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Kerala
wakes up to some festival or the other every day of the year and
Keralites are addicted to the festivals. In short ‘ Keralisation’
of the festivals of different communities is the unique feature of
Kerala life.
Chottanikkara Temple Tour
Chottanikkara temple, located near Ernakulam enshrines Bhagawati -
the mother Goddess, is one of the most popular deities in Kerala.
On way is the Poornatrayesa temple at Tripunittura. The goddess is
worshipped along with Lord Vishnu. People who have mental illness
seek refuge in the divine mother, who graciously cures all her
devotees. Goddess Rajarajeswari is the presiding deity.
This deity is worshipped in three different forms - as Saraswati
in the morning - draped in white, as Bhadrakali at noon draped in
crimson, and as Durga in the evening decked in blue. The image in
the shrine is not fixed to the ground and is mounted on loose
sand. Water offered during ablution ceremonies percolates
underground.
Guruvayoor, where the famous Sri Krishna Temple is situated, is
one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centers of kerala.
The walls of the sanctum sanctorum are inlaid with exquisite mural
paintings and carvings.
In Kerala, this is probably the only temple that hosts the maximum
number of marriages and rice feeding ceremonies (the ritual first
meal for infants). It was also the hub of the 'Guruvayoor
Sathyagraha' , a historic movement demanding temple entry rights
for the 'so called' lower castes.
The historic temple is shrouded in mystery. According to local
belief, the temple was created by 'Guru', the 'preceptor of the
gods' and 'Vayu', the 'god of winds'. The eastern 'nada' is the
main entrance to the shrine.
In the 'Chuttambalam' (outer enclosure) is a 33.5-m tall
gold-plated 'Dwajastambham' (flagpost). There is also a 7 m high 'Deepastambham'
(pillar of lamps), whose thirteen circular receptacles provide a
truly brilliant spectacle, when lit.
The square 'Sreekovil' is the sacred sanctum sanctorum of the
temple, housing the main deity. Within the temple, there are also
the images of Ganapathy, Sri Ayyappa and Edathedathy Kavil
Bhagavathy. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple.
Punnathoorkotta, which is at a distance of 2 kms. from Guruvayoor
is home of 50 temple elephants, offers unusual spectacles of the
gentle pachyderm.
This
holy shrine, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa is a renowned pilgrim
centre atop the rugged hills of the Western Ghats. The sanctum
sanctorum nestles 914 m above sea level, amidst the virgin forest
wilderness of the Western Ghats.
The main pilgrimage is undertaken between November and January.
Regardless of caste, creed, colour, they wear black dhotis and
carry on their heads, bundles containing traditional offerings
like coconut filled with ghee, camphor and rice.
The Sabarimala Temple festival is celebrated in honour of Lord
Ayyapan who is revered by all in India. There are two main pujas
called the Mandal Puja and the Makara Sankranti Puja, which are
celebrated
from November to Middle of January in Kerala, during which time
the devotees perform austerities and
penance.
Vadakkumnathan Temple Tour
This
temple is in the park, right in the center of the city. It is one
of the largest temples in Kerala and has excellent carved
woodwork. On the walls there are excellent murals of the
Mahabharata and of Lord Vishnu reclining on Ananta.
It has three main shrines. One is dedicated to Vadakkunnathan
(Lord Siva) and another to Sankara Narayana (Vishnu). South of
these two shrines is a shrine dedicated to Lord Rama.
Vadakkunnathan (Ten-Kailasanath) is a Maha-linga that is covered
with offerings of hundreds-of-years-old ghee (clarified butter).
The linga cannot be seen because the traditional abhisheka
(bathing) with cow ghee over centuries has formed a 3m (10 ft)
mound around the linga. This covering even makes it difficult for
the priest to walk around the inner sanctum. The shrine dedicated
to Sankara Narayana has beautiful
paintings of the Mahabharata. There is also a Deity of Krishna in
the temple and a Ganesh deity between
the two northern altars.
The famous kuttambalam, or theater hall, is on the left of the
entrance. Non-Hindus are not permitted in the temple except during
the Pooram festival, when the restrictions are lifted. Open 4 to
10:30 am and 4 to 8:30 pm
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