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The Vilwadrinatha
temple at Thiruvilwamala enjoys a unique status in different ways among the
ancient sacred temples of Kerala. Located at Vilwamala, near Lakkidi Railway
Station, beyond the "Eighteen and a half hills", lapped in the luxurious
abundance of the beauty of nature and caressed by the lullabies of the famous
river Nila, this temple captivates the eyes as well as the hearts of all the
visitors. The valuable records, which contained the details of the grandeur of
this temple, were destroyed twice by dreadful flames, when the temple caught
fire. But devotional stories depicting valuable information are available
otherwise.
Temple Structure
This temple is built
at the western most end of the Vilwamala. High granite walls have been erected
in the north, west and south sides of the temple. The pathway inside the
compound wall, which is used by the devotees to circumambulate the deities, has
been completely paved with granite slabs. Long flights of granite steps are seen
at the south, west and north sides of the temple. The granite steps in the north
take us down to the "Bhagavathichira".
On the eastern side an
'Agrasala' is seen stretching out from north to south. This is supposed to have
been constructed by the kings of Palakkad, known as "Edathil Achanmar", using
clay brought from their own place. Even though these kings
were not entitled to enter the temple, they used to erect a temporary shed on
one side of the temple and conduct a feast in connection with the famous
'Ekadesi' celebration, purely as their offering to Vilwadrinatha. The basement
of the "Kizhakke (East) Gopuram" can be seen very close to the "Agrasala". There
is the compound wall in the remaining part. The temple of Hanuman faces the west
and is quite adjacent to the "Kizhakke Gopuram" inside the compound wall. The
storehouse of the temple and a stage for the performance of various
entertainments connected with the temple festivals have been built very close
tothetemple of Hanuman. Inside the compound wall and "Pradakshinavazhi" is the
"ViJakkumadathara" on which nine rows of oil lamps are fitted. On festival days
it is a spectcular sight even from a distance when the temple is illuminated
with all the nine rows of oil lamps lit on all the four sides. A courtyard is
seen all round inside the "Vilakkumadathara". Beyond this courtyard are the
"Chuttambalam" (Buildings around the sanctum sanctorum of the temple). We can go
inside the temple through the "Panjanam" (as it is called), on the eastern side
of the temple. The self built "Balikkallu" is seen here. We reach the
Kizhakkambalam when we pass the "Arathotti" near the Balikkallu. The
"Thidappilly" where rice and other articles for pooja are prepared, and the mess
hall are on its western side. Next to that is the "Padin}arambalam". Here the
building in which the Balikkallu exists is near the western entrance of the
temple just opposite to the western shrine. This entrance has "Vathilmadam" on
the north. Next to that is "Eeduveppu", the "Dark room" and "Vadakke kettu". The
"Chuttambalam" which encloses these structures surround the sanctum sanctorum of
both the shrines. One has to cross the compound wall, Vilakkumadathara and
Chuttambalam in order to reach the sacred inner Qourtyard of the temple. There
are two seperate shrines here, one facing the east and other facing the west.
Both contain the idol of Vishnu with four arms. The eastern shrine accommodates
the idol installed by Parasurama while the western shrine is blessed with the
self-built idol of Vishnu as He appeared before Rishi Amalaka. In the west the
idol is seen under the hoods of serpant Anantha attended by Goddess Lakshmi and
Goddess Earth on either side.
The shrine of Mahaganapathi can be seen facing the east in the southwest corner
of the inner courtyard. The entire grand architecture has been set in a divinely
magnificent background. While the peepul trees in the west seem to be immersed
in chanting
prayer
hymns in a rhythemic style, the peepul tree in the
east
with its roots firm in the rock seems to meditate with the name of Ram on its
lips. Hills with green trees can be seen all around the temple.
The Bharathapuzha clappping her hands at the sound of the roaring trains, the
gentle breeze providing health and longevity and the beautiful green forest
around make the temple and its premises serene, divine and blissful.
Origin
Parasurama went all over India twentyone times killing all the Kshatriyas, and
thereby incurred a lot of sin. He did not know how to get over the sin and
attain Moksha. So Paramasiva blessed his disciple Parasurama by giving him an
idol of Vishnu which he himself was worshipping daily. Parasurama found
Vilwamala the most suitable place to install the idol. He installed the idol at
the western end of Vilwamala over which the eastern shrine of the temple is
built. Parasurama did this for the welfare of all the people in the world. The
"Bhutas and Pretas" (souls of dead people who never attained salvation) of
Bhutamala lying close to the Vilwamala got relieved of their bondage and got
salvation by the sight of this idol. As the glory of this idol spread far and
wide, the Pandavas also came here. They made offerings to their 'Pitrus'
(ancestors) in the presence of Lord
Krishna on the shores
of the river Nila. They installed separate "Sivalingas" at Someswaram and
Kothakkurissimangalam and returned to their place happily.
The present temple at
"Ivormadhom" is the place blessed by Sri Krishna by his presence. It was
Dharmaputra who installed the Sivalinga at Someswara temple. The huge Sivalinga
installed by Bhima alongwith other Sivalingas, which are supposed to have been
installed by his brothers, are still among the thick bushes at
Kothakkurissimangalam in a forgotten state. Eveilthough the "Pindappara", the
rock where the Pandavas made their offerings to their Pitrus, was run over by
the river, the land between Kothakkurissimangalam and Ivormadhom is still called
"Bharathakhandam" and the name Bharathappuzha is yet prevalent for the river
Nila.
Every year thousands
of people from far and near come to Bharathappuzha to offer their oblations to
their Pitrus especially
on the new moon days in the Malayalam month of Karkidakam (June-July) and Thulam
(Oct-Nov).
It is believed that
even Sitadevi after having been banished from Ayodhya due to the scandal, came
to know of the sanctity of the idol of Vishnu at Vilwamala, reached this place
and lived in the spot which is at present known as "Parakkottukavu". During the
same period Amalaka, one of the sons of Rishi Kasyapa was practising severe
penance chanting the name of Rama, eating only gooseberries as his food at
Saraswathi Kundu, below the temple. This penance, which horrified even Devendra
culminated in the appearance of Lord Vishnu, attended
by serpent Anantha in front of Rishi Amalaka. Hearing the trumpets beaten in
high pitch by the Devas heralding the approach of (Vishnu) Sri Rama, Sitadevi
jumped into the lake nearby, which had kept its mouth open, ready to receive her
and disappeared. This lake was known as "Vaikkattirichira" ( "Vai" means mouth,
"Katti" means showing and "Chira" means lake). Even now the "Bhoothaganas" and
"Vanadurga" here are supposed to be continuing their search for Sitadevi.
Most probably this
must be the reason why the famous devi temple Parakkottu kavu and
Vaikkattirichira on the south-west side of this temple came into being. However
at the request of Rishi Amalaka, Lord Vishnu who appeared before him took the
form of the stone image of himself to bless the devotees forever. The presiding
deity in the shrine facing the west came to be known as Srirama from that day
onwards.
The wicked Rakshasas
were afraid of the sanctity of both the idols of Vilwamala. Knowing this,
Kumbhanasa, their leader, waited for an apt time to break down the idols. He
disguised himself as a brahmin and tried to lift the left leg of the idol in the
western shrine on the day of Ekadesi in the month of Kumbha (Feb - Mar) without
being noticed by anybody. This attempt caused a great tremor not only in Kailasa
but also in the whole universe. Then Sri Mahavishnu appeared and shut up all the
rakshasas in a cave nearby. This place is now known as "Rakshasapara". Owing to
this incident Shiva's power also entered this idol, to avoid further attacks
from the rakshasas. Because of the presence of Siva in the western idol lots of
devotees reach the temple to pray to Vilwadrinatha on Mondays,
Pradosha days and the Mahasivaratri day observing the necessary ritualistic
formalities. A special lamp is daily lit for Siva in this shrine and Siva is
worshipped with "Vilwapushpas" at the time of pooja.
Though the rakshasas
could not approach the vicinity of the temple they continued to cause trouble in
many ways and succeeded in setting fire to the temple. It is believed that Sri
Hanuman, the enemy of rakshasas, himself came here and took charge of the
security of the temple after this incident. The idol of Hanuman installed in a
special shrine inside the compound
wall is sufficient proof for this. Sri Hanuman's forefinger is seen pointing
towards Vilwadrinatha indicating his extreme devotion to Sri Rama.
It is worth saying
that no kind of threats either from fire or from anything else has occured ever
since. The number of people who worship Hanuman is increasing day by day. The
main offering is "Vadamala" for achieving the desired ends. The devotees also
offer "Beaten rice" (Avil), garlands made of betel leaves and paper garlands
with names of Srirama written inside. The devotees circumambulate the shrine of
Hanuman several times in the morning and in the evening for different purposes.
Many young ladies do the same for the realisation of their marriage. A number of
devotees go round the shrine counting the distance by foot. Anjaneyaswami
(Hanuman) is all in all for the Tamil Brahmins.
Sri Hanuman is very
much liked by his devotees as he fulfils the needs of his dear ones, he himself
being the most devoted servant of Sri Rama (Vishnu).
The Cave of
punarjani
The cave of punarjani,
near Vilwadrinatha temple, is a wonderful
phenomenon. Its location is towards the east of the temple at a distance of more
than two kilometers.
The three rocky hills
"Bhoothamala", "Vilwamala" and "Moorikkunnu" which stretch out in the east-west
direction on the southern bank of Bharathappuzha are known as "Vilwamala" as a
whole. The "punarjani" cave is in between the Vilwamala and the Bhoothamala. It
is believed that the punarjani cave was built by "Viswakarma" having been
ordered by "Devendra", as per the request of Parasurama for the salvation of
spirits of dead people, who were already purified by the sight of Vilwadrinatha
(the idol in the eastern shrine). Before starting to Punarjani we have to touch
the "Ganapathi theertham" (which never gets dried up) on the northern side of
the mountain about quarter of a mile eastwards from the temple.
Next we can reach a
steep rock about seventy feet high on travelling about one and a half miles over
the mountain. The broad "Papanasini Theertha" is seen if we proceed a little
further in the southwest direction over the narrow projection on the rock. This
was made by Parasurama and the presence of Ganga has been brought in this
Theertha. Railings have been provided here for the devotees to walk easily
without fear of falling down from the narrow projection of the rock. The
. entrance of
Punarjani cave can be seen at a height of about six feet when we reach at the
bottom of the steep rock after purifying our body by a dip in the papnasini
theertha. Entering the cave we can walk a little towards the north bending the
body. Then we have to move in the northwest direction in the sitting posture
inside the cave. The only relief in the darkness is the streaks of light comming
through the crevices of the rock. After that we have to cover some distance
lying flat on the back and moving towards the east in that position touching the
overhanging rock. Covering some distance in utter darkness in which even the
person preceeding or following cannot be seen, a place can be reached where we
have to lie over our belly. The divinity of the cave is based on the path beyond
this. Any person, fat or lean, has to continue his movement upwards with'
another's help (touching the feet of the one who preceeds) through a hole, which
has only a diameter of about one foot, in the absence of breathing air. Then we
have to creep over our belly along a broad slope, which ends in a square place
of sides about twelve inches and then reach the exit. Once we enter the
Punarjani cave it takes about three-quarters of an hour to reach the exit.
The custom is to go to
papanasini again to purify the body and then go to the entrance once again. Next
the devotees have to bathe or wash their hands, feet and face in the "Pathala
Theertha" on the west at a distance of about thirty feet. It is believed that
Parasurama who had brought the presence of the purified water of
"Brahmakamandalu" here made this also. The next step is to take holy water in
our hands from the "Kombutheertha", which was formed when Indra's elephant
Iravatha struck his tusk on the rock. Nearby lies the "Ambutheertha" from which
water has to be taken out using some stick or anything like that. People believe
that one "Janma" or span of life is reduced from the cycle of births and deaths
if we go through the punarjani cave once. The "Punarjani noozhal" (going through
the cave) is done only once in a year on the day of Guruvayoor Ekadasi, which
comes before the full moon day in the malayalam month of Vrischikam (Nov - Dec).
On that day several people take part in this sacred attempt from morning till
evening.
When the temple was
rebuilt in the year ME 1055(Malayalam Era) after the fire accident, an opening
as that of a cave was noticed in front of the western shrine. Eventhough some
people went down the steps and tried to explore the cave the attempt was dropped
because of the unending number of steps and the horrifying darkness inside. The
cave was closed using 'granite slabs leaving a small hole in the stone slab to
identify the spot. The granite slab seen with a small hole near the pathway of
"Padinjarambalam" gives a clue to this. The Vilwampurana says that there is a
'Vilwa tree' in golden yellow colour under the western shrine and the fruits of
this tree can liberate people from recurring births and deaths. Thiruvilwamala
derives its name from this sacred tree. It is also said that the pathway inside
the cave seen near the peepul tree close to the eastern gateway of the temple
had been connected to 'Tirunelli' through an underground passage. The story goes
that when a priest returning through this passage after worshipping
the deity at Tirunelli, the young lady walking in front showing light to the
priest got impure and consequently the underground passage behind was sealed
forever. Even now a part of this underground passage where extreme darkness
prevails is explorable.
The humming sound
heard through the cracked wall of the "Saraswathikundu" and the disappearance of
any small object put through the small hole in the Padinjarambalam evidently
prove the existence of a cave under the temple. Years ago, water for
"Abhishekam" (bathing the deity) in the western shrine used to spring up through
a small hole in front of the idol. It is also seen closed at present due to
unknown reasons. There are a lot of legends about 'Moorikkunnu',
'Thalavettipara', 'Monnuruttikallu', 'Maharshipala', etc. which are only just
mentioned
in this booklet.
Administration
The temple land
extends upto "Kozhisseripadam" in the east, "Ganapathitheertham" in the west,
"Bharathapuzha" in the north and "Kovilakaparambu" in the south. The whole area
formerly belonged to Sri Ayyappa, Lord of the Bhuthas. But Parasuraman has
entrusted the trusteeship of the whole property to the Moosads of five
brahmin families namely,
Vavath, Changanath,
Kandanath, Kizhakkillath and Kandangath. The eldest of the Moosads held the
status of "Parasu-utayavar". Whoever received this status gave up his
relationship with his family and continued to reside in the temple itself. The
Parasu-utayavar and 'Samudaya' appointed by the "Ooraymas"1 and "Karanmas"2 took
up the administration of the temple. The Mahayogam (great conference) including
the Ooraymas and the Karanmas and other representatives of the temple used to be
held twice a year, one on the 'Dwadasi' before the new moon day in the month of
Medam (March-April) and the other on the tenth of Karkitakam (June-July). The
Parasu-utayavar was all powerful and was empowered to inflict any punishment
including death sentence in the temple area. In Kali era 3493 the Cheraman
Perumal gave over the temple land to the Perumpadappuswarupam. It is seen that
the Perumpadappuswarupam enlarged the area of land under the temple and
entrusted the administration to the very same body, that is the 'Great
conference' or 'Mahayoga'.
Eventhough the
Swaroopas of Tarur, Arangode and Nediyirippu had voice in the administration of
the temple, the entire power got vested with the Perumpadappuswaroopam.
Gradually the management of the temple came to be the responsibility of the
Cochin Devaswam Board. At present the Devaswam office functions in the south
west corner of the temple inside the compound wall. Although several changes
have occured to the positions held by the trustees, the claims of Edasseri Mana,
Kunnath Mana, Marutheri Mana and Mundakkal Mana as the main poojaries (priests)
and those of Kuniyil Mana and Elayidath Mana as helping priests stand
established permanently. The 'Tantri' of the temple is Kunnath Bhattathiri of
Peruvanam village, near Thrissur.
It was in ME 1002 that
a covering was made for the idol in the western shrine as a measure of security
consequent to the fire accident. Two 'Kalasams' have been conducted, one in ME
1058 following the reconstruction of the temple and another in ME 1112 after
renewing the metal covering. A 'Dravya kalasa' was also conducted recently. The
Devswam Board, in collaboration
with the temple welfare committee is conducting 'Laksharchana' and 'Ekadesi'
celebrations, every year.
The mode of worship
This temple shines as
a crown to the mount on which it is built and has got its own lakes on all
sides. They are 'Ramanchira' in the west, 'Bhagavatchira' in the north and
'Vaikattirichira' near Parakkottukavu in the south. 'Nairchira' in the east has
already been reduced to the size of a well. When we go to the temple after
taking bath it is custom to touch the first footstep and then touch the head
as a sign of respect.
Long ago a brahmin who
was a resident of Killikurissimangalam used to come to Vilwadrinatha temple to
learn Vedas after praying to Lord Siva in the temple at Killikurissimangalam.
Even now praying in the Vilwadrinatha temple and Killikurissimangalam temple on
the same day is considered most sacred. This may be the reason why this brahmin,
an ardent devotee of Vishnu came to be called as Vilwamangalam Swamiyar. Years
after when this Swamiyar visited the temple, the surroundings seemed to him as
occupied by Serpant Anantha on whom Lord Mahavishnu takes rest. So in order to
avoid walking over this sacred place and touching it with his feet, he crawled
on his belly bending his knees. Wherever his feet touched the ground, he touched
the place and put his hand on his head as a sign of respect to Vishnu. Even now
some devotees do likewise when they enter the temple.
From whichever gateway
we enter the temple, the first thing to be done is to circumambulate the temple
of Hariuman and worship him. With the permission of Sri Anjaneya who himself has
assumed the duty of safeguarding the temple we can enter the eastern shrine
where the idol of Vishnu, which is also supposed to be that of Lakshmana,
exists. Then we go direct to the shrine of Sri Maha Ganapathi. After praying to
Mahaganapathi we proceed to the western shrine where the deity is Lord Vishnu,
under the hoods of serpant Anantha, attended by Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess
Earth on either side, as he appeared before Amalaka Maharshi. Here the deity is
worshipped as Sri Rama also. Then we proceed westwards t,o circumambulate the
huge Balikkallu in padinjarambalam. Again we come to the western shrine. Thus
after praying to both the Vilwadrinathas, we have to come out through the
pathway in front of the eastern shrine itself. While circumambulating the temple
outside, on the south we can see the Bhutanatha known as "Kundil Ayyappa" seated
below several steps down the Vilwamala.
The sight of
Hariharaputra who used to get satisfied with the accounts relating to the daily
expenses of Vilwadrinatha temple, along with Hara (Lord Siva) and Gouri on the
same pedestal will give a hair raising experience to the devotees. The rice for
"Tripputhari" to the Vilwadrinatha temple is ceremoniously taken in a procession
from this temple.
After paying respects
to the Sribhutanatha the devotees climb up the steps of the southern gateway of
the temple to reach back the "Pradakshinavazhi" inside the compound wall. As we
proceed towards the west, the peepul tree in the southwest corner welcomes us
with leaves fluttering in the wind making the whole atmosphere cool and serene.
This peepul tree is supposed to contain the presence of all Gods especially Sri
Guruvayoorappa. So the circumambulation of this peepul tree is considered to be
extremely sacred.
Proceeding further, we
reach the western gateway of the temple. Getting down the steps we can see the
"Saraswathi kundu" on the left side where Rishi Amalaka practised his penance.
Here the devotees write 'Hari Sri', place stones one above the other in odd
numbers and pay homage to Rishi Amalaka. By doing these the devotees become
entitled to three kinds of blessings, that is, bathing in the river Ganges,
witnessing
the Almighty and doing "Giripradakshina". Experienced devotees follow these
customs even now.
Important days of
celebration
The days of
celebration in the Vilwadrinatha temple begin with 'Thripputhari' brought in a
procession through the eastern gateway accompanied by drums, pipes, etc. with
the consent of Hariharaputra (Sri Ayyappa) in the month of Chingam (Aug-Sept),
the first month of the Malayalam Era (ME). The 'Niramala' on the first Thursday
in the month of Kanni (Sept-Oct) captures our hearts with the fragrance of lotus
flowers, high quality of various programmes, and the glamour of decorations and
illumination by oil lamps lit all around the temple on the Vilakkumadathara and
Deepasthambhams. The fact that artists
from different parts of the country reach here oh their own accord, seeking the
blessings of Vilwadrinatha, to begin their year's programme from this temple and
elephants are sent in large numbers for participating in the 'Siveli' procession
of this temple, is a notable feature of 'Niramala'. The continuous chanting of
the name of Rama by devotees who reach here after propitiating their 'Pitrus' in
the river Nila on the new moon day in the month of Thulam gets echoed over the
entire area. The distribution of 'Pancha gavyam' commences on the first of
'Vrischikam' and ends with 'Kalabhabhishekam' and sacred procession of Sri
Vilwadrinatha on the 10th of Dhanu (Dec-Jan). Devotees after devotees reach here
to have darsan of Vilwadrinatha, before crawling through the Punarjani on the
day of Guruvayuoor Ekadasi. The month of Makara (Jan-Feb) being the month of
temple festivals, experts playing various instruments especially drums,
maddalas, etc. get a chance to exhibit their talents far and near.
Thiruvilwamala Ekadesi comes in the dark fortnight of Kumbham, before the new
moon day. The Ekadesi festival begins from Ashtami day. The whole Vilakumadam is
illuminated on that day. The 'Annadanam' or feast conducted on that day with a
minimum of 101 Paras (about 1000 litres) of rice is also very famous. The temple
will be kept open all the 24 hours on the Dasami day. The ritualistic poojas
come to an end by noon on the Ekadasi day. Lots of people far and near are
attracted by the Vilwadrinatha Music Festival, conducted during these days.
It is customary to
have 'Nadaswara' in the evening and 'Tayampaka', 'Keli' and 'Panchvadya' at
night during the festival days. The ritual procession conducted at night on
Ekadasi day after the conventional "Vilakkacharam" lasts till five O'clock in
the morning. It is believed that Vilwadrinatha has given permission
to Kumbhanasa and his companions to move about freely and visit him on this day
because he had touched the feet of the Lord's idol though with the evil
intention of destroying it.
The 'Nangiarkoothu'
(the exposition of puranic stories with suitable actions, jokes, etc. by a lady
of the chakyar family) which begins seven days before Ekadasi is a rare item of
entertainment in this temple. There is a story behind this. Years ago once the 'Chakyarkooth'
was going on in the temple. While enacting the role of Varuna in the Ramayanam
Koothu the Chakyar in his own style made fun of Sri Rama getting ready to build
a bund across the sea. It is said that just at that moment the door of the
eastern shrine of Lakshmana suddenly got
open.
The Chakyar who was horribly frightened ran away from the temple. After running
fast for some time he turned back and made sure that nobody was following him.
Thereupon he took off his crown and other items of makeup. This place came to be
known as 'Mudiyazhichapara' ever since.
After this incident it is the Nangiar who performs this entertainment in the
place of Chakiar.
The
pooja at night on the Ekadasi day is supposed to be done by Devas and Devis. So
the convention is to keep open a small portion of the temporary shed near the
shrine. Anyhow it is a fact that unusual crowd is seen here on this particular
day.
In
the month of Meenam (March-April) 'Sudhikalasam' and 'Sribhuthabali' are
conducted in the presence of the Tantri. Besides this 'Sriramanavami' is also
celebrated here in this month. The 'Vishukkani' (1 st Medam) is also important
in this temple.
After
the fire accident, the pooja at noon used to be delayed very often since
offerings for worship flowed to the temple. Once some women devotees from
Vallapuzha did not get anything to offer. They reached the temple late after the
pooja at noon with cucumber cultivated by them. Then the closed shrine was
specially opened for them and Abhishekam conducted again. Even now the
Vishukkani is got ready with cucumber brought as offering to Viswanatha.
The
'Vaisakha' days (April-May) and the new moon days of Edavam and Karkidakam, and
'Thirunira' are other days of importance.
Every
year 'Bhagavatha sapthaha' is conducted here. 'Narayaneeya dinam' and 'Geetha
dinam' are also observed in this temple. Several people participate in reading
"Sreemannarayaneeyam'
and 'Srimat Bhagavad Geetha' on these days. Besides this some devotees read 'Adhyatma
Ramayanam' as their offering to Vilwadrinatha not only in the month of Karkidaka
but throughout the year.
Formerly this temple
had a yearly income of more than one lakh paras of paddy, and a very high
standard was maintained in all its performances. As years pass by the ceremonies
and festivals of the temple get diminished both in quality and quantity.
Daily worship
The dawn of
Vilwadrinatha begins exactly at four O'clock hearing the sound of the blowing of
conch. First of all, the flower garlands, etc. used on the previous day are
removed. Then 'Sankhabhisheka' is done followed by 'Malar nivedyam'. Nivedyam
and pudding with ghee are usually offered for worship in the morning. After 'Siveli'
and 'Navakam', comes 'Pantheeradi pooja' between morning and noon. Rice cooked
without jaggery is offered at this time.The custom is to have Nivedyam and
pudding with milk for the pooja at noon. 'Siveli' follows this.
The temple is reopened
at 5 p.m. in the evening. The 'Deeparadhana' at sunset with blowing of the conch
is a very attractive ceremony. The 'Sandhyavela' after deeparadhana is usually
accompanied by various instruments like drums, pipes, etc. When sandhyavela is
over, 'Athazhapooja' (Pooja of the night time) begins. The offerings include 'Appam',
'Nivedyam' and pudding. The day ends with Siveli and 'Trippuka'. Even though all
the poojas are common for both the deities, the begining is always from the
eastern shrine as in the case of deeparadhana. If any death occurs in the 'Malavattam'
(the area surrounding the temple), the siveli in the temple is delayed until the
body is removed. This denotes the unbreakable relationship between the temple
and the surrounding area.
Offerings
Smearing the idols
with sandal paste is an important mode of worship common to all the deities. All
the idols fully covered with sandal paste and decorated with ornaments alongwith
the bright glow of oil lamps create a divine halo all over the shrine. Besides
this, 'Appam' to Ganapathi, 'Vadamala' and 'Avil' to Hanuman and 'Ad a' to
Ayyappan are the most important offerings. It is a common mode of worship to
light the oil lamps inside the temple with ghee. In addition to this, strange
gifts as bow and arrow, cradles, etc. are also offered by devotees.
Giripradakshinam
The· devotees in olden
days used to consider the 'Giripradakshinam' as a form of worship to get
relieved of all their ailments and worries. But the present generation is quite
unfamiliar with this practice.
Though the location of
the temple stands divided in three sections as Bhutamala, Vilwamala and
Moorikkunnu, it is collectively known as Vilwamala.
Among these the
Bhutamala was particularly set apart by Parasurama as the abode of Bhutas and
Pretas. The famous Punarjani cave lies at the western end of Bhutamala. The
Moorikkunnu lying towards the west of Vilwamala is supposed to be the playground
of 'Nandikeswara'. This confirms the belief that 'Sivasakthi' is also present in
the idol in the western shrine. One has to travel a distance of about 16 kms.
for circumambulating the suburbs of the temple as a whole. The first
Giripradakshinam was done in March 1976 when the 'Laksharchana' was conducted.
Nowadays Giripradakshinam is done on special occasions. The set of devotees for
Giripradakshinam assembles in the temple atfive O'clock in the morning. Together
they circumambulate the temple praying to the Lord and get down the steps of the
western gateway and proceed chanting the Lord's name along the Kakkakund road
near Moorikkunnu which later joins the main road. They move along the road going
through Pampady, Kollaikal, Naduvathapara, Malesamangalam and Chunkam and at
last reach Kakkakund road again. Then they climb the steps of the western
entrance to the temple and the Giripradakshinam comes to an end with the
circumambulation of the temple. It takes about five hours to complete this and
anybody without any discrimination of class, colour or creed can take part in
this. Even Adi Sankara has described the Giripradakshinam as a mode of worship,
which gives happiness and peace of mind to anybody, who is after longevity,
health and prosperity.
The calm and sacred
form of Vilwadrinatha keeping aloof from the pomp and show of the outside world
removes the impurities of mind, elevating it to a higher level of peace and
bliss.
Some peculiarities
regarding this temple
The water used inside
temple is taken from the 'Thirthakulam' specially set apart for the purpose. It
exists in the north-east corner just outside the east compound wall. If it gets
impure, water has to be brought from Bharathapuzha with the retinue of drums,
pipes and other musical instruments.
The huge peepul tree
near the eastern gateway of the temple growing on the rock, where there is no
soil at all, is really a wonderful sight. The roots of this tree are seen even
inside the temple among the crevices in the rocks.
It is
worth mentioning that the 'Naranarayan tapas', 'Aroodham work' and the wooden
chain seen in this temple bear witness to the wonderful specimens of wooden
carvings. It is only in this temple that the 'Arathothi', 'Panjanam' and 'Nadappura'
of the eastern shrine and 'Balikkallu' and 'Padinjarambalam' of the western
shrine are seen together at a glance. There is no flagstaff in this temple. The
'Bali' is offered on the 'Balikkallu', which came up without any human effort
under the Panjana in front of the eastern shrine. It is really surprising that
the rays of the rising sun fall directly on the idol in the eastern shrine, and
the rays of the setting sun fall directly on the idol of the western shrine on
8th, 9th and 10th of Kanni and Meenam. Though both the shrines are built
seperately with enough space in between, the craftsmanship is so wonderful that
anybody visiting the temple feels that there is only one shrine in which one
idol faces the east and the other faces the west. As far as the idols are
concerned people consider them both as idols of Vishnu, yet they are worshipped
as Sri Rama and Lakshmana in the west and east shrines respectively. But
importance is seen for the assumption that it is Vilwadrinatha to whom the
prayer is offered in both the shrines. Some of the legends Kolakkattiri
Namboodiri was very rich but had no progeny. One day Vilwadrinathas of both the
shrines went to him as guests in the guise of brahmin boys. When drinking water
was given to them, they said, "Konden, Kolakkattiri", which means "Received,
Kolakkattiri" and disappeared. The Namboodiri realised that Vilwdrinatha had
taken away all their property. Naturally he was very much worried. Then his wife
persuaded him to go to the temple and have 'Sankha theertha' saying, 'Veenden,
Vilwadrinatha",
meaning that I have taken back my properties. But when Kolakkatiri Namboodiri
reached the temple the watchmen did not allow him to enter the temple. From that
day onwards the custom of giving 'Sankha theertha' was stopped forever. After
this incident the ladies of Namboodiri families never used to go inside the
temple till recent years.
The holy places where
the presence of Vilwadrinatha was felt are known as 'Koottalas'. There are
several folklores about the Koottalas. Vilwadrinathas are said to have appeared
before an old woman at Vallikkottu Padippura (one of the Koottalas) and promised
to help her. They were very much satisfied with the milkand fruits given by her.
Laterthe Thiruvilwamala Devaswam undertook all the assets of that woman and
looked after her until her death and carried out the customary rituals after her
death. Even today, light is lit, conch is blown and special pooja is done in
that house.
Once upon a time a
poor brahmin of Mangalathumana was very much worried since he did not have
enough money to conduct the marriage of his daughter. It was then that the king
of Cochin had come to worship Vilwadrinatha. It dawned upon the brahmin that his
property was to be donated to the temple in the presence of the king. He did
accordingly. The king gave all possible help to the brahmin and saved him from
all his worries and anxieties. The place so donated by the brahmin in the name
of Malayditya mangalam is now known as Malesamangalam.
Years ago people
belonging to the lower castes were not allowed to go inside the temple. They
could have darsan of Vilwadrinatha only from outside the temple. At that time
the 'Balikkallu' in front of the eastern shrine was as high as the 'Balikkallu'
in front of the western shrine. So it was not easy for them to see the idol. In
order to save the devotees from this difficulty that 'Balikkallu' went down
automatically and another one rose up under the Panjanam. The western side of
the 'D~pasthambham' in front of the eastern shrine where the balikkallu lowered
down itself is still considered to be sacred. There was a time when the temple
was rendered extremely beautiful with towers on the east and west, which were
fully decorated with Puranic pictures. In these days the 'Parasuutayavar'
and some of the priests used to spend the night time in the western and eastern
towers respectively. It is said that these two towers were knocked down by
thunderstroke when the truth came to the limelight that the lamps lit in the
towers of this temple could be seen from the base of the peepul tree in front of
the temple at Thirunavaya. The rebuilding of these towers was not admissible as
per findings of astrology, con sequentlythe
bases of these broken towers are kept as such even now.
A nair woman who was
in the habit of praying daily in the temple from early childhood used to speak a
lot considering Vilwadrinatha as her husband. Others used to neglect this,
saying that they were words of a mad woman. Once it so happened that she saw a
'Tali' (an ornament) in the neck of the idol of Vilwadrinatha. The ornament was
given as an offering by a devotee. The woman got terribly angry and said that it
was something to be worn by ladies like her. The next day the priest was
astonished to see that the Tali had disappeared fror)1 the idol and the same
appeared on the neck of the lady. Everybody was wonderstruck. From that day
onwards articles given as offerings to the deities were being sold in public
auction and the amount credited to the funds of the temple.
Further information
received from the devotees
-
Vilwadrinatha is mostly pleased with Archana done at his holy feet. So only
the bare essentials required for the daily routine are taken inside. When
subjected to astrological
consultations, Laksharchana was not permitted in an open place in the premises
of the temple where everybody might witness the function. So it is conducted at
the lotus feet of the important deities inside the sacred shrines.
-
It is well known
that the power of the "Swayambhoo Vigraha" in the western shrine pervades the
entire area, Malavattam. When the temple was renovated after the fire accident,
the power of the deity was being reinvoked by 'Mantras'. The Tantri was a newly
appointed priest. He could not do the 'Avahanakarma' successfully though he
tried again and again. The tendency for urination came to him again and again
and he came out several times very much worried. An old servant who had come
with him enquired what the matter was. He reminded the Tantri that the old
priest used to say that the whole Malavattam was to be taken as a unit while
doing the Avahanakarma. His counsel was accepted and the work was completed
quite satisfactorily.
-
On the Ekadesi day,
people belonging to all kinds of creeds come here in large crowds. They include
excited young men and women as if possessed by spirits, those who massage their
body with flaming torches, those who circumambulate the deities on nailed shoes,
those who worship the Lord by beating 'Udukku' (a small kind of drum), and those
who distribute crushed and rolled plantain fruits, chanting 'Govinda, Govinda'.
Nobody creates any obstacle to any one for any of these. It is said that the
display of all these denotes the joy in having been given a chance for all. It
also reminds us of the 'Burning of Lanka' by Sri Hanuman.
-
During the days
of 'Mappila mutiny' (an agitation by the Mappilas of Malabar) a combined
shouting was arranged here to protect the temple. All the employees of the
temple who were staying there at night used to shout "Kavalkare", " Srambikkare"
and" Ittiare" at ten O'clock at night from the north-east and south-east corners
inside the compound wall of the temple. Some others used to shout back answer
ing the call. This sound echoed in all the. places at Thiruvilwamala including
Pampady and Chunkam.
-
Sri
Vilwadrinatha has been of help and protection to all who worship him with faith
and devotion. It was in recent times that a devotee who was observing vow to go
to Sabarimala reached the temple with his wife. He was praying with hands folded
in front of the Swayambhoo shrine. The door was opened for Deeparadhana, and as
soon as he had darsan of the Lord, he fell down and joined the almighty. Death
without any difficulty occurred to old people like Narayana Poduval who was
always in the vicinity of the temple chanting Ram nam. Mr.Krishna POduval who
was an employee
in the temple from his very childhood is another example.
-
The sudden and easy
death of Sri. Venketeswaran Master who used to plant peepul trees in the
premises of the temple and spend a lot of time in falling prostrate before
Vilwadrinatha praying, is a surprise to one and all.
-
The Attakatha of
Kharavadham is not played in this temple even now. Once, when Kharavadham was
being played, the person who was enacting the role of Khara spoke beyond his
limit ridiculing Srirama and others. Vilwadrinatha got angry and killed him. The
s~ord with which the actor was beheaded was washed in a tank near Ganapathi
Theertha in the valley of Vi/wamala. It is known as "ValkazhukiyaKulam"( the
tank in which the sword was washed) and the water still remains red in colour.
-
When Tippu Sultan
attacked the temples in this area he looted the "Mannurkunnu" temple at
Malesamangalam. After that while proceeding towards this temple he reached a
banyan tree very close to the 'Mudiyazhichapara'. There was a huge army ready to
face any attack, seeing which he turned back and ran away. That banyan tree is
not there now. But the name "Tampuran tirinha aal" (the banyan tree which
checked the progress of Tipu and made him turn back) still exists.
-
The following facts
and stories are seen narrated in the famous Sanskrit work 'Vilwadri Mahatmyam'
or the Glory of Vilwamala, which is in the form of a conversation between Uma
(Devi Parvathi) and Maheswara (Bhagavan Siva).
-
The temple of
Vilwadrinatha is the most important of all the 'Beejakshetras'. The 'Atma'
(soul) passing through births and deaths according to 'Vasanas" or instincts
finds it very difficult to take birth as a human being. To be born as human
being and that too in India (Bharath) especially near Bharathappuzha is a rare
privilege.
-
The goal of Indian
culture is to lead the living beings to the path of Salvation or Moksha. It'is
believed that worship in temples can play an important role in attaining this
goal.
-
The tom pie of
Vilwadrinatha is the foremost among such temples. This temple is accepted as the
most important of all the Beejakshetras because the old men of knowledge knew
that Vilwadrinatha, after nurturing these instincts of people assigns them
proper circumstances to work them out and finally attain 'Moksha'.
-
The forest around this
place were inhabited by 'Kaattalas' (foresters) in ancient days. Once a Gandharva
named Vichitra Veerya was grazing here in the form of a deer due to the curse of
a Rishi. He could regain his original form only when he happened to fall and die
in the premises of this temple struck by an arrow shot by a Kattala. It so
happened that one of the Kattalas shot the deer and he died. Then the Gandharva
appeared in his original form and blessed him. Because of this blessing,
a
daughter was born to
him who finally turned out to be Sabari. The girl hated the ways of her tribe.
She moved freely among the devotees in the temple premises and in course of time
took birth as the famous 'Sabari' mentioned in Ramayana.
-
Lord Vilwadrinatha
shows very much interest in promoting the welfare of the people who worship him,
without caring for anything else.
-
If any death occurs in
Malavattam, the Siveli in the temple is suspended until the body is removed. In
addition to all these, people resort to the extraordinary practice of crawling
through the cave Punarjani, near the temple, to get rid of the fear of rebirth.
It is believed that a large spacious cave exists underneath
the temple. The story goes that there is a golden Vilwam tree in the cave and
those who eat the golden fruits of this tree will be able to attain a body of
golden colour and lead a high spiritual life without the fear of any more births
and deaths.
This area was under a
prominent hunter named Sahyapala. Since the whole area was surrounded by thick
forest and vigilant guard had been arranged, it was difficult to reach this
place and find out the temple. After a long period of enquiry Sidhachara came to
know that Sahyapala was seriously ill and disputes were on the way in search of
his successor. Somehow he got friendly with Nisasoora, one of the faithful
followers of Sahyapala, and made him believe that he had the spiritual power to
save Sahyapala and bring him back to life even if he was dead. Sidhachara
managed to bring him to a solitary cave and arranged a suitable place for his
deep meditation. Strict sentry arrangements were made to avoid others'
interference. When Sahyapala died, Sidhachara who knew the technique of
'Parakayapravesa' (spiritually entering the body of another person), kept his
own body in a safe place inside the cave and entered the body of Sahyapala. He
then came out ofbve as Sahyapala recovered from his illness and took charge of
administration
of the forest area. (It is for the researchers to find out whether the cave
mentioned above is same Punarjani cave). Sidhachara in the guise of Sahyapala
announced that the Guru who brought him back to life was in deep meditation and
sentries were alerted not to have any sort of disturbance there in any way. At
times he entered his own body and moved about as sage Sidhachara. At last he found out
the temple. He drove away all the hunters within a short period of his
administration. It is believed that Sidhachara is still in good health and
practicing penance at Sidhachalam. Bhadrasarma who came to know of the glory of
this place from Sidhachara, reached Vilwadri and tasted the fruit of the golden
vilwam. The story of Rishi
Amalaka who came here hearing about the importance of this region is well known.
It is said that the rakshasas who tried to disturb Amalaka in many ways were
cursed to take the shape of rocks and this is how the Rakshasapara near the
temple came into existence. The 'Swayambhoo' idol
in the western shrine is that of Sri Mahavishnu (as He appeared before Rishi
Amalaka) turned into a stone image according to the request of the Rishi to
bless the devotees for ever. The Vishnu vigraha in
the eastern shrine was installed by Parasurama who received it from his Guru
Paramasiva. Bhuthanatha
&
Durgadevi who had
accompanied Parasurama at that time settled down nearby below the temple. Sri
Bhuthanatha controls the affairs of the temple while Durgadevi attends to the
protection of the area. The day set aside for
them to visit Vilwadrinatha without disturbing the premises is now celebrated as
'Parakkottukavu Vela'. Usually on this day Sri Durgadevi starts with the
Bhutaganas in a procession, from the temporary shed built for 'Paana' (a
religious ceremony) near Bhuthanatha or Kundil Ayyappa, and sits near
'Vaikaattirichira' and blesses all the living beings on that day.
This temple with
the sanctity of ancient heritage and extremely pure and beautiful scenery,
combined with skilful craftsmanship
will shine forever
as an ornament on
the forehead of Kerala.
For the
visitors:
-
The rays of the
sun reaching the eastern shrine in the morning.
-
Bhootamala,
Vilwamala and Moorikkunnu.
-
The peepul tree
in the east and the cave underneath.
-
The place where
'Bali' is offered under the Panjanam.
-
Idols inside the
temple namely Lakshmanaswami, Ganapathi and Sri Rama.
-
Sri Hanuman.
-
Bhutanatha (Sri
Ayyappa) with Siva and Parvathi on either side,
on the same pedestal.
-
Saraswathikundu.
-
The closed door on
the wall near the southern gateway .
-
The flights of
granite steps on three sides especially to the Bhagavathichira in the north.
-
The small tank
from which water is taken for use inside the temple .
-
Punarjani and
the Thirthas.
-
The wooden
chain, aaroodham work and the carvings on the wall showing Nara Narayana Tapas.
-
The stone
carvings near the door of the dining hall.
-
The sunset when
the sun is about to leave the horizon after worshipping Vilwadrinatha of the
western shrine.
May Sri
Vilwadrinatha continue to shower his blessings on all.
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