Thursday 31 January 2013

Sree Raaghavapuram Raamatemple Cheruthaazham Kannur

Sree Raaghavapuram Raamatemple 
(Hanumaarambalam)
Cheruthaazham Kannur 

Route 10 kms south of Payyannur via Aantaam-kovval (Buses are available from Kannur Bus stand) 

Brief history  The idol of this temple is believed to have been consecrated by Lord Parashuraama and later it  came into the hands of Kolaththiris.During the period of Kolaththiris ,the temple was donated to Thulu brahmins brought from Gokarnam for conducting hiranya-garbham(a ritual for transforming one as kshathriya)as the Perinchelloor graamakkars refused to do it for Kolaththiris.

This temple was also subjected to the attack of Tippu Sulththan and the brahmins fled to Thiruvalla taluk in Pathtanamthitta district There was a great fire in the temple in October 1950 and all the structures excluding the sreekovil were destroyed.With the earnest efforts of the devotees the sreekovil was renovated and and other structures rebuilt.


The sankalpa of the prathishta is tht of Sree Raama pattaabhishekam Lord Raama,Lord Lakshmana and Goddess Sita are the idols within the sreekovil All are in the standing pose (pancha-loha idols)The shrine of Lord Hanumaan at the north east of the chuttambalam faces east .The granite idol of Lord Hanumaan has the right arm in raised posture with club in hand while the left hand rests at the hip.
Sree Paarvath

There are two sub shrines(in the natapanthal) one for Lord Siva at north-cast facing west and the other for Goddess Bhagavathiat north-west facing east.The idol of Goddess Bhagavathi made of sila with 4 hanarms having conch and disc in two hands and the other two in abhaya and varada pose The Siva idol is sila-linga form.
Siva
The temple is kept open all days from 4 am to 1 pm and from 5 to 8 pm.Three poojas are held. 

Offerings Aval-nivedyam is the most popular one and done for protection from mishaps due to fire wind and water.
(Gopuram)
Festivals The annual festival is held for 8 days from 21st Makaram to 28th Makaram During the festival days ,thitambu nruththam is held in which 4 thitambus are taken in procesion on four caprisoned elephants.
Raamaayana mandapam
The Prathishta day is also observed on 25th Makaram

The thantri belongs to Karumaaraththu illam The mel-saanthi also hails from Namboothiris.
Phots taken on 26th January
Pranaalam

Thursday 24 January 2013

Kalari Koodali thaazhaththu veet

Kalari Koodali thaazhaththu veet

Route:- 14 kms from Kannur In the Kannur- 

Mattannur/Irritty road( Koodali Post office )stop. 
From here 400 meeters in the Appakkatavu road



Kalasham marked the happy ending of the Theyyam festival of the year 
(30th January 2012)
Kaaranavar's residence
Koodali Thaazhaththu Veet is one of the few THARAVAATS IN NORTH MALABAAR THAT
 OBSERVES 'MARUMAKKATHTHAAYAM'


Pooja  daily 30 minutes Bhramana pooja and
Deepaaraadhana in the evening(at 6.30 pm)
Offering coconut oil for the use in the Kalari   
Thekkan Kriyaaththan
Uchitta theyyam  
Legend-Associated with the story of Satheedevi who went to Dakshayaaga without the prior permission of her Lord Siva and who had to face the consequences
Kandaakarnan theyyam dance with 16 panthams is one of the the attractions of koodali thaazhaththu veet theyyam    


Kalari 

Theyyam Festival  14th and 15th Makaram(27th&28thJanuary) 
Subshrine of Chaamundi
subshrine of Khandaakarna

Other important days Dhanu 10th,Thulaam 10th,Puththari in Chingam,Kalasham on every first Friday of Malayaalam month

 It was Sri Raman nambiar son of Smt Kunjaathi who founded Thaazhaththu veet Kalari .He was awarded with Gurukkalachan sthaan and Kalliyaatt Itava in A.D 1675
\
Kuttichaaththan




Built in 1869 by the then kaaranavar as a guest house 



Tuesday 22 January 2013

PUTAYOOR ILLAM Malayaraattu Talipparamba

PUTAYOOR ILLAM Malayaraattu Talipparamba
(19-1-2013)
Route:- 1.5 kms from Talipparamba chiravakku stop 
uchitta bhagavathi  
Brief History 
One  time both Sree Raajaraajeswara temple and Payyannoor Subramanya swami temple had one common thantri.In cource of time one of the then thantris found it difficult to attend to the rites of both the temples. So one day he invoked the Chaithanya of Sree Raajaraajeswara  into a conch and covered it with a putava(cloth) and tried to take it to Payyannoor. One pious Namboothiri noticed some un usual chaithanya in the face of the priest and became suspicious of his behaviour. Realising that his mischief had been noticed the thantri took back the conch to the shrine. By this act, the priest of the Tharananelloor lost the thantram of the templeand the namboothiri who found out the act was entrusted with the thantram of the temple.Since the mode of action was unveiling the cloth(putava oori) the illam of the namboothiri became pootayoori and in cource of time Putayoor.
illam on malayaraattu days

Bhairavan
karuvaal bhagavathi

Monday 14 January 2013

Sree Mahaavishnu temple Pattaannoor

Sree Mahaavishnu temple Pattaannoor
Route 27 kms north-east of Kannur. via chaalode -Naayaattupaara( on Irrikkoor road).one km From Naayaattupaara to Koovoor .
Brief history The inscription on the granite stone at the door of the garbha-graham which has been decephered by Dr. M.G.S Narayanan mentions the handling over the temple and properties for administration by the then king Udaya varman to a group of Vaishnavite saints and Alwars ,who must have worshipped the Lord at the period.
The inscriptions at the door of the garbhagrihawere retained at the time of renovation

It is reported that in ancient times there  were 10 uooraalars who were deeply involved in conducting temple rites ,recital and vedic and puranic texts,religious discourses etc.The Temple had also to face the ravages  of time.Fire gutted out down the structures of the temple other than the garbha-graham.In cource of time ooraalars quarelled with each other and except one family all others lost interest in the affairs of the temple.For some time the temple was closed Soon misfortune befell on the families of the locality and they searched for the reason .A committee of local citizens was formed by the name Mahaavishnu kshethra samrakshana samithi and was registered under the act with the aim of renovation of the temple.
The details of the temple was furnished by sri K.T. Harischandran nambiar

Festivals The Prathishta day is 1st vrischikam 
Annual festival January 12,13,14 this year  
Time of worship The temple is kept open on all days from 5.45 am 8.30 am in the morning and from 5.45 pm -7.30 pm in the evening 
Offerings pushpaanjali,neyi-paayasam and paal-paayasam are popular

Thursday 3 January 2013

Maataayikkaavu




Maataayikkaavu
Route:- 21 kms north of Kannur. via Pazhayangaati-Eripuram junction on Payyannur road .(One km from here)



Datable to very ancient period.It is said that once the fierce goddess Bhadrakaali ofSree Raajaraajeswara temple,believed to have been installed by Parashuraama ,manifested herself in the oracle of the temple and demanded a separate abode for her.It is also stipulated by the oracle that where ever the blazing fire-wood (viraku)he would now fling would fall would be Her abode and it would be the site of new temple dedicated to Her.It traversed a distance of 12 kms and fell on the hillock,called Maataayikkunnu.Here the idol was installed.Since the location was identified by using a blazing fire-wood the temple was named Thiruviraku-kattiya-kaavu (temple shown by sacred fire-wood)which was shortened to Thiruvirakaattby usage

    History             The temple,from ancient times,was the family deity of Kola-swaroopam.When two princes of Chirakkal family were adopted in 1305 A.D and established separate swaroopam in Aattingal,the princesses who were greately devoted to the Goddess of Maataayi took with them two ulsava vigrahamsas directed by the Goddess in dream They installed the idols within two years During the reign of Maarththandavarma,the estate of Attingal was absorbed by himThe royal family used to give the temple a Veeraalippattu for adorning the Deity during PoorolsavamOf late this offering has been discontinued .

It is believed that the Goddess gave darsan to Maatan Ezhuththacchan before he consecrated the idols in the Sree Muththappan temple

The concept of the Goddess Bhadrakaali here is of rurujiththavidhaanam.Toddy and meat are offered to the deity of Maataayi every day at the time of Aththyaazha-pooja by the priest called Pitaaraars. at 8.30 pm.T It is believed that Devas offer pooja every day at night to the Goddess.The next day morning a saanthikkaran (other than the priest who kept the nivedya on the previous day) enters the temple,takes out the sword (Nandakam)of the Goddess and keeps it at the north-west corner of the namaskaaramandapam.Then the prasadam (the nivedyam kept on the previous day)is taken out.Devotees are allowed to worship only after this.The sword is kept back in the shrine only just before the Aththaazha-pooja.
Order of worship enter through the eastern nata and following circumbulatory path first worship Lord shaastha,then kshethrapaalan,then Lord Siva,then Maathrusaala,and finally Goddess Bhadrakaali  
               
 Once the temple owened 900 acres of forests and 600 acres of un cultivable land but now left with only the un cultivable rocky land.The temple complex has an extent of 70 cents on which exist sreekovils, namaskaaramandapam, subshrines, chuttambalam valiyabalikkall kalasappura,temple well and tank.
Timings 4.30 am- 12noon and  5.00-7.30 pm daily In the months of Knni,Thulam,Vruschikam,Makaram and Meenam the temple will be kept open from 2 am  on Tuesdays and Fridays.

OFFERINGS  ValiyaIrrattipooja,Irrattipooja,Akapooja,
Kalasham,Rakthapushpaanjali,Niramaala