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Saturday, April 28, 2018

Chotanikkara temple



 Chotanikkara Temple
Chotanikara  Bhagavathy temple is one of the famous Devi temples of central kerala situated around 30 km from Ernakulam city .
Its just around 10 km drive from where my house   .
A temple with several legends and a very popular one too .
During Sabarimala season as this forms part of pilgrim circuit it is very crowded .

Bhagavathi or Devi is supposed to be in three forms here one in resplendent white dress as a fount of learning and creatitvity blessing devotees with intelligence the  Godess Saraswathi in the mornings .

As crimson adorned Mahalakshmi the Godess of wealth at noon ,and
 blue attired Sree Durga the Godess of power in the evening .

The temple is an example of ancient temple architecture of Vishwakarma .

It was once admidst dense forests when it was built with several tales to its origin .

One talks of a tribal devoted to the Godess who used to sacrifice an young calf as his offering every day but  he loses his beloved daughter as a punishment for the sin of seperating calves from thier mother cows and regrets his actions ,while searching for his daughters corpse in the forest he comes across two divine stones one is Vishnu and other Devi .
Kanappan the tribal prays to the stones every day to forgive his sins .later after his death for years they lie in the forest forgotten till a grasscutter  attempts to sharpen his knives they bleed so later a temple is built there which is Chitanikara temple .
Another story talks of Adi Sankara who in his travels pleads to mother Godess in Chamundi hills to come to kerala as there was no temple to the Godess there .
The supreme mother tells she would follow  him but he should not be tempted to look back to see if she is following him .
Adi sankara agrees walks all way from Mooghambika in kodajadri hills  listening to silver anklet of Godess tinkling .
At one time not hearing sound he sneaks a look back and Godess says since he broke promise she would stay there in Moogambika .
Adi sankara pleads with her to reconsider her decision ,impressed by his sincere devotion the mother tells him that she would be in kerala at dawn in white and would return back to mookambika by noon
Thats why chotanikara temple opens at early dawn a bit earlier than mookambika .

The temple on a small hillock has a gradual  descent into a kali or fierce form of Godess Durga in the Keezkaavu which was supposed to have been built later when swami vilvamangalam found the idol in the temple pond .
The keezkaavu is associated with cure of mental illnesses and many devotees who believe in this stay here for days to pray as penance .
The trees inside have strands of thier hair nailed on them as a belief that thier sickness is nailed to tree .
Faith and belief may have strong placebo effects these are medically proven too .
One of the most famous days here is the magam thozhal when the Godess is given a ritualistic bath in temple pond later taken in seven caprisoned elephants into poora parambhu with Sastha as escort where she stays till 11 am .
At 2 pm she is dressed in her best with jewelery ,arms ,sanghu  puspham  ,and gives a befitting visual spectactle blessing those able to see her form into eternal bliss .










Friday, April 27, 2018

Thrissur pooram

Thrissur pooram
Raja R ama varma thampuran or famously known Shaktan thampuran wouldnt have dreamed his revenge would decimate his avengers.
Iam talking of the Thrissur pooram in Kerala
Thrissur the cultural capital of Gods own country is a quaint town of temples ,lovers of elephants ,pageantery ,abd the rhythm of drums .
Way back the temples of Thrissur sent thier teams to Aaratupuzha festival to participate as what then was the most famous temple festival in Kerala .

Once the Thrissur delegates reached late and were derogatively dismissed from participation by the authorities with thier pleas ignored.

A furious Rama varma created Thrissur pooram in 1798 as an answer and today Thrissur pooram is the king of all temple festivals in kerala ..
Shaktan thampuran divided the temples of Thrissur into two groups of five temples each headed by paramekkaavu Bhagavathy temple and Thiruvambady Vishnu temple .
The two groups of  temples  would have a healthy competition under the benign gaze of lord Shiva in Vadakunathan temple in the  vast Thekinkaadu maidan or yesteryear teak  forested grounds but today occupying the center of Thrissur like central park of New York with the Swaraj round going arounf its hillocked eminience .
The festival starts with flag hoisting in day seven
On day 4 there is a fireworks preview called sample vedikettu running for an hour .
This would show what is planned for the D day of pooram on its morrow at 3 am .

The festival would begin with the slow progress of individual processions from each temple at dawn to reach the maidan .
Kaniamangalam sastha temple would start the day .
The ten temples would reach vadakunnadan temple by forenoon to huge crowds waiting in the scorching sun go into temple after maadathil varavu  to pay obeisance to lord Siva come out to arraign themselves in two groups in the ground .

There are two important percussion competitions that take place in maadathil varavu where the tradtional drum ensemble unique to kerala show thier prowess .
The ilanjithara orchestration is a more subtle highly valued show of connouiussuer rhythm professionals who show thier skills under the shade of ilanji tree inside Vadakunathan temple led by doyens in the two teams .
The slow cadence of beats in orchestred symphony tuned in the mathematics of pulsating rhythm rise to a  crescendo of musical sounds and later fall gently into a strummer of beats and then to rise in its frenzy all in the measured tones of developed  art much enjoyed by hordes of its fans who would die to listen to this annual spectacle unsurpassed .

The artistes who lead the orchestras of panchavadyam pandimelam etc like peruvanam kuttan marar and kizakootu Aniyan marar are greatly respected artistes with huge fan followings and much feted for thier skills .
They lead more than 200 artistes on different types of drums ,cymbals,wind instruments etc who create a genre of music never ever heard elsewhere .

Now starts the greatest spectacle in kerala
A total of 50 elephants on both sides stand facing each other and accompanied to the beats of the drums start thier competition show of elephant acourments magnificient kudamattoms or umbrella shows venchaamaroms ,or fluffy fans made of yak wool ,aalavatoms or peacock feather fans nettpattoms or elephant forehead decorations .
Every change alternatively by the two groups are cheered by thier supportersabd the frenzied but disciplined crowds go into joy and esctacy as they absorb the sight to be discussed on its merits for an year till te next pooram .
The creations are exhibited from day four of festival in two venues for oeople to get  a patient view to judge .
The firework display at dawn would last more than an hour its deafening sounds heard for large distances it brilliant colourful pyrotechnics unrivalled and again as a healthy competition of the two groups of Thiruvambady and paramekkaavu .
The fireworks would bring the curtain half closed as a happy tired crowd of locals retire for  a short rest to come back the next day for the pagal pooram or day festival on its end they bid farewell to friends and families who would have come from far and wide to be part of the annual spectacle lasting a week .
Thrissur pooram is really something different from any temple festival in india and today is symbolic of kerala itself .
Its participation is beyond religion or caste and is a great example of true secularism existing among its people
By traditon the christian and muslim sections of Thrissur have important roles in the festival and they are all part of the inspired crowds in Thekkinkaadumaidan on pooram day .
There are other dance events like pulikalli etc that follows as part of Thrissur pooram .




Monday, April 16, 2018

Vishu

When u see the vishukkani, pl keep the following symbolism in mind. It is the day on which sun enters in to the first segment of the Zodiac circle,which is called  Medam raashi in Malayalam.This is the transit period of a season in Kerala. The auspicious day to commence agriculture and farming. Similarly after vishukani, have a feesh mind, fresh thought, fresh investment with the coin you receive as vishukainettam from your father. Do you remember, that the very  first coin of wealth u received from your father which is the first capital investment in your life.The wealth you earned till date is the multiple of your first vishukainettan filled the love and blessings of your father. Pithrudevo Bhava....
Watch the symbols of  each item  in the vishukani, as under:-

1. Idol of krishna....Godliness of the mind.

2. Mirror....your own reflection i.e. jeevatma
3. otturuli...The round universe
4, Rice....Good thoughts
5. Other cereals....earnings and Progress in life.
6. Fruits...Good results
7. Konnaflowers...The ormament of God
8. Cucumber..The fresh and clean mind
9. Gold.....Aiswaryalakshmi
10. White cloth...Symbol of white dressed Devi..
11. Coins....Dhanalaxmi
12. Book...Knowledge
13. Broken coconuts....Devotion with concentration
14.betel leaves...Mangalam & Guru dakshina
15. Kunkuman & kanmashi.. Mangalyam
16. Nilavilakku...The glowing life  in Your soul
17. Water.. the basis of living things on the earth.

Watch the Vishukani.. Not just see it. Happy vishu to all.
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