Respected sir,
I watched two videos about the temple. Then only I read the sites giving the
details. I furnished the information I could read and provided.
Mr Rajaram is confused between Bhandaram and Pandaram. Natural with him who do
not read and understand Malayalam. Blaming me and finding fault with me is the
only thinking with Mr Rajaram. Only Ochira Parabrahmam can save him from the
disease affected.
Gopalakrishnan
On Friday, 24 January 2025 at 04:23:05 pm IST, Narayanaswamy Iyer
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear folks
Cheap attempt at upmanship ending with the usual unworthy totally undeserved
verbal abuse of Sri Gopalakrishnan, author of the original article, exhibiting
once again in public the critic's disease of raging bipolar syndrome whereby he
screams, screeches and shouts in block capitals his seeming uncontrollable lust
(kaamam) for his constant boot-licker YM Sarma alias Yaddanapudi Markandeyulu
alias Markie alias Mar and his equally uncontrollable anger (krodham) towards
Sri Gopalakrishnan.
S Narayanaswamy Iyer
On Fri, Jan 24, 2025 at 4:18 PM Rajaram Krishnamurthy <[email protected]>
wrote:
OCHIRA TEMPLEAND PANDARAM PRIESTS
According to localfolklore, the temple was founded by Parashurama, an avatar of
Lord Vishnu, whois believed to have created Kerala by throwing his axe into the
Arabian Sea. It is said that the placewhere his axe landed became Oachira, and
he consecrated the land as a place ofworship for Parabrahmam. The temple has
been mentioned in ancient textslike the Sangam literature, which highlights
itsimportance in the cultural and religious landscape of Kerala. Oachira
Templeholds great historical and religious significance due to its association
withthe concept of Parabrahmam, which represents the ultimate reality or cosmic
consciousnessin Hindu philosophy. The temple’s open-air design reflects the
idea ofuniversality and inclusivity,welcoming people from all walks of life
without any discrimination. Thesacred tank at the center of the temple is
believed to have healing properties,and devotees often take a dip in its waters
as part of their spiritualpractice. The temple also has a strong connection to
the practice of animal sacrifice,which was prevalent in ancient times but has
now been replaced by symbolic rituals using plantain leavesand coconut. The
lack of a formalstructure in Oachira Temple is symbolic of its philosophy of
universality andoneness. It represents the idea that the divine can be found
everywhere and notconfined to a specific physical space. The open-air design
also allows for adirect connection with nature, creating a tranquil and
meditative atmospherefor visitors. The simplicity of the architecture
highlights the focus onspiritual practices and rituals rather than elaborate
ornamentation. Thetemple’s unique design has made it a subject of interest for
architects andscholars studying religious architecture in India.
OachiraTemple is known for its distinct religious practices and rituals that
set it apart from other Hindu temples. The temple does not have traditional
idol worship or dailypoojas like most other temples in India. Instead, it
focuses on abstractforms of worship that emphasize meditation, introspection,
andself-realization.
Devotees are encouraged to contemplate on the conceptof Parabrahmam, the
universal consciousness, and seek spiritual enlightenmentthrough inner
reflection. One of the unique rituals at Oachira Temple is theoffering of
“Bali,” which involves placing plantain leaves and coconuts on thesacred ground
as a symbolic sacrifice. This ritual is performed by devotees toseek blessings
from the divine and express gratitude for their well-being.
Anotherimportant practice at the temple is the performance of “Kalamezhuthu,”
atraditional art form where intricate patterns are drawn on the temple
floorusing natural powders.These patterns represent various deities and cosmic
symbols and are believed toinvoke spiritual energy during religious ceremonies.
Thetemple also hosts regular cultural events and performances that
showcasetraditional music, dance, and martial arts.
These events are anintegral part of the temple’s religious practices as they
are consideredofferings to the divine and are meant to invoke spiritual harmony
among theparticipants. Overall, the religious practices and rituals at Oachira
Templereflect its emphasis on inner spirituality and universal consciousness.
Oachira Temple isrenowned for its vibrant festivals and events that attract
thousands ofdevotees and tourists every year. The most significant festival at
the templeis the Oachira Kali, which is celebratedannually during the Malayalam
month of Midhunam(June-July). The festival features colorful processions,
traditionalmartial arts performances, cultural programs, and religious rituals
that createa festive atmosphere in the town of Oachira.
The highlight of thefestival is the mock fight known as “Kali,” where groups of
men dressed intraditional attire engage in mock combat as an offering to the
deity. Anotherimportant event at Oachira Temple is the “PanthranduVilakku,”
which translates to “twelve lamps.” This event takes placeduring the Malayalam
month of Vrischikam (November-December) and involveslighting twelve lamps
around the sacred tank as a symbol of prosperity andwell-being. The festival
also includes cultural performances, music concerts,and traditional art
exhibitions that showcase the rich cultural heritage ofKerala.
Apart from these majorfestivals, Oachira Temple also hosts smaller events
throughout the year,including religious processions, spiritual discourses, and
communitygatherings. These events play a crucial role in fostering a sense of
unity andharmony among people from diverse backgrounds who come together to
celebratetheir shared cultural traditions.
Oachira is a center of reverence sincethe Chera Dynasty. The rituals and
traditions here offers insights intoKerala’s culture and heritage. This place
is located in Kerala’s Kollamdistrict. This place is dedicated to parabrahma,
This site is famous for itsPadanilam, a footprint believed to symbolize
Parabramha’s presence. This placeallures visitors from all paths of life to
find peace and calmness. Visitorshere can engage in many other activities like
boat rides, nature watching. Soif you are ever travelling to Kerala, Oachira
should definitely be on youritinerary.
The Ochira SreeParabrahma Temple, located in Ochira near Kayamkulam, is
completely differentfrom other Hindu temples in Kerala. The temple, known
as"Dakshinakashi", is unique in that there is no shrine or worshiphere. The
Vetalamkunnu Parabrahma Temple is said to be the original site ofthis temple.
As soon as he saw Namboothiri, Parabrahman in the form of abuffalo ran and
jumped into a hole. That hole became "Pothinchira".Later, it became Ochira. The
name Ochira came from the sound of Parabrahman"Omkaram". . AWesterner named
Kanter Visher wrote in 1700 AD It is recorded that Ochirakaliwas also there
when he came to Ochira in the beginning of the 19th century.Warriors used to
fight in two camps. It is also seen in history that they wouldtake the
blessings of a Nambiyathiri beforestarting the battle.
History When Veluthampi Dalava built theAnandavalleswaram temple
in Kollam, he wanted to build a temple in Ochira too.However, due to the
conflict between the gods, it became clear that the godsdid not like the
construction of the temple. The two altars, which are the mainplaces of worship
seen today, were built by Veluthampi Dalava. It is believedthat the spirit of
Parabrahma resides in these banyan tree altars. Anotherreason why the name
Parabrahmam is meaningful is that even before the templeentry ceremony, all
Hindus had equal freedom of worship here. Non-Hindus arealso allowed to enter
anywhere outside the altar. People of different castesand religions have been
worshipping here since ancient times. Ochirakkali andOchirakkalas are the
specialties of this place. Another feature is that soil isoffered as prasad.
'Kanjippakarcha' for the poor, sick and beggars is the mainvow. Ochirakkali in
the month of Mithuna and the festival of twelve lamps in themonth of Vrischikam
are important.
Karakoodal The twelve-day Vrischika festivalbegins with the
Karakoodal procession. The procession of the northern banks ofthe temple starts
from Ashan's corner and the southern banks from theMuthukattukara Devi temple.
Musical instruments and folk dances accompany theprocession. Karakoodal evokes
the historical memory of the battle and thebattle that took place in Nuranat.
History says that when the war dragged on,the Karanaths of Nuranat, who wanted
peace, came to Pazhur Mana and invitedThampuran as a mediator and ended the
battle. In memory of Pazhur Thampuran,every year a hut is built on the eastern
side of Kerala for Vrischikachirappu,his sword and pedestal are worshipped, and
a kerala lamp is lit. The Chira onthe north side of the temple is a historical
relic of the war. The sword andthe pedestal were dedicated by Krishnan
Namboothiripad, a descendant of thePazhoor Thampuran.
Rolling on the eight kands of Ochira isa ritual of offering. This is
done to cure skin diseases. Rolling is also donefor other purposes. In the
past, those who needed to get rid of diseases usedto roll on the eight kands.
The locals believe that the soil here has medicinalproperties. Now, instead of
the offering person, there are special people whodo the rolling. TheMalayalam
film Padamudra, directed by R. Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal in thelead role,
mentions the beliefs of Ochira. In this film, the song AmbalamilaAltarayil
Vazhum Omkaramoorthy Ochirayil, written by Kudappanakunnu Hari andcomposed by
Vidyadharan and sung by Yesudas, is very famous. {
https://youtu.be/xEfaAGD6s30} Takazhi’snovel Anchupennuangal begins from the
Ochira padanilam.
pan·da·ram. pənˈdärəm. plural -s. 1. : a Hindu asceticmendicant of
the Sudra or sometimes a lower caste. https://youtu.be/t-noeP3Kdzs
Pandaram can meandifferent things in different contexts. Let us see.
Pandaram (പണ്ടാരം) isa lingo (dialect) of the Sanskrit-Malayalam word Bhandaram
(ഭണ്ഡാരം)meaning exchequer (ഖജനാവ്). Thus the expression, ‘Pandaravaka’ in our
landdocuments says that the land once belonged to the state. Land ownership
inKerala was in three heads before the land reforms and they were:
Devaswam,Brahmaswam and Rajaswam. Devaswam was Ambalavaka while Rajaswam
wasPandaravaka. Brahmaswam as you all know was for the Nambuthiris, the high
classpriestly clan of Brahmins. No one else had any sort of title over the
land.They were either tenements or encroachments. The first known land
registrationin Travancore was that of the Kannan Devan Hills.
Pandarappattam (പണ്ടാരപ്പാട്ടം) was a means by which agricultural land owned by
thestate was leased to subjects of Travancore for cultivation of Tapioca
andPaddy. But the officials would sometimes grab the harvest and ward off
theoccupants of the land who was then forced to tend for themselves. After half
acentuary, the tenants (പാട്ടക്കാർ) who had leased out the land went to a
strike whichforced the state of Travancore to pass the titles of the land to
theagriculturists who were upper class (not to confuse with caste) Eezhavas
andNairs. The present Jawahar Nagar near Kavadiyar in Thiruvananthapuram was
thefirst land to have these titles. Previous name of Jawahar Nagar was
MaracheeniVila as this was the place where tapioca was first cultivated in
Kerala.
Pandaramadakkuka (പണ്ടാരമടക്കുക)means to attach all of one’s properties (സ്ഥാവര
ജംഗമ സ്വത്തുക്കൾകണ്ടുകെട്ടുക / ഖജനാവിലേക്കു മുതൽക്കൂട്ടുക) and deny his rights
as a subject (പ്രജ) ofthe Kingdom. This explains the curse,
‘pandaramadangippotte’ (പണ്ടാരമടങ്ങിപ്പോട്ടെ).
Pandarakkettu (പണ്ടാരക്കെട്ട്) : When small pox (വസൂരി) anddeaths due to it
(ദേവി വിളയാടൽ) was rampant in Kerala, the dead bodies were tied ina mat made
with palm like leaves (കൈതോലയിൽ മെനഞ്ഞ മെത്തപ്പായ).The knots over these wrapper
were made with natural fibres like plantain fibre(വാഴ നാര്), fibre extracted
from the harder part of coconutleaf (തെങ്ങോലയുടെ തണ്ടിരിഞ്ഞത്), coconut leafs
itself (പച്ചയോലകൾകീറിയെടുത്തു കൂട്ടിക്കെട്ടിയത്), or by coir (കയർ).This whole
wrap was referred to as Pandarakkettu (പണ്ടാരക്കെട്ട്) and was taken to common
burial place (പൊതു ശ്മശാനം / ചുടലക്കളം).So Pandaram in Pandarakkettu means the
corpses that were disposed off by thestate untouched by relatives.
Pandaram Aduppu (പണ്ടാരമടുപ്പ്):In some temples such as Attukal Bhagavathi
Temple in southern Kerala,pandaramaduppu is the main fireplace inside the
temple from which, the firstfire is lit for celebratory feast such as Ponkala
(പൊങ്കാല). Itis from here that, then the fire is transferred to the fireplaces
of otherdevotees waiting to toast Ponkalas.
Pandaram is a caste inKerala whose vocation (കുലത്തൊഴിൽ) is making Pappads
(പപ്പടം).They are worshippers of Lord Murugan.
Pandaram can mean‘damn it!’
Pandarakkalan (പണ്ടാരക്കാലൻ)can mean nasty fellow. This is also used in a
friendly manner like most of theother cuss words.
Theettappandaram (തീറ്റപ്പണ്ടാരം) means one who eats extensively without
evenbothering whether there is enough for everyone else.
ChirichuPandaramadangi [ചിരിച്ചു പണ്ടാരമടങ്ങി] would mean dead of laughing, as
in uncontrollablelaughter excited by some incident. It is akin to ROFL.
'പണ്ടാരം', 'പണ്ടാരക്കാലൻ',ചിരിച്ചു 'പണ്ടാരടങ്ങി', നാശം 'പണ്ടാരമടങ്ങിപോട്ടെ'
എന്നിങ്ങനെ പല അർത്ഥത്തിലാണ് പണ്ടാരം മലയാളഭാഷാപ്രയോഗത്തിൽ കടന്നു വരുന്നത്.
ഇതിന്റെയൊക്കെ ഉത്ഭവം എന്താണ്? എന്നതിനുള്ള സെബിൻ ഏബ്രഹാം ജേക്കബ് (Sebin Abraham
Jacob) എന്ന വ്യക്തിയുടെഉത്തരം Pandaram comes into Malayalam usage in
manymeanings, including 'Pandaram', 'Pandarakkalan', 'Pandarakalan'
laughing,'Pandarakalan', and 'Pandarakalan
NOW ONE SHALL UNDEWRSTAND THE BLUNDERCOMITTED BY THE WRITER WITHOUT
CONSIDERING ANY DETAIL WHICH IS 700 YEAR OLD TEMPLECONNECTED TO C HERA DYNASTY
(NEDUNAL VADAI SANGA ILAKKIYAM) AND VELU THAMBIdfALAVAI; TENKASI OF TIRUNELVELI
TN AND TENKASI OF KERALA OCHHCHIRAI IS FAMOUSIN MANY RESPECTS WHERE A BIG WAR
WAS FOUGHT ALSO
K RAJARAM IRS 24125
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Gopala Krishnan <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2025 at 11:39
Subject: [iyer123] OACHIRA PARABRAHMA TEMPLE
To: <[email protected]>
OACHIRAPARABRAHMA TEMPLE
KOLLAMDISTRICT –KERALA-COMPILED
Today my posting is about Oachira Parabrahma temple. I havevisited the temple
two times while working in Trivandrum.Hope a divine reading
Gopalakrishnan 24-1-2025
Introduction
Oachira temple is an ancient temple located in Oachira,Kollam district of the
state of Kerala, India. It is a pilgrimage centerdedicated to Para Brahman or
Param Brahman, also known as Ohmkaram, whichrepresents UniversalConsciousness.
The temple covers an area of thirty-six acres and is considered one of
thesacred places of Kerala and India, known as "Dakshina Kashi" or "South
Kashi".
The temple is known for its unique non-idol worship tradition where the supreme
force ofnature is revered. The belief is that the supreme power is formlessand
shapes the basis of the temple doctrine.
The name "Oachira" is believed to have been derivedfrom "Uvachanchira", as
"Uvachan" means Lord Shiva. Unlikeother temples, the Oachira Temple does not
have a covered structure, and people worship Para Brahma under theshade of
trees.
Bulls are considered sacred in this temple and are believedto be the vehicle of
Parabrahman.
Legend
The legend behind the Oachira Temple is described in thefamous Malayalam
classic "The Aithihyamala", which is a collection ofKerala folklore. The story
revolves around a mythical character named "AkavoorChathan", who was the
servant of a Kerala Namboodiri.
Chathan was curious about the God hismaster constantly prayed to, named "Para
Brahmam". His master,wanting to make fun of Chathan's ignorance, told him that
Para Brahmam wasin the form of a bull. Chathan took this very seriously and
startedworshipping the bull in their stable. Later, Para Brahmam was so pleased
withChathan's innocence and sincerity that he appeared in front of him in the
formof a bull. It is believedthat the place where the bull appeared in front of
Chathan is today's Oachiratemple.
History
Over time, various small structures were built to provideshelter to the weary
wanderers, and today the Oachira Parabrahma temple standsas a symbol of worship
of the Supreme, with prime importance given to bulls inhonor of the bull form
that appeared to Chathan.
Tower
The 50-foot high twin gopuram (tower) in front of the templecomplex is adorned
with many ancient sculptures, adding to the temple's ancientcharm.
Deities installedlater
Main Deity-Lord Shiva (Parabrahman)
Other Deities-Ayyappa, Mahalakshmi, Ganapathi & thetemple premise also includes
the Yakshikkaav where a Yakshi “female nymph form”has been believed to have
dwelt nailed into a tree.
Festivals
It was on the plains of Oachira that the much-famed battle inthe history of
Travancore, thebattle of Kayamkulam, was fought between Marthandavarma, the
Maharaja ofTravancore and the Raja of Kayamkulam.
In commemoration of this historic battle Ochirakkali is conductedon the first
and second of Mithunam (June-July) every year. On this occasion,the young and
the old, drawn from the two Karas lying east and west of Oachira,from
themselves into two groups, reach the Patanilam (the place for fighting)and
conduct the age-old fencing exercise under the leadership of the elderkalari
asan.
Oachira VrischikamFestival is celebrated during December and January. And
"Irupathattam onam" (28 days afterOnam) is also celebrated. Itis the festival
of cattle. In this festival, huge "Eduppukala" (gigantic idols of bull made of
cloth & hay) are made. They arethen pulled on giant wheels to the Oachira
Temple from the site where they aremade. Normally there are around 50 such
structures. It is the biggest festivalin "Onattu Kara" which is an area of a
few square miles.
Main Offerings
Unlike the other temple, the offerings made in Ochira templeare very different.
The most unique ones are the Kayyum Kaalum (clay idols of hand and leg
areprovided as offering. These are offered for body healing of sick people),
Anna Danam, Bhajanam Paarkkal(This is another unique feature of Ochira temple
offered as part of the famous12-day Vrichikotsavam. Devotees come and stay in
the patanilam in speciallymade huts. Those devotees who sacrifice these 12 long
days with the minimumfacilities.
How To Reach
Airport
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is the nearestAirport located 71km
from Kollam.
Railways
Kollam Railway Station is an important rail head of thesouthern railways.
Road
Kayamkulam Bus station is 5 km north of Ochira andKarunagappally Bus Station is
10 km south of Ochira. The ferry station isadjacent to the central bus station
that is 3kms from Kollam the railwaystation.
Aithihyamala
In Aithihyamala, there is a mention of a mythical characternamed "Akavoor
Chathan" he was the servant of a Kerala Namboodiri.Chathan oberved that his
master was constantly praying to a God named"Para Brahmam" and Chathan got
curious what kind of a God it is.
Bulls
Another rarity of the temple is the presence of a lot oftemple Bulls around the
temple ground. They are considered to be holy and thedevotees pray to them and
feed them.
Prasadam
"Prasadam"(The holy offering that is provided to the devotees) of the Ochira
temple isalso very different. It is the only temple in Kerala which provides
mud asPrasadam.
Ochira vilakku
One of the main festivities of the temple is the "OchiraVilakku" that is
celebrated during the month of November-December.
Priests
The priests in the temple are from a Hindu community called Pandaram. Their
main jobis to prepare Papad.
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