Koodalmanickham Temple
Is in Irinjalakuda in Kerala
It had always fascinated me by its antiquity its architecture and landscaping .
Every time I used to come down on leave to indiaI plan to go there but somehow it never worked out .
Finally for this years monsoon period the famous habit of the naalambhalam visit or going to 4 temples of Rama.Bharata.Lakshmana and Shatrugna in one morining made me realise it .
After completing Thriprayaar on the flowing periyar which appeared elegant in the drizzling rain our next stop was to be Koodalmanickam temple .
Irinjalakuda is 22km from Thriprayar both in Thrissur dt .18km west of Chalakudy 9km from Moonupeedika 23km from Thrissur and 16 km from Kodungaloor .
Connected by good roads .
We sped on the black wet roads through moonu peedika when we turned left to Irinjalakuda
The fields were all full of water as the monsoon was in full form .
The rains were heavy this year and most of kerala was wet and green and dripping but a most pleasant sight indeed .
So was the Koodalmanickam temple a huge one with four large ponds one inside rest outside .
The outer wall led to a huge football ground like interior with an emerald green lawn on one corner one could see the black coperplated roof of the famous koothambhalam with its pyramidal shape .
These places are used for temple dances like the ancient koodiyaatam nangiar koothu,chakiar koothu,otaam thulal,kathakali etc .
The earliest historical record of the temple is in 854 AD where its mentioned of Sthanu Ravi varman the Chera king donating huge tracts of land to the temple .
In fact most land in Irinjalakuda belonged to the temple and its rightful caretakers were the family of the Thachudaya kaimal the titular head by right .
Unfortunately by a strange quirk of unfair exploitation in our secular country the Government in form of dewaswoms have usurped all rights of most temples in kerala and with its political appointees who have no piety are swindling its coffers leaving them as shells of thier former glory .
If temples had to face religiously bigoted invaders in past it has to bear the pillage of political rats today .
Koodalmanickam is one of the rare temples dedicated to Bharatha brother of Sree Rama who feeling very sad that his noble brother was ordered to spend 12 years in the forest by his father Dasaratha under pressure from his mother kaikeyi .
He is upset at its unfairness and though made the king by his father goes to forest meets Rama and says he would rule till Rama returns as his servant and carries back Ramas footwear which he symbolically keeps on throne telling his subjects its still Rama who will rule you .
This temple is to this great soul Bharata .
The idol though is of Sangameswara or Vishnu said to represent Bharatha .
Its countenance is happy .
Another story tells of a namboodhiri who used to collect the divinity and powers of many idols from many temples in his conch came to koodalmanickam temple but his conch fell broke transferring all its saved powers to its idol .
Once upon a time two rivers joined in confluence in irinjalakuda and sangameswara is lord of confluence .
The temple does not have usual 5 pujas but only 3
Theres no deepararadhana or evening lamp pooja .
Sivelis or ceremonial parading of idol on capraisoned elephants are only during annual festivals .
At that time one difference from other temples is baby elephants are also used .
The temple offerings are also different .
Lotus garlands made of minimum 101 lotus flowers are offered .
Brinjal or vazhudineenga is offered as nivedhiya which is not seen anywhere else and the offering is said to cure all skin diseases .
The offering post harvest or mukidi is very famous and waited for by devotees .
Of the four ponds 3 outside kuttan kullam is largest with kulipeeni theertham the pond inside temple used for puja purposes .
The other two ponds are padinjare and thekke kulams or west and east ponds respectively .
Long back in this forested area lot of Rishis or sanyasis did an yagna and in its end the pleased lord appeaerd to them asking what they needed.
The rishis asked for presence of God there .
Years later vakkayil kaimal o resident had a dreamthat 4 idols had washed in the coast .
They were found and said to be of Rama ,bharata,lakshmana and Shatrugna and idols were installed in Thriprayar,koodalmanickam for Bharata ,moozhikulam laksmanaswami temple ,and payammal shatrugna temple .
Every year during monsoon month of karkidakam its the habit of devotees to visit all the four temples in one stretch otherwise called nalambhala darshan .
There is a story behind the name koodal manickam .
One day there was a very bright efflugence emanating from idol and the Kayamkulam Rajas quartz or manikyam was brought to compare brightness,suddenly the precious stone slipped from the bearer and got attracted to and stuck to the idols manickyam
Koodal is merging in malayalam .
Koodalmanikam temple is well known for its artistic marvels .
The koothambalam with its black pyramid roof of copper plates is an example of the taste and skills of temple builders in kerala .
Today the temple its fine buildings its abundant mural arts are study matireal for architecture students .
The koothambalam over the ages has hosted several celebrities in it like the legendary Ammanur chakiyar family .
Unnai warrier an ardent devotee of Sangameswar composed Nalacharitram and a poem Sree Rama pancha sthithi an abridged version of Ramayana
Is in Irinjalakuda in Kerala
It had always fascinated me by its antiquity its architecture and landscaping .
Every time I used to come down on leave to indiaI plan to go there but somehow it never worked out .
Finally for this years monsoon period the famous habit of the naalambhalam visit or going to 4 temples of Rama.Bharata.Lakshmana and Shatrugna in one morining made me realise it .
After completing Thriprayaar on the flowing periyar which appeared elegant in the drizzling rain our next stop was to be Koodalmanickam temple .
Irinjalakuda is 22km from Thriprayar both in Thrissur dt .18km west of Chalakudy 9km from Moonupeedika 23km from Thrissur and 16 km from Kodungaloor .
Connected by good roads .
We sped on the black wet roads through moonu peedika when we turned left to Irinjalakuda
The fields were all full of water as the monsoon was in full form .
The rains were heavy this year and most of kerala was wet and green and dripping but a most pleasant sight indeed .
So was the Koodalmanickam temple a huge one with four large ponds one inside rest outside .
The outer wall led to a huge football ground like interior with an emerald green lawn on one corner one could see the black coperplated roof of the famous koothambhalam with its pyramidal shape .
These places are used for temple dances like the ancient koodiyaatam nangiar koothu,chakiar koothu,otaam thulal,kathakali etc .
The earliest historical record of the temple is in 854 AD where its mentioned of Sthanu Ravi varman the Chera king donating huge tracts of land to the temple .
In fact most land in Irinjalakuda belonged to the temple and its rightful caretakers were the family of the Thachudaya kaimal the titular head by right .
Unfortunately by a strange quirk of unfair exploitation in our secular country the Government in form of dewaswoms have usurped all rights of most temples in kerala and with its political appointees who have no piety are swindling its coffers leaving them as shells of thier former glory .
If temples had to face religiously bigoted invaders in past it has to bear the pillage of political rats today .
Koodalmanickam is one of the rare temples dedicated to Bharatha brother of Sree Rama who feeling very sad that his noble brother was ordered to spend 12 years in the forest by his father Dasaratha under pressure from his mother kaikeyi .
He is upset at its unfairness and though made the king by his father goes to forest meets Rama and says he would rule till Rama returns as his servant and carries back Ramas footwear which he symbolically keeps on throne telling his subjects its still Rama who will rule you .
This temple is to this great soul Bharata .
The idol though is of Sangameswara or Vishnu said to represent Bharatha .
Its countenance is happy .
Another story tells of a namboodhiri who used to collect the divinity and powers of many idols from many temples in his conch came to koodalmanickam temple but his conch fell broke transferring all its saved powers to its idol .
Once upon a time two rivers joined in confluence in irinjalakuda and sangameswara is lord of confluence .
The temple does not have usual 5 pujas but only 3
Theres no deepararadhana or evening lamp pooja .
Sivelis or ceremonial parading of idol on capraisoned elephants are only during annual festivals .
At that time one difference from other temples is baby elephants are also used .
The temple offerings are also different .
Lotus garlands made of minimum 101 lotus flowers are offered .
Brinjal or vazhudineenga is offered as nivedhiya which is not seen anywhere else and the offering is said to cure all skin diseases .
The offering post harvest or mukidi is very famous and waited for by devotees .
Of the four ponds 3 outside kuttan kullam is largest with kulipeeni theertham the pond inside temple used for puja purposes .
The other two ponds are padinjare and thekke kulams or west and east ponds respectively .
Long back in this forested area lot of Rishis or sanyasis did an yagna and in its end the pleased lord appeaerd to them asking what they needed.
The rishis asked for presence of God there .
Years later vakkayil kaimal o resident had a dreamthat 4 idols had washed in the coast .
They were found and said to be of Rama ,bharata,lakshmana and Shatrugna and idols were installed in Thriprayar,koodalmanickam for Bharata ,moozhikulam laksmanaswami temple ,and payammal shatrugna temple .
Every year during monsoon month of karkidakam its the habit of devotees to visit all the four temples in one stretch otherwise called nalambhala darshan .
There is a story behind the name koodal manickam .
One day there was a very bright efflugence emanating from idol and the Kayamkulam Rajas quartz or manikyam was brought to compare brightness,suddenly the precious stone slipped from the bearer and got attracted to and stuck to the idols manickyam
Koodal is merging in malayalam .
Koodalmanikam temple is well known for its artistic marvels .
The koothambalam with its black pyramid roof of copper plates is an example of the taste and skills of temple builders in kerala .
Today the temple its fine buildings its abundant mural arts are study matireal for architecture students .
The koothambalam over the ages has hosted several celebrities in it like the legendary Ammanur chakiyar family .
Unnai warrier an ardent devotee of Sangameswar composed Nalacharitram and a poem Sree Rama pancha sthithi an abridged version of Ramayana
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