Thuravoor Mahakshethram

Kerala, Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram

Of the two temples here, it is believed that the one dedicated to Sudarsanamoorthy was the first to come into existence. Though there is no record of its origin, the temple is estimated to be over 1300 years old. There are scholars who hold that the circular-shaped Sreekovil belongs to the Thretha Yuga; according to others, its origin dates back to the Dwapara Yuga. Some palmleaf texts on the temple do exist; but nobody has yet been able to understand or decipher them.

As for the Narasimhamoorthy temple, records do show that it came into being sometime in the 7th century AD, during the reign of a Chera king named Keralendran. His guru was the great Muringottu Adigal, a well-known Tulu Brahmin priest and scholar. The idol of Sree Narasimhamoorthy is said to have originated in the holy city of Kashi (Varanasi). Swami Padmapadar (8th century AD), the principal disciple of Adi Sankaracharya, had worshipped the very same idol at Kashi.

Legend

During his pilgrimage to Varanasi, a Namboothiri priest from Angamally had a supernatural vision. He saw a brilliant beam of light descending towards the earth and travelling in a southwesterly direction. The priest followed the beam closely. At a pre-ordained point in a village called 'Poothanilam' in central Kerala, the light hit the earth and disappeared into the ground. The priest dug the earth at this spot and saw an extraordinarily beautiful idol of Mahavishnu in Anjanakallu (a rare kind of black stone) buried underneath. While the idol was being salvaged, the heavens opened up and blessed the event with a shower of fireworks which lit up the sky and shook the earth with a thunderous sound. This Vishnu idol was later to become famous as Sree Narasimhamoorthy.

The priest enshrined the idol in a Sreekovil of its own near the sanctum of Sudarsanamoorthy. It is said that the idol occupies a site, which was originally the abode of Goddess Bhagavathy. The Bhagavathy idol was relocated at a place a little towards the west, as per Hindu ideology. Reinforcing this belief is the fact that the multi-tiered bronze lamp in front of the Narasimhamoorthy temple bears the image of a lion - the carrier of Goddess Bhagavathy. The place came to be also called 'Surapuri' - probably because of the presence of an entire galaxy of gods and goddesses.

Architecture

Distinctive in its architectural and artistic grandeur, Thuravoor Mahakshethram is one of the most venerated places of worship in Kerala. It has got twin Sreekovils (Sanctom Sanctoroms) - one square and the other circular shaped- in a single Nalambalam, two gold-plated flagmasts and a majestically tall Anapandhal (elephant rostrum - the largest in Kerala). There are scholars who hold that the circular-shaped Sreekovil of Sudarsanamoorthy shrine belongs to the Thretha Yuga; according to others, its origin dates back to the Dwapara Yuga.

Darsan Info

The temple is open from 3 AM to 11 AM and from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

Great seers and saints such as Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Sringeri - Sree Bharathi Theertha Swamigal, Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Kanchi - Sree Jayendra Saraswathy, Sankaracharya of Puri - Sree Adhokshajananda Swamigal, Uduppi Pejavar Math head - Sree Visweswara Theertha Swamigal and the Jiyar of Ahobilamath - Sree Sadagopa Narayana Yatheendra Swamigal - have all visited and experienced the spiritual and devotional grandeur of this Devasthanam at Thuravoor Mahakshethram

Darsan Dresscode

Thuravoor Mahakshethram dress code is to wear simple, neat, freshly washed clothes. Do not enter the temple wearing shirt, vest or lungi, or with soiled, unwashed clothes, or in a physically impure condition.

Famous Festival

October - The 9-day Utsavam

November - Valiya Vilakku

Culture

Geographically, the Thuravoor Mahakshethram site belongs to the formerly Princely State of Cochin. However, it subsequently came under the purview of Travancore State for certain political reasons. But this transition was subject to an important proviso: If a Travancore king were ever to set foot on the Mahakshethra soil, the temple would be immediately restored to Cochin. Therefore, for a long time, no Travancore king visited the temple. In 1951, with the merger of Travancore and Cochin and coronation of Sree Chithira Thirunal, the Maharaja visited the temple - the first time for a Travancore king to do so. He walked to the temple over a carpet to avoid stepping directly on the ground.

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Temple Rituals

Enter the Thuravoor Mahakshethram through the pathway on the darshan side (east). After completing your pradakshinas, namaskarams and prayers, exit the chuttambalam using the northern pathway. It is sinful to exit the temple through the darshan side passage (on the eastern side). During their worship, women should keep their hair firmly tied. It is not decorous to obtain darshan or do pradakshinas with their hair undone or in disarray. Women need not do sashtanganamaskaram (prostration with the full body flat on the ground - the way men are expected to do). They may pray with their knees bent under them, and head bowed in humility. During salutations, devotees should keep their head raised and turned to the north or south towards the crest of the sreekovil and the carrier atop the flag mast. After completing worship, devotees are supposed to sit down calmly and quietly for a few minutes on the raised platform around the gopuram or the banyan tree.

Special Rituals

Daily routine/rituals at Thuravoor Mahakshethram like puja, kazhagam are entrusted to some designated families. Even now also puja has to be carried out by five vaishnava Tulu Brahmin families, say Adukathaya (Adukkam), Kubanuraya (Konoor), Padakannaya (Parakode), Khajanaya (Kasha)and Nalluraya/Kadamannaya (Nallur) of Kasargode District of Kerala.