Vadakkumnathan Temple

Kerala, Trichur, Thiruvananthapuram

Situated at Thrissur, Kerala, Vadakkunnathan Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is said that this is the first temple built by Lord Parasurama. The famous Thrissur Pooram is conducted in the temple premises; however, the temple is not a participant in this festival.

Legend

This is the first Shiva temple created by Lord Parasurama. Legends say that Parasurama, after exterminating Kshatriyas, performed yajna to expatiate the sin. At the end of the yajna he created Kerala by hurling his axe to the sea. He then went to Mount Kailasa to get his guru Lord Shiva to consecrate the land. Shiva came along with his wife Parvathy and sons Ganesha and Subrahmanya. It is said that the place where Siva rested became the temple. The idol was spotted by Parasurama under a huge banyan tree. Kings of Kochi later moved the idol from there and built the temple.

Architecture

The temple is situated in an elevated hillock in the centre of Thrissur City and is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing an area of nearly 9 acres (36,000 m2). Inside this fortification, there are four gopuras facing four cardinal directions. Between the inner temple and the outer walls, there is a spacious compound, the entrance to which is through gopuras. Of these, the gopuras on the south and north are not open to the public. The public enter either through the east or west gopura. The inner temple is separated from the outer temple by a broad circular granite wall enclosing a broad corridor called Chuttambalam. Entrance into the inner temple is through a passage through the corridor.

Picture courtesy :- Preetha Hari

Darsan Info

The idol of Lord Shiva inside the Sanctum Sanctorum is not visible, as it is covered under 3-5-meter-high and 5-7-meter-wide mount of ghee, formed by daily abisheka (ablution) with ghee over centuries. In spite of high temperature, ghee does not melt, and neither is there any sign of damage or insects. The ghee heap is collection is preserved as good as new even after centuries. It is believed that Lord Siva (Kiratha) had a head injury during his fight with Arjuna and Lord Dhanwanthara Moorthy (Lord of Ayurveda) prescribed ghee ablution.

Darsan Dresscode

Male devotees are expected to wear Kerala Mundu, which is also known as Veshti or Dhothi and are not supposed to wear shirt while inside the temple. But there is no dress code for women, as they can wear any traditional dress like Saree, Churidar, Salwar Kameez or Skirt. Women should wear dupattas.

Culture

Thrissur is the cultural capital of Kerala and is a cultural and intellectual hub of Kerala. It holds a special position in the cultural tourism map due to the different art forms. The culture of Thrissur can be understood from the tradition customs of this place. Thrissur represents the cultural heritage and the traditional legacy of the whole state of Kerala. It balances the traditional culture holding the modern values.

Thrissur is the center of Malayalam literature, dance, music, sculpture etc. There are many literary and cultural societies in Thrissur namely Kerala Sahitya Academy, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, Kerala Lalithakala Academy, Kerala Kalamandalam etc that imparts training in several art forms. The Kerala Sahitya Academy conducts seminars and talks based on the art and culture of Kerala. All these societies aim at the development and promotion of the art and culture which includes dance forms, music, literature, sculpture, painting etc.

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Temple Rituals

Traditionally, the devotees follow a special order for praying in the inner and outer sanctums of the temple. The order of worshipping in outer sanctorum is Sreemoolasthanam, Goshalakrishnan, Nandikeshwara, Parashurama, Simhodara, Kashivishwanatha- to be viewed from the altar placed a little to the north of Simhodara, Sambhukumbham, Pray to Chidambaranadha at the small platform at the south-east corner, Pray to Sethunadha of Rameshwaram looking Eastwards, From the south gopura pray to Kodungallur Bhagavathi, From the platform ath the south- west corner look south and pray to Sangameshwara of Koodalmanikyam, From the same platform pray to Oorakathamma Thiruvadi, Look at the domes/thazhikakkudam of Vadakkunnadhan, Shankaranarayanan and Sri Rama and pray, The one comes upon a flat granite slab called Vyasashila on a platform on which one must write 'Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namah', Ayyappa or Shastha, Samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya marked by a Shankha and Chakra, Adi Shankara, Vrishabha, Vasukishayanam painting (which is also known as Phanivarashayana and is one of the rarest murals in which Lord Shiva is depicted resembling Lord Vishnu's Ananthashayana form) and finally, Nruthanadha painting.

Special Rituals

The Pooram Festival is celebrated by two rival groups representing the two divisions of Thrissur Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi vying with each other in making the display of fireworks grander and more colourful. Each group is allowed to display a maximum of fifteen elephants and all efforts are made by each party to secure the best elephants in South India and the most artistic parasols, several kinds of which are raised on the elephants during the display. Before concluding day pooram, the deities ascending through southern gopuram will travel up to the statue of erstwhile Maharaja of Cochin in front of the Corporation office. There was a custom a team of merchants from market will receive the deities from the swaraj round and will lead to the market. This

Additional Info

Ming Palace Swaraj Round S, Veliyannur, Thrissur, Kerala 680001 Hotel Sapphire Sapphire Complex, Railway Station Road, Thrissur, Kerala 680001 Phone:0487 242 3627 Ambady Restaurant Near CMS Higher Secondary School, Round West, Naduvilal, Thrissur, Kerala 680001 Phone:098477 55531