite shrines. The Shiva temple at Mammiyur received their patronage and with the shift of royal patronage, the worshippers also swung more to the Shiva temple. The Guruvayur temple was thus reduced to utmost poverty, without even means to light the temple lamp. However, one day, a holy man went to the Mammiyur temple for food and hospitality for the night. Though the temple was affluent, the temple authorities pretended they had nothing and scornfully directed him to the neighbouring Guruvayur temple knowing fully well that the temple was in destitute conditions. When the holy man entered the precincts of that temple, he was courteously received by a brahmin boy and sumptuously fed. The holy man was very much pleased and he pronounced a blessing. "I came here from Mammiyur temple, because they said there is nothing there," he said."They told me also that there is plenty here. Well hereafter it will be exactly like that!" It is said from that day, Mammiyur Siva temple began to decline, and the fortunes of Guruvayur Vishnu temple progressed from strength to strength.
Location and transport
The temple is located about 29 km from Thrissur. The nearest railway station is at Guruvayur. Only Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore express train from Chennai via Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli runs up to this station. However, a regular passenger train service to Ernakulam via Thrissur is available. The nearest major railway station with better connectivity is at Thrissur. The nearest airport (75 km) is Cochin International Airport, at Nedumbassery near Kochi. Guruvayur is well connected from all major towns of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Various private and state government-owned bus companies operate regular services to this temple town.The annual festival starts by hoisting the holy flag on the golden mast erected in front of the Temple. The holy rope for hoisting the Flag comes from Sree Mahavishnu Temple at Panangad near Kochi as a procession.
Guruvayur Keshavan
Gajarajan Guruvayur Kesavan (death: December 2, 1976) is perhaps the most famous and celebrated captive elephant in Kerala, southern India. Kesavan was donated to the Guruvayur Hindu temple by the royal family of Nilambur in 1916. It is a common Hindu custom in Kerala to donate elephants to the deity of the temple as an offering, Guruvayur temple has a very good facilities to maintain all of these elephants now totaling 60 in number at Punnathurkotta.Standing over 3.2 meters tall, Kesavan was known for his devout behavior. Kesavan died on Guruvayur Ekadasi, considered a very auspicious day. He fasted for the entire day and dropped down facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised as a mark of prostration. The anniversary of his death is still celebrated in Guruvauyur. Many elephants line up before the statue and the chief elephant garlands it. Kesavan was conferred the unique title "Gajarajan" (Elephant King), by the Guruvayoor Devaswom.
The Guruvayoor Devaswom erected a life-size statue of Keshavan in its precincts as tribute to the services he rendered to the presiding deity of the temple. Its tusks, along with a majestic portrait of the elephant, can be still seen adorning the entrance to the main temple enclosure. Its life is the subject of the Malayalam feature film Guruvayur Kesavan (film). It was released in 1977, the year after his death. The film was directed by Bharathan, which starred M. G. Soman, Adoor Bhasi, Sankaradi, Bahadoor, Jayabharathi and Meena (old actress). The story of Guruvayoor Kesavan was later portrayed as a television serial in Surya TV, during 2009 - 2010 period.
Thrissur
Thrissur
pronunciation (help·info)
(Malayalam: തൃശൂര്, Sanskrit: श्रीशिवपुरम्), originally Thrisivaperoor and
previously known by its anglicized form as Trichur, is the fifth largest city,
the third largest
urban agglomeration in Kerala (Pop. 1,854,783) and the 20th largest
in India.
It is also the headquarters of the Thrissur District. Thrissur city is built around a 65-acre
(26 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple. Thrissur was once the
capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located 300 kilometres
(186 mi) towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.Thrissur is also known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala because of its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings throughout history. It houses the Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy, Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Academy. The city hosts the Thrissur Pooram festival, the most colourful and spectacular temple festival in Kerala. The festival is held at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in April or May. Thrissur has a large number of well-known temples including the Vadakkumnathan temple, Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and Paramekkavu temple, as well as two famous churches, the Our Lady of Lourdes Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral and the Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica.
Thrissur has historically been a center of Hindu scholarship. The city houses one of the most important temples of Hindu Shaivism, that is the Vadakunnathan temple. The district is also home one of the most holiest Hindu Vaishnava temples, the Guruvayur temple. Christianity, Islam and Judaism entered in to the Indian subcontinent through the Thrissur district. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings claim Thomas the Apostle to have set foot in Muziris near here 2,000 years ago. (AD 51-52)[10][11] The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, opened in AD 629.[12][13][13][14][15][16] It has opened the gates for Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.
The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs, and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala. It flexes its economic muscle in India as the headquarters of three major scheduled banks, South Indian Bank Ltd, Catholic Syrian Bank and Dhanalakshmi Bank Ltd and a clutch of Chit funds. The city is also a big centre for shopping in Kerala for silks and gold jewelry. Thrissur attracts the largest number of domestic tourists in Kerala.
Apart from being the cultural nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and is home to several educational institutions including the Kerala Kalamandalam, Jawahar Bal Bhavan Thrissur, Kerala Police Academy, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala University of Medical and Allied Sciences and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Etymology
The name Thrissur is a shortened form of Thrishivaperur or Thirushivaperur. Thiru-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: തിരു-ശിവ-പേരൂര്) literally translates to 'The Land, Place, City or Village with the name of the "Lord Siva"' means शम्भु Shambhu (Shiv Shambhu Bhola) + ल or ले (of) + ग्राम Grama (Community/Village) Shambhala village or Shambal gram. (The Lord Kalki will come from Shambal gram of South India). The name owes itself to the most prominent feature of the city, that is the Vadakkumnathan Kshetram or temple, which has Shiva as its presiding deity Alternately, Thri-Shiva-Perur (Malayalam: ത്രി-ശിവ-പേരൂര്) means the place with three famous Shiva temples which are said to be — the Vadakkunnathan Temple, Kottapuram Shiva temple and the Poonkunnam Siva Temple. or 1. First Jewish Synagogue in INDIA 2. First Christian Church in INDIA 3. First Muslim Mosque in INDIA. Thrissur was also known as "Vrishabhadripuram" and then "Kailasam" (Kailasam of the South) in ancient days.History
Pre-history
Starting from the Stone Age, Thrissur must have been the site of human settlement. This is evidenced by the presence of a megalithic monuments at Ramavarmapuram, Kuttoor, Cherur and Villadam. The Ramavarmapuram monument is in granite and is of Menhir type. The monument in Ramavarmapuram is 15 feet height and 12 feet 4 inches broad. From 1944, it is under the protection of Department of Archaeology. The monument is locally known as 'Padakkallu' or 'Pulachikkallu'. These menhirs are memorials put up at burial sites for the departed souls. They belong to the Megalithic Age of Kerala, which is roughly estimated between 1000 BCE and 500 CE All such monuments have not been dated exactly. Some experts are of the view that these are the remnants of the Neolithic Age in the development of human technology. The Ramavarmapuram Menhir is also believed to be a monument belonging to the Sangam period in the South Indian history.nd Kakkad. According to historians, the Dolmens are burial sites. Though most of the monuments were well protected, the dolmen at Porkulam was in a neglected condition. The monument excavated under eminent Archaeologist BK Thapar, between 1949 and 1950, was under the Department of Archaeology Another megalithic monument is situated at Ariyannur in Thrissur. This place has unravelled monuments such as the 'Kudakkallu' or 'Thoppikkallu' (Mushroom stones or Umbrella stones) and 'Munimada' (Saint's abode). The laterite hillocks of Ariyannur rise to about 50 metres. Another reference in Ariyannur dates back to early 15th century in the poem 'Chandrotsavam'.
Pre-Colonial history
The region can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. The early political history of Thrissur is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. After the Cheras, the place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin (Perumpadapu Swaroopam). Later, a powerful dynasty known as Zamorins of Calicut captured most of the Thrissur in 14th and 15th century.Colonial period
Next was the turn of Portuguese who ruled Thrissur in 16th century. In the beginning of 17th century the Portuguese power was reduced and Dutch became the main power. With the help of Dutch, Cochin Royal Family recaptured Thrissur from Samoothiri in 1710The modern City of Thrissur rose in to importance after Sakthan Thampuran ascended the throne of Kingdom of Cochin (1769-1805). He changed the capital of Cochin Royal Family to Thrissur from Mattancherry and abolished the power of Namboothiri community, which controlled most of the temples of Thrissur district. The maharaja destroyed the forest around the Thekkinkadu Maidan which seats the Vadakkumnathan temple, and started the most spectacular cultural festival called Thrissur Pooram. Sakthan Thampuran laid the modern foundation stone of Thrissur and made the city in to a major financial and commercial hub of South India, by inviting Syrian Christian families and Brahmins from adjoining areas.
However, during 1750-60 Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, attacked Thrissur and became tributary of the Kingdom of Mysore. Tipu Sultan, his son led another invasion in 1786 to Thrissur, where he destroyed the churches of Syrian Malabar Nasrani community and Hindu temples. Tipu Sultan’s Army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur church. He plundered Thrissur’s economy and even converted Christians and Hindu’s into Muslims. The economy of Thrissur totally collapsed because of this invasion. Later he made a retreat from Thrissur, which served as the headquarters of Kerala region, after the Srirangapattanam war. In the meantime, Rama Varma X, the successor of Sakthan Thampuran signed a treaty with East Indian Company, and made Cochin a subsidiary of the British.
The City of Thrissur is situated in Thrissur District of Central Kerala in India. The City is located at 10.52°N 76.21°E and has an average altitude of 2.83 metres. The City is 75 km north-east of Kochi, 133 km south-west of Coimbatore and 144 km south-east of Kozhikode. The City is located in a hillock called Thekkinkadu Maidan which is the second highest point in City after the Vilangan Hills. From the hillock, the geography of the City move towards middle land where Thrissur Kole Wetlands is situated. The Kole Wetlands act as a natural drainage for the City where the water is carried out to river and from there to the Arabian Sea, thus keeping Thrissur City safe from flood waters which affect most of the other cities in Kerala. Different ponds, rivers and canals also keep the ground water safe from salt waters. The City is located in midland regions of Kerala, with an extended part of Palakkad plains. The City geologically is composed of Archaean gneisses and crystalline schists. Major parts of City is covered by Archaean rocks. Th City lies near the center of the Indian tectonic plate (the Indian Plate) and is subject to comparatively little seismic or volcanic activity
Culture and literature
Festivals
Known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala, Thrissur enjoys a thriving cultural tradition dating back to centuries, and being the centre of Kerala's cultural activities. Thrissur Pooram also called as 'the pooram of all poorams' is celebrated in every year in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar. It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala. The city plays host, for 36 hours from the wee hours of the pooram day, to one of the most largest collection of people and elephants. Puli Kali also known as Kaduvakali is another festival, which attracts thousands of people to the city. It is performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in Kerala The most important festivals celebrated in the City include Christmas, Onam, Easter, Eid and Vishu. The City is widely acclaimed as the land of elephant lovers. Aanayoottu (feeding of elephants), is the world largest elephant feeding ceremony held in Vadakkunnathan Temple in the City annually. The ceremony is conducted on the first day of the Malayalam month of KarkidakamLiterature
Literary lineage of Thrissur dates back to early history of Kerala but it came to prominence after Kerala Government set up Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi, Kerala Sahitya Academy, Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy and College of Fine Arts, Thrissur for promoting literature, music and arts in Kerala. After the Indian Independence, Thrissur became the literary capital of Kerala as turned to the playground of novelist, poets and orators. In 1952 when Current Books set its first shop in Thrissur by former education Minister Professor Joseph Mundassery, it become the abode of writer’s like O V Vijayan, Kovilan, VKN, Uroob, Edassery, M T Vasudevan Nair, K G Sankarapillai and Sarah Joseph. The area was later known as Current Moola ("Current Corner"). Thrissur is home to prominent malayalam literary figures like Kovilan, Kunhunni Mash, Sukumar Azhikode, K. Satchidanandan, Mullanezhi, Sarah Joseph (author), Attoor Ravi Varma, Lalitha Lenin, P. Bhaskaran, Joseph Mundassery.Temples
The Vadakkunnathan temple believed to have been
founded by the legendary saint Parasurama, is a classic example of the Kerala style of
architecture and houses several sacred shrines and with beautiful murals
delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata.
Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, one of
the largest Sree Krishna
temples in Kerala
and Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple which is one
of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala is also
situated in the city is also situated in Thrissur
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple (Malayalam: വടക്കുന്നാഥൻ ക്ഷേത്രം), also known as Tenkailasam and Vrshabhacalam, is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva at City of Thrissur, of Kerala state in India. This temple is a classic example of the architectural style of Kerala and has monumental towers on all four sides and also a kuttambalam. Mural paintings depicting various episodes from Mahabharata can be seen inside the temple. The shrines and the kuttambalam display vignettes carved in wood. The temple, along with the mural paintings, has been declared as a National Monument by India under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. According to popular local lore, this is the first temple built by Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu. Tekkinkadu Ground, encircling the Vadakkunnathan Temple, is the main venue of the Thrissur Pooram. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter into the templeLegend
The story of the origin of the Vadakkunnathan Temple is briefly narrated in Brahmāṇḑa Purāņa and there are references to it in some other works also. Though there are small differences between these accounts as regards details, all agree on the central fact, namely, that the temple was founded by Parasurama. Parasurama exterminated Kshatriyas twenty one times. In order to expiate the sin he performed a yajna at the end of which he gave away all the land to Brahmins as dakshina. He wanted to retire to some new land to do tápasya and so he requested god Varuna to throw up a new piece of land from the sea.According to another version, some sages approached him at the end of the yajna and requested him to give them some secluded land. Parasurama then made the request to Varuna for their sake. Varuna gave him a winnow (surpa) and asked him to hurl it into the sea, as he did a large territory of land was at once thrown up by the sea; this territory that rose out of the sea was Kerala. It was then known by the name "Surparaka", from the word, "Surpa" meaning winnow.
According to some other accounts Varuna asked Parasurama to hurl his axe into the sea. Parashurama now wanted to consecrate this new land. So he went to Kailasa to his guru Shiva and requested him to take abode in Kerala and thereby bless the region. Shiva accompanied by Parvati, Ganesha, Subrahmanya and his parashadas went along with Parasurama, to satisfy the desire of his beloved disciple. Shiva stopped at a spot, now Thrissur, for his seat and later he and his party disappeared and Parashurama saw a bright and radiant Shiva linga at the foot of a huge banyan tree. This place where Shiva first manifested his presence through the linga came to be called the Sri Mula Sthana.
For sometime the linga of Shiva remained at Sri Mula Sthana at the foot of a huge banyan tree. The ruler of Cochin Kingdom then decided to shift the linga to a more convenient place and enclose it in a good temple. Arrangements were soon made to reinstall the idol in the new place. But there was an initial diificulty. The linga could not be removed without cutting off a large part of the banyan tree. While cutting the branches of the tree there was the danger of a piece of it falling on the idol and damaging it. When the ruler and the others did not know what to do, the Yogatirippadu came forward with a solution. He lay over the idol so as to cover it completely and asked the men to cut the tree. The cutting began and to the wonder of all not a piece of the tree fell anywhere near the idol. The idol was removed with all due rituals and installed in the new place where it has remained till now. Then a beautiful temple was built according to the rules laid down in sastras.
History
The construction of the temple was done at the time of Perumthachan from Parayi petta panthirukulam. It is said that Perumthachan lived during the seventh century; so the Koothambalam may be 1,300 years old. According to Malayalam historian VVK Valath, the temple was pre-Dravidian temple Kavu. Later the temple was influenced by Buddhism, Jainism and Vaishnavism. In the early days, Paramekkavu Bhagavathi was also inside the Vadakkunnathan temple. But Koodalmanikyam Temple, Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple and Ammathiruvadi Temple, Urakam is older than Vadakkunnathan temple, according to temple documents.Yogiatiripppads
The Nambudiri’s who were looking after the temple affairs were called as Yogiatiripppads. When Kerala Nambudiri’s gained the control, the temple also fell in to their hands. The Yogiatiripppads was elected from the Thrissur desam. Before, Sakthan Thampuran's reign, Yogiatiripppad system was declined. Later the Maharaja of Cochin gained the temple power.Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara is believed to have been born to the Shivaguru and Aryamba couple of Kalady in answer to their prayers before Vadakkunnathan, as amsavatara of the Lord. The couple has observed bhajan for 41 days in the temple. Legend has it that Shiva appeared to both husband and wife in their dreams and offered them a choice. They could have either a mediocre son who would live a long life or an extraordinary son who would die early. Both Shivaguru and Aryamba chose the second option. In honour of Shiva, they named the son Sankara According to legend, Adi Shankara attained videha mukti ("freedom from embodiment") in Vadakkunnathan temple. One tradition, expounded by Keraliya Shankaravijaya, places his place of death as Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur. He also established four Mutts at Thrissur, famously known as Naduvil Madhom, Vadakke Matham, Edayil Matham and Tekke Matham.Invasion of Tipu Sultan
During the invasion of Tipu Sultan, the temple was not attacked by Tipu’s Army. Even though Tipu Sultan destroyed many temples in Thrissur district at that time, he never touched Vadakkunnathan Temple because of its godly power.Structure
The temple is situated in an elevated hillock in the centre of city of Thrissur and is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing an area of nearly 9 acres (36,000 m2). Inside this fortification, there are four gopuras each facing north, south, east and west directions. Between the inner temple and the outer walls, there is a spacious compound, the entrance to which is through gopuras. Of these, the gopuras on the south and north are not open to the public and have to enter either through the east or west gopura. The inner temple is separated from the outer temple by a broad circular granite wall enclosing a broad corridor called Chuttambalam. Entrance into the inner temple is through a passage through the corridor.Deity
The statue of Shiva is in the form of a huge lingam and is not visible. It is covered under a mound of ghee, formed by the daily abhishekam (ablution) with ghee over the years. A devotee looking into the sanctum can now see only a 16-foot-high (4.9 m) mound of ghee embellished with thirteen cascading crescents of gold and three serpent hoods at top. According to traditional belief, this represents the snow-clad Mount Kailash, the abode of Parvathy and Shiva. This is the only temple where Lingam is not visible. It is said that the ghee offered here for centuries does not have any foul odor and it does not melt even during summer.Other deities
In the Nalambalam, there is a shrine dedicated to Lord Vettekkaran (Shiva in a hunter form). In the outer temple there are shrines for Krishna (Gosala Krishna or Krishna as cowherd), Nandikeswara, Parasurama, Simhodara, Ayyappan and Adi Shankara. Located on the verandah of the Nalambalam is a large white bullock Nandikeswara or Nandi bull. In the northern side, there is a circular structure with Shiva facing west. The figure of Parvati faces east and is just behind Shiva in the same shrine. These non-facing installations denote Ardhanarishvara concept. The two-storied rectangular shrine of Rama facing west is located in the south. Between these two srikovils stands a third one, circular and double-storied in shape, which is dedicated to Sankaranarayana and facing west. There are "mukhamandapams" in front of all the three central shrines.[12] The two important murals in the temple, Vasukisayana and Nrithanatha, are worshipped regularly. Ganapathi shrine is positioned facing the temple kitchen and offering of Appam (sweetened rice cake fried in ghee) to Mahaganapathy is one of the most important offerings at the temple. Propitiating Ganapathy here is believed to be a path to prosperity and wealth.Architecture
Murals
The temple is famous for the rarity of the temple murals, of which the Vasukishayana and Nrithanatha murals are of great importance and are worshipped daily. The temple also houses a museum of ancient wall paintings, wood carvings and art pieces of ancient times. A study done by Archaeological Survey of India on two paintings in the temple has revealed that it is 350 years old. These two rare paintings were a reclining Shiva and a Nataraja with 20 arms.Koothambalam
The temple theatre, known as Koothambalam, has no parallel to cite anywhere else in the world. The four magnificent gateways called gopurams and the lofty masonry wall around the temple quadrangle are also imposing pieces of craftsmanship and skill. The Koothambalam is used for staging Koothu, Nangyar Koothu and Koodiyattam, an ancient ritualistic art forms of Central Kerala. According to folklores, before the new Koothambalam was built, there used to be an old and dilapidated structure. The Diwan T. Sankunni Menon ordered to demolish the structure and construct a new Koothambalam. He gave this task to Velanezhy Nambudiri, a famous "Thachushasthranjan". He prepared a mental sketch and built a beautiful Koothambalam there. Velanezhy Illom is in chelakkara, Venganellur gramam.Festivals
Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is the main festival which is celebrated in the temple. Cultural and musical programmes are held in the temple premises. Around one lakh temple lamps are lighted in the festival. The idol of Vadakkumnatha is not taken out for procession.Aanayoottu
The Aanayoottu of feeding of elephants, is the secon biggest festival held in the temple. The devotees refer to elephants as Lord Ganesh's incarnation. The festival falls on the first day of the month of Karkkidakam (timed against the Malayalam calendar), which coincides with the month of July. It has been the regular annual practice at the temple for the last 20 years to conduct a large-scale Ashta Dravya Maha Ganapathy Havana and Aanayoottu on the first day of the Karkidakom month of the Malayalam calendar. It involves a number of unadorned elephants being positioned amid a multitude of people for being worshipped and fed. A large number of people throng the temple to feed the elephants. Gajapooja also is conducted once every four years.Thrissur Pooram
One of the most colourful temple festivals of Kerala, Thrissur Pooram is conducted in the temple premises but the temple is not a participant in this festival. There is no special pooja or special offering during the pooram day. The main attraction of the Pooram is the Elanjitharamelam, a two hour Chendavadyam (with five instruments) is held near Koothambalam in the temple, by the top most artists from the state.Names
Shiva here is more popularly known as Vadakkunnathan (Sanskrit Vrishabhachala -Tamil Vidaikunrunathan Vidai - Vrishabha, kunru - chala ). Apart from Lord Shiva, Sree Parvathy, Sree Ganapathi, Lord Sankaranarayana and Sree Rama are enshrined within the nalambalam of the temple. Lord Vettekkaran (Siva in a hunter form) was worshipped inside the nalambalam until 2005, but with a devaprasnam, it was taken back and gave a place at the south-west side of the temple facing east.Temple timings
The temple opens daily at 03:00 AM and closes at 10:30 AM. The temple reopens at 05:00 PM and closes at 8.30 PM after 'Trippuka', the last rite for the day.Transport to Thrissur
Road
Thrissur City is connected to the North-South Corridor National Highway System via the four-laned National Highway 47. The highway traverses through the entire length and breadth of the City from different points and provides access to the nearby cities such of Kochi, Palakkad and Coimbatore. NH 47 provides two main exit points at Mannuthy and Thalore to the Thrissur City. The City is largely dependent on private buses, Taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos) for public transport. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services. Thrissur has three bus stations, the Shaktan Thampuran Private Bus Stand, Thrissur in Sakthan Thampuran Nagar (S.T.Nagar); the Vadakke Stand (Northern Bus Stand) and the Thrissur KSRTC Bus Station near the Thrissur Railway Station. State Highway (SH 69) Thrissur-Kuttippuram Road, SH 22 Kodungallur - Shornur Road, SH 75 Thrissur - Kanjani - Vadanappally Road are the three state highways which connect city with its suburbs and municipalities.Railway
The Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways operates the main rail transport system in Thrissur. There are four railway stations in Thrissur City. Thrissur Railway Station, one of the busiest stations in Kerala provides trains to three directions and lies on the busy Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section. It has a satellite station, Poonkunnam Railway Station and two minor stations, Ollur Railway Station and Mulankunnathukavu Railway Station. Thrissur Railway Station also connects to the temple town of Guruvayur by Thrissur-Guruvayur Section. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Thrissur to Kochi and Palakkad using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services (MEMU), with the first services are expected to begin in late 2010 or early 2011 for which works are underway.Air
Thrissur City is served by Cochin International Airport (Nedumbassery), which is about 55 kilometers away. Direct domestic flights are available to major Indian cities like Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. International flights to Middle East cities like Bahrain, Muscat, Sharjah, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha and to Southeast Asian cities Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are available here. It has a dedicated Heli-taxi service and Chartered flights. Calicut International Airport at Karipur, is 80 kilometers from the city and Coimbatore Airport, which is 114 kilometers from the city also can be used by travelers
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
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