Dear friends,
The response from Mr Rajaram contains new addition about Visit of AAdi sankara
and temple details. Though I knew about visit of Aadi sankara lowering of the
hand of Lakshmi is new to me.
Further the posting contain pithru bali and SALVATION OF PITHRUS. I am happy a
posting/forward by Mr Rajaram contain such an information. If Mr Rajaram agree
to SALAVATION of pithrus, I am the happiest to note it.Gopalakrishnan
On Thursday, 29 May 2025 at 08:05:59 pm IST, Rajaram Krishnamurthy
<[email protected]> wrote:
Shankaracharya and Mahalakshmi
There is a story that AdiShankaracharya, the main proponent of Advaita Vedanta,
also came to theThirunavaya temple for darshan. It is believed that he was the
one who loweredone hand of Mahalakshmi here, which used to be in the
Varadamudra (blessingsand blessings) in the early days. The story goes like
this:
The goddess gave shelter toall those who sought refuge. Thus, poverty
disappeared from Thirunavaya. Justthen, Shankaracharya, who had come to visit
the temple, knelt down to worshipin the temple. In the sense that it was the
place where the eight idols thathad been installed earlier were entombed, no
one in the past had ever steppedon the ground with his feet. When some
mischievous people saw Shankaracharyadoing so, they insulted him by saying,
"Why is there a small elephantstanding in the temple?" Realizing that this was
due to wealth,Shankaracharya immediately meditated on the Goddess and requested
her to appearand bend one arm. Thus, one arm of the idol bent. With this, the
village ofThirunavaya fell into extreme poverty. But today, this village is on
the pathof development. Gulf immigration and new technology have awakened the
entirevillage. Many people in nearby houses have gone to the Gulf and achieved
abetter financial status.
Parashurama and Shraddha
Long ago, the Trimurti andDevendra decided to perform a yagna at this place.
For this, Shiva and Brahmalived on the southern bank of the river, and Vishnu
and Devendra lived on thenorthern bank. Unfortunately, their wives (Gayatri,
Saraswati, Lakshmi,Parvati, and Indrani) cursed each other and turned into
rivers. With this, thesacrifice was interrupted. Later, Parashurama, who came
here to atone for thesin of massacring Kshatriyas, performed a sacrifice on the
banks of the riverto atone for his sin of murder and to grant salvation to the
dead souls, andsaw Navamukundan. Then Parashurama built temples for the
Trimurti deities toworship here for the Brahmins. It is believed that the Pitru
Tarpan andShraddha rituals at the Trimurti Sangamasthan will be the cause of
salvationfor the ancestors. Therefore, many people come here every day to
perform PitruTarpan. Parasurama performed a sacred offering at the holy place
on the day ofKarkkadakavavu and offered prayers to the souls who had wandered
withoutstopping. It is believed that since then this place has gained great
fame forsacrificial offerings.
Markandeya and Navamukundan
Another story told about theThirunavaya temple is related to Markandeya, one of
the great sages in Hindumythology. This story is also related to the famous
Triprangott Shiva temple,which is located about four kilometers west of
Thirunavaya. It is believed thatthe presence of the current main deity of the
Triprangott temple,Mrityunjayamurthy, is related to this story. In addition,
the story of theclosed door seen behind the sanctum sanctorum in the
Thirunavaya temple is alsorelated to this. It is said that Sage Markandeya, a
devotee of both Lord Vishnuand Lord Shiva, survived his certain death at the
age of sixteen by worshippingthe idols of both temples. The story goes like
this:
The first temple inTriprangode was the Karananil temple, located in the
northeastern corner of thetemple wall today. At that time, the great ascetic
Mrigandhu Maharshi and hiswife Madruvathi, who lived nearby, were not blessed
with children even after along time after their marriage. Saddened by this,
they worshipped Shiva andbegan to perform penance. After a long period of
severe penance, Lord Shivaappeared to them and asked them whether they wanted a
son who was useless andwould live to be a hundred years old, or a son who was
perfect in everythingand would live only to be sixteen years old. This question
saddened both ofthem. However, knowing that it was better to have a short life
with everythingperfect than to have a long life without being useful to
anything, they saidthat the second son was enough. Thus, their son was
Markandeya. At a very youngage, Markandeya studied the Vedas, Shastras, etc.
and became intelligent. Eachbirthday of their son caused great pain to Mrigandu
and Madruvathi. Finally,the sixteenth birthday passed. On hearing the news that
Markandeya was nearingthe end of his life, Kalan got off the buffalo and set
off. At that time,Markandeya was having darshan at the Thirunavaya temple.
Suddenly, he saw Kalancoming after him. Seeing this, Markandeya, frightened,
entered Sri Lanka andtook refuge in Navamukundan. The Lord told him: O
Markandeya, only the trueMahadeva can confront Kalan. Therefore, you should
take refuge in Mahadeva.There is a way: Go to the nearby temple at Triprang
through the western path. Iwill give you some stones. When you feel that Kalan
is approaching, immediatelytake them and throw them behind you. If you go in
this way, you will be able toescape from Kalan.
Then the Lord giftedMarkandeyan twelve stones. Seeing Kala outside, the Lord
immediately made adoor behind his Srilakathem (on the western side).
Markandeyan ran out throughit. Then he closed it. It has not been opened since.
Even today, that door canbe seen in the Thirunavaya temple. A Nandi idol can
also be seen heresymbolically.
Markandeyan did as Navamukundatold him. When he felt that Kala was approaching,
he picked up the stones inhis hand and threw them at him. However, all the
twelve stones were gone beforehe reached the temple. Somehow, he ran and
finally reached the temple entrance,where a huge pear tree was blocking the
way. Realizing that if he took adetour, Kala would be caught, Markandeyan split
the tree in half to make way forhim. Then, Markandeyan ran to the nearby temple
and hugged the Shivalingathere. Seeing this, Kala, enraged, immediately threw a
rope at him. Markandeyanand the Shivalinga got caught in it. Kala pulled the
rope out of anger. As soonas the Shivalinga was shaken, Lord Shiva actually
appeared from the Shivalinga.A great confrontation took place there. Finally,
the enraged Lord stabbed Kalato death with his spear. Then, blessing
Markandeyan, the Lord blessed him andsaid that he would always be sixteen years
old. Then, he went three feetsouthwest from his shrine, washed the spear in a
nearby pond, and appeared as aSwayambhu at the place where the main shrine is
today. Thus, the main Shivatemple at Triprangott came into being.
The connection between the Thirunavayaand Triprangott temples does not end
here. As well as the presence of Shiva inThirunavaya, there is also the
installation of Navamukundan as the sub-deity atTriprangott. It is believed
that this was done by Markandeyan himself. TheTantra authorities at both places
are also from the same family. The KalpuzhaManakars, a famous Tantric family in
Kerala, are practicing as Tantris at bothplaces. It is believed that they are
descendants of Markandeya. A good numberof those who visit Thirunavaya also
visit Triprang. Both temples are under thesupervision of the Malabar Devaswom
Board and are controlled by committeesheaded by the Zamorin Raja.
It is said that the placewhere this temple stands was once the place where the
Vedasala belonging toThirunavaya Yoga used to exist. It is said that Ayyappa
was installed for theirworship. In the past, Ayyappa resided in the
Vasudevapuram Sree Krishna Swamy Templein Tavanur, on the other side of the
Bharathapuzha river. It is said that itwas later shifted here. Like Sabarimala,
the main offering here isNeeyabhishekam. In addition, Neerajanam, Ellupayasam,
and Neelapattucharthalare also special. Special pujas are held here during the
Mandala period. Thisis where Sabarimala pilgrims garland and tie knots.
After worshipping Ayyappa, onecan reach the eastern gopuram of Navamukundan.
There is a relatively smallgopuram here. In front of this, a large Arayal tree
can be seen. According toHindu belief, the sacred Arayal tree resides on top,
Vishnu in the middle, andBrahma at the bottom. Thus, it is considered
auspicious to circle the Arayaltree seven times every morning, which is
considered to be the manifestation ofthe Trimurti. Beyond this, a single person
can be seen. Devotees pay homage toboth of them. There is a story that in the
old days, if you look east from theArayalthara here, you could see lamps lit on
both sides of the gopurams of thefamous Vilvadrinath temple in Thiruvilvamala,
which is far away. Once, one ofthe elders who were in charge of the temple
there had a dream and according toit, when he went to Thirunavaya and looked,
he could see lamps on both sidesand the very next day both the gopurams
collapsed. In any case, even today,those who visit the Thiruvilvamala temple
pay homage to Navamukundan when theyreach the northwest.
Near Arayal, you can see thesteps leading down to the Bharathapuzha river. The
river flows in a verystrange way here. That is, although the river flows
east-west, a small part ofit passes in front of the temple. This is an
indication that the current partof the steps must have once been part of the
river. This is where the BaliTharpanam is performed in the temple. Various
types of sacrifices are performedhere, including the sixteenth day, Shraddha
rituals, and Amavasya sacrifice.Thirunavaya has been famous since ancient times
as the most special place forancestral rituals. It is believed that the 'mouth'
mentioned in the proverbIllam, Vallam, Nelli, Vaaya is Thirunavaya. Illam, his
own home, Vallam, is theThiruvallam Parasuramaswamy Temple near
Thiruvananthapuram, and Nelli is theThirunelli Mahavishnu Temple near
Mananthavady in Wayanad district. There is asimilarly spacious altar on the
south side of the temple. This is also the bestplace to enjoy the scenic beauty
of the Nila River. It is more convenient here.On the other bank of the river
are the Brahma Temple in Tavanur and the ShivaTemple in Cheruthirunavaya.
Wall
The Thirunavaya temple has asmall wall covering an area of only one and a half
acres. However, it isprotected by a large elephant wall on all four sides. Two
small but veryattractive gopurams can also be seen on the east and west sides.
When you enterthrough the east gopuram, you first arrive at the large elephant
enclosure.This is a fairly large elephant enclosure. About five elephants can
be paradedhere at a time. Inside the enclosure, there is a copper flagpole
carrying thevehicle of the Lord, Garuda, and a large sacrificial stone. The
flagpole hereis made of teak wood and copper sheets are attached to it. This
flagpole isabout sixty feet high. It was installed here in 1992. The
sacrificial stone inmany great temples
This is where the sacrifice ismade. On the pedestal below this, there are also
some very small sacrificialstones. These represent the Lord's sub-commanders.
The sacrificial stones areplaced in the east, Kumudaksha in the southeast,
Pundarika in the south, Vamanain the southwest, Shankhukarna in the west,
Sarvanetra in the northwest,Sumukha in the north, and Supratishtha in the
northeast. However, they are notoffered sacrifices here. Instead, they are
given a place in the sacrificialcircle outside the temple. They are offered
sacrifices there.
A very strange structure canbe seen in the southeast of the temple. This is
known as the Pazukkamandapam.This very old structure is built in such a way
that it is impossible todetermine whether it is inside or outside the temple,
that is, when viewed fromthe inside, it appears to be inside and when viewed
from the outside, itappears to be outside. There is a legend that it was built
by UliyannurPerumthachan. This is also where the Zamorin family used to visit
Mamankam. Itis currently being preserved as a monument to Mamankam. A winding
staircase hasbeen built to climb up here. This is another good place to enjoy
the beauty ofBharathapuzha and see the places on the other side of the river. A
part of thestone on the southern wall of the temple can be seen where it has
fallen off.It is said that this was broken by the branch of the Airavata in the
past. Itremains like that even today. Some 'ส'shaped shapes could be seen in
many parts of the circumambulation path thatused to exist here. This was said
to be related to the story of Markandeya.There is nothing special to see in the
western side of the temple. A long andnarrow uttupura can be seen on the north
side. In the old days, a sadya wouldbe served here every day. Now it is only on
special days.
The shrine
It is a fairly largetwo-storey square shrine. Both floors of this shrine, made
of black stone, arecovered with copper. A golden bowl can be seen on top. There
are steps thatallow you to go directly inside. The door to the shrine can be
seen on bothsides. Jayan and Vijayan, the guardians of Mahavishnu, live here as
thegatekeepers. The tradition is that the Thantri and the Melshanti can enter
theshrine only after ringing the bell hung in front and taking their
permission.There are three rooms inside the shrine. The garbhagriha, where the
idol isinstalled, is at the western end. The four-armed idol of Lord Vishnu,
which isabout four feet tall, is installed facing east. This idol, which has a
strikingresemblance to the idol in Guruvayur, is also made of Patalanjana
stone.However, it is currently covered in Panchaloham. The four-armed Lord
holds theSudarshana Chakra in his right hand behind his back, a conch shell
calledPanchajanyam in his left hand behind, an upside-down gada called
Kaumodaki inhis left hand in front, and a lotus in his right hand in front.
According tolegend, this idol was installed by Karabhajan, the youngest of the
Navayogis.It is believed that when other Navayogis installed idols without
properrituals, the idol became firm on the condition that they would give him
milkporridge. The large hole seen in front of the idol today is said to be
theplace where idols were installed earlier. However, it is believed that
thecurrent idol is also slowly going underground and that if it is
completelydestroyed, the world will end. This idol is known by many names, such
asNavamukundan, meaning the Lord who resides in Thirunavaya, Navamukundan
becauseit was installed by the Navayogis, and Navamukundan, meaning the ninth
idol.However, the name Navamukundan is the most famous. Thus,
Sreenavamukundan,invoking the entire original glory of the universe, is present
in the sanctumsanctorum.
The sanctum sanctorum wallsare currently completely plastered. Although there
have been plans to paintmurals here for many years, nothing has been
implemented yet. However,beautiful wooden sculptures have been inscribed here
in many parts. Bhootmala,Pakshimala, and Mrigamamala are important among them.
Each pillar in thesanctum sanctorum is supported by a separate sculpture. The
entire Kirathamstory is inscribed on the southern side. When you reach the
western side,Shaiva-Vaishnava stories are inscribed together. When you reach
the northernside, you can see the Dasavatara forms carved. In addition, the
forms of greatsages like Thumburu, Narada, Vyasa, Kashyapa, Vasishtha and
Garuda are alsoinscribed at various places. On the upper floor, the forms of
Indra areinscribed on the eastern side, Dakshinamurthy on the southern side,
Narasimhamurthyon the western side and Brahma on the northern side. A closed
door is seen onthe western side of the shrine. The presence of Shiva is
imagined here. Shivais worshipped here as the main deity of the famous
Triprangot temple located tothe west of Thirunavaya. A Nandi idol is also seen
here as a symbol of this.
Four Temples
A four temple is built aroundthe temple. There is only a very limited space
inside the temple. However, onecan perform the pradakshina without any
hindrance. The outer walls of the fourtemple, made of black stone, are
decorated with a lighthouse. There are abouteight hundred lamps in the
lighthouse built on ten floors. These are lit duringthe evening Deepa Raodhana.
The roof of the four temple is thatched. There aredoor gates on both sides of
the entrance gate. Of these, the southern door gateis where special poojas and
homas are performed. The northern door gate is usedfor musical instruments and
chanting. Unlike other temples, there is nonamaskara mandapa in front of the
temple. It is said that many temples built inthe past did not have namaskara
mandapa. As is customary, a thidappally hasbeen built inside the four temple on
the southeast side. In a speciallyconstructed shrine on the southwest side, an
idol of Lord Ganapati can be seenfacing east. The concept of Ganapati here is
called Adi Ganesha. According tolegend, the Ganapati here is the king of
Indradyumna who was turned into anelephant due to the curse of Agasthya Muni.
Therefore, the concept of the idolhere is related to the story of
Gajendramoksha. There is a belief among thepeople of Thirunavaya that
Gajendramoksha took place in the lotus pond here. Itis said that Gajendra, who
was liberated from the curse, was imagined asGanapati and settled here. The
shrine of Ganapati is completely whitewashed. Ifyou notice that the two
gatekeepers here are in the form of Ganapati, you willunderstand. The idol of
Ganapati, which is about two feet tall, has its trunkextended to the right,
holds an axe in the back right hand, a rope in the backleft hand, a modaka in
the front left hand, and a varadamudra (blessing seal)in the front right hand.
Apart from the daily Ganapati Homam, special offeringshere include Ottayappam,
Karukamala, and Narangamala.
In the north, in a sanctumbuilt almost in line with the Garbhagriha and
attached to the Naalambalam, thedeity of Mahalakshmi Devi can be seen facing
east. It is because of thepresence of Mahalakshmi that Navamukundan is
considered to be Lakshmi Narayan.The concept here is that the goddess is on the
left side of the Lord. The stoneidol here is about three feet tall. The idol is
in a standing position. It isnot a four-armed goddess as is usually seen in
pictures. It has only two arms.Both of them are in the Abhaya Mudra (downward
mudra). It is believed thatinitially one of the two hands was in the Varada
Mudra and later Shankaracharyamade one of them downward. Although Mahalakshmi
is considered to be an invisiblepresence in all Mahavishnu temples in Kerala,
and although the goddess isconsidered to be Mahalakshmi and worshipped in
prominent Devi temples likeChottanikkara, this is the only place in a temple
where Mahalakshmi is given aspecial place according to Kerala tradition. The
main offerings to Mahalakshmiare pattum and thali charthal, sarkara payasam,
Mangalyasukta pushpanjali,Srisukta pushpanjali, Saraswat pushpanjali, and
Bhagavatiseva. Navratri is themain annual festival.
An inner sacrificial circlehas been built around the shrine. Ashtadikpalakar
(East - Indra, Southeast -Agni, South - Yama, Southwest - Niriti, West -
Varuna, Northwest - Vayu, North- Kubera & Chandra, Northeast - Ishan), Sapta
Matrikkal (in a single stoneon the south side - Brahmi, Maheshwari, Kaumari,
Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani,Chamundi in the order from east), Veerabhadra (with
Sapta Matrikkal, on theeast side), Ganapati (with Sapta Matrikkal, on the west
side), Brahma (betweennortheast and east), Anantha (between southwest and
west), Shasta (betweensouth and southwest), Subrahmanya (between northwest and
north), Durga (betweenwest and northwest), Sacrificial stones representing
Nirmalyadhari (in the formof a Shivalinga between the north and northeast -
here Vishwaksena) are seenhere. Sacrifices are offered here during the Shivali
festival. In addition,since it is a Vishnu temple, another concept called
Uttaramatrikkal is alsoseen here. They are called Uttaramatrikkal because they
are placed opposite theSapta Matrikas located in the south, that is, on the
north side. TheUttaramatrikkal are Vageeswari, Kriya, Kirti, Lakshmi, Sristi,
Vidya, andShanti. They are the Vaishnava variant of the Sapta Matrikas, which
are theShaivite deities. Just as the Sapta Matrikas are accompanied by
Veerabhadra andGanapati, they are accompanied by two deities, Sridharan and
Aswamukha. Theyare not represented in the form of sacrificial stones. But they
are alsooffered here.
Deities
Navamukunda (Mahavishnu)
The main deity of the temple.It is mentioned in the ancient Tamil text Divya
Prabandha as Narayana withLakshmi. It is a rare stone idol. But now it is
covered with Panchaloham. It isabout four feet tall. The idol is in a standing
form. The four-armed Lord wearsa conch shell, a chakra, a gada, and a lotus.
The Lord resides in a squaretemple with two floors, facing east.
On the day of Vishu Sankram,the rays of the rising sun fall on the feet of the
Lord
Since this is the place wherethe eight idols that were previously installed
were entombed, in the past,devotees who came to visit the temple used to kneel
down instead of walking onthe ground. The people of that time strictly followed
the rule that one shouldnot step on the idol. But today, no one follows this
rule. Therefore, darshanis done like in ordinary temples.
There is a lot of controversyover the name of the deity here. The main issue is
whether it is Navamukunda orNavamukunda. Some say that the Mukunda (Vishnu)
installed by the Navayogis isNavamukunda, while others say that the Mukunda who
reigns in Thirunavaya isNavamukunda. In any case, the name Navamukunda is
famous.
Nearby Temples
Cheruthirunavaya Brahma-ShivaTemple
This temple, located inCheruthirunavaya near Tavanur on the other bank of the
Bharathapuzha river, isthe meeting place of the Trimurti in this area. It is
one of the 108 Shivatemples of old Kerala. The temple has a small circular
shrine. In thisdilapidated shrine, the true Lord Shiva reigns, facing east.
Brahma also reignsin another small shrine nearby. But due to Shiva's curse,
there is no worshipor lamp for Brahma. There is a story about the legend of the
Navamukunda templeand this temple:
Once upon a time, the Trimurtiand Devendra decided to perform a sacrifice at
this place. For this, Shiva andBrahma stayed on the south bank of the river,
and Vishnu and Devendra stayed onthe north bank. Unfortunately, their wives
(Gayatri, Saraswati, Lakshmi,Parvati, and Indrani) turned into rivers. With
this, the sacrifice wasinterrupted. Later, Parashurama, who came here to atone
for the sin ofmassacring the Kshatriyas, built temples for the Trimurti to
worship.
It is believed that theancestral tarpan and Shraddha rituals at the Trimurti
Sangamasthan will bringsalvation to the ancestors. Therefore, many people come
to the temple every dayfor the ancestral tarpan.
Tavanur Vasudevapuram SreeKrishna Swamy Temple
Vasudevapuram Sree KrishnaSwamy Temple is another temple located in Tavanur
itself. The temple is locatedin the premises of the Kelappaji Memorial
Agricultural Knowledge Center inTavanur in an atmosphere filled with forest
beauty. The main deity of thetemple is Unnikannan, who holds butter in both
hands. Lord Krishna, who faceseast, has deities of Shiva, Ganapati, Ayyappa and
Naga gods as sub-deities.According to legend, it is believed that the Lord
Krishna here was installed bythe Supreme Lord Vilvamangalam Swamy. The main
annual festivals of the templeare Ashtamirohini in the month of Chingam, Vishu
in the month of Medam, andKucheladinam in the month of Dhanu. Initially, the
temple was owned byMaravancherry Mana, but later it came under the ownership of
a committee ownedby the locals. The temple is still under this committee.
History
There are many references toThirunavaya and Navamukunda temples in Malayalam
history.
Thirunavaya Stone Edicts
Mangalasasanam
Nammalvar - 11 pashuramas andThirumangai Alvar - 2 pashuramas have been
compiled. The pushkarani here, knownas Chenthamara Saras, is full of red lotus
flowers. Hence the name of thepushkarani. The aircraft here is known as "Veda
Vimana" because itwas worshipped by the Vedas, the Navayogis.
Pitrutharpanam The Trimurthi Sangamasthan inThirunavai is most famous
for ancestral rites. Annual Shraddha, rituals relatedto the sixteenth day after
death, Tripaksha Pindam (41st day after death),14-day rituals in Pul,
Aasthapanam, Kshetra Pindam, Vavubali, etc. are performedhere daily. Many
people from all over Kerala come to this holy Sangamasthan foroffering
offerings and immersion of bones for their deceased ancestors andrelatives. The
ashes of great souls like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, R.Shankar, Lal
Bahadur Shastri, Jayaprakash Narayan, Kelappaji, and K.Karunakaran have been
immersed in the Bharathapuzha.
Gandhi Memorial
The ashes of Mahatma Gandhiare immersed in the Bharatapuzha River. The Gandhi
Memorial, built tocommemorate the immersion of Gandhi's ashes in the
Bharatapuzha River, can beseen as a sign on the way to the Navamukunda Temple.
Special days at the temple
The Navamukunda Temple inThirunavaya is a famous temple associated with the
Mamanga.
Niraputhari
The Niraputhari here, which isheld every year, is held on the first Sunday
after Karkadakawavu. The kathirrequired for filling is taken from the altar at
the eastern gopura gate andplaced on the head, and the temple is entered by
circumambulating the MelsanthiChutambalam. The nelkathir is brought to the door
of the temple bycircumambulating the sanctum sanctorum and the sub-devas and
the kathir poojais performed. After that, the kathir is taken to Sri Lanka for
Melsanthi pujaand offered to the Lord. Later, Putharipayayasam is offered to
Navamukundan.The poojated nirakathirs are distributed to the devotees.
Karkidakam Amavasi
Since the Karkidakam Amavasiday is considered as the father's day, the father's
deeds are given utmostimportance on that day. The Karukavavu in Karkidakam
marks the beginning of theDakshinayana. Dakshinayana is the path of the
ancestors. That is why it isbelieved that if the ancestors are sacrificed on
that day, they will attaingood fortune. The new moon day of the month of
Libra-Kumbha and the new moonday of Vaishakh are given great importance here.
K Rajaram IRS 29525
On Thu, 29 May 2025 at 14:31, 'gopala krishnan' via Thatha_Patty
<[email protected]> wrote:
BRAHMAAND SIVA TEMPLES AT TIRUUNAVAYA, MALAPPURAM DISTRICT- KERALA- COMPILED
Dear friends,
Today my posting is about the Siva and Brahma temples on theopposite side of
Nava Mukunda temple which we have to reach by crossing theBharatha Puzha River,
inferry. The bridge is under construction only.
Though the concept is one has to worship all the threetemples at Tirunavaya,
some devotees leave after worshipping in the NavaMukunda temple itself.
Hope a divine reading.
Gopalakrishnan 29-5-2025.
BRAHMATEMPLE AT TIRUNAVAYA –THAVANUR
The Brahma Temple at Tirunavaya is situated on the banks of the
BharathapuzhaRiver, alongside the Navamukunda (Vishnu) and Shiva temples,
forming a sacredtrinity of deities.
The Navamukundan Vishnu temple is on the (northern) bank ofthe Bharathapuzha,
while the Brahma and Siva temples are on the (southern)bank, in Tavanur
(Thavanoor) village.
This temple is a rare sitewhere Brahma is actively worshipped, and it holds
significance as a venue for performing rituals for the deceased,
especiallyduring the Karkidaka Vavu (July).
Key Features andSignificance:
Location:
Tirunavaya, Malappuram district, Kerala, on the southern bankof the
Bharathapuzha River.
Trimurti:
The temple complex includes temples dedicated to Brahma,Vishnu (Navamukunda),
and Shiva, representing the Hindu trinity of creation,preservation, and
destruction.
Mamankam Festival:
Tirunavaya was the venue for the Mamankam, a historicalfestival held every 12
years, and the temple was a focal point for the event.
Bali Tharpana:
The riverbank near the temple is considered a sacred placefor performing "bali
tarpana" rituals, where devotees offer prayersfor the souls of their ancestors.
Brahma Worship:
The Brahma temple isnotable for being one of the few places where Lord Brahma
is activelyworshipped, particularly during festivals like Karkidaka Vavu.
Historical Importance:
The temple and its surroundings are rich in historicalsignificance, with
various landmarks associated with the Mamankam festival.
Thirunavaya representsa convergence of the Trimurtis: Brahma, Vishnu, Siva.
There are three temples here, dedicatedto the worship of these divine
personalities, therefore the place is consideredto be equal to Varanasi.
Legend
The Brahma Temple here was consecrated by Lord Parasurama,who brought and
settled the Brahmins here. Parasurama himself is considered to be
a"Brahma-Kshatriya", or one who perfectly balances the duties of bothBrahmana
and Kshatriya. For this reason, Brahmadeva is said to be Parasurama'sguru, and
having executed a great yajna here in Tavanur, Parasurama dedicated atemple to
his guru, Lord Brahma.
Introduction
Tavanur has three mahakshetras (major temples) – one each to Krishna, Brahma
and Shiva.The Brahma and Shiva temples are more than 1300 years old. All these
threetemples are built on the southern bank of Bharatapuzha river.
There is a huge templededicated to Vishnu (contemporaneous to latter two
temples) on the northernbank of the river – opposite to the Shiva temple.
Across theriver from Tavanur is Thirunavaya – considered as Kashi of Kerala –
whereHindus come to do Pinda pradaana for their deceased ancestors.
While Thirunavaya Vishnu temple (called Nava Mukunda temple)is quite popular,
the other temples on the opposite banks are less known andhave much lesser
visitors.
Deity
The Brahma temple of Tavanur houses a beautiful murti ofBrahma holding sruk,
sruva,vedas and kamandala. Srukand Sruva are ladles used to do yajna.
Prajapati Brahma is closely associated with yajna. This isperhaps the only
individual temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in entire state ofKerala.
There are no othermurtis in this temple.After desecration by Tipu, the temple
remained in a dilapidated state till lastdecade. Locals claim that they
suffered from sudden outbursts of diseases everyfew years – which was
attributed to the anger of Brahma whose temple was leftin a dilapidated state.
About a decade ago, localsstarted rebuilding the temple and a pujari has been
appointed to do nitya pujato Brahma.
They claim that there has been no such outbreak of diseasessince then. The
temple is in final stages of reconstruction.
Importance
Hindu students of the locality have also taken to worshippingBrahma sincerely –
as he isthe husband of Sarasvati and thus, seen as Lord of knowledge.
TAVANURSHIVA TEMPLE:
Introduction
This is the main temple ofTavanur. The village isnamed after the Lord here. It
is believed that Lord Shiva is doing tapasyahere. Tapasya is known as‘tavam’ in
Malayalam. Thus, the place where Lord Shiva does tapasya has come tobe known as
Tavanur (place of tapasya).
Unlike the other two temples, this temple has always beenunder worship even
after Tipu’s desecration. The vandalised temple was rebuilt and worship was
restartedby the end of 18th century itself.
This temple of Shiva houses a small Shivalingam and sits in aserene
neighbourhood right on the banks of the river – a devotee can access theriver
from the temple. No wonder that the Lord of destruction has chosen thisplace as
His place for peaceful meditation. The serenity of its location isenhanced by
presence of avedapathashala nearby.
Near the Siva Temple sits the famous Vedic Vidyalaya OthanmarMadom, a famous
school of Sanskrit and Vedic education associated withParasurama's colony of
Brahmins.
At Thirunavaya, theBharathapuzha (also known as the Nila) makes a distinct loop
northward, and there are a number of importantsites here on both sides of the
river.
Legends say that theVilwamangala Swamiyar, who wrote Krishna Karnamruta, was
born in the Namboodiri Brahmin family ofVella Mana in Tavanur Hisancestral
house, Vella Illam, was on the southern banks of Bharatapuzha river –remains of
the house’s foundations can be seen there even today – within thecampus of
Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (KCAET),Tavanur.
Legend
It is said that the sage Markandeya once escaped from Yamaand came here to
Navamukundan for shelter. The Lord opened His backdoor andinstructed Markandeya
to run to Siva, across the riverbank, as only he couldsave him.
Vedapata sala
The Thirunavaya Vedapathashala, famous for teaching Rg Veda,is near this
temple. This pathashala is also well known for preserving some ofthe rarest
oral traditions of Rig Veda samhita, otherwise not so popularelsewhere. The
pathashala is centuries old – since before Tipu’s invasions.Every year, at Sree
Ramaswamy temple in Kadavallur of Thrissur district, acompetition – called
KadavallurAnyonyam – is held between two vedapathashala (Thirunavayapathashala
and Brahmaswom Madhom of Thrissur) for 8 days. The more esotericrecitation
styles are tested at this competition.
Bali tharpana
Near the temple, thereis also a place where people can perform rituals for the
dead which is calledbali in malayalam and is considered to be a very sacred
place as it is theconfluence of the Trimurti. Whileperforming the rituals, the
priest will mention to worship the trinity byturning towards their respective
temples. The priest is actuallypointing at the Shiva Temple and Brahma temple
actually located at Thavanur on the oppositebank of the river Bharathapuzha.
Deity
The temple is one among the 108 Shiva Temples. This temple is ata walking
distance from the Brahma Temple.
Location
The locations of the three temples actually form atriangle but there is no
direct road connecting all the three temples together.
>From the Shiva Temple, you can walk to the Brahma Temple . Theroad distance
>between Thavanur and Tirunavaya is 14 kilometers and theconstruction has begun
>for a direct bridge connecting the two villages whichwill cut short the
>distance to just 2 kilometers making it easier for pilgrims to cover all
>thethree temples.
Specialty
Like several other locations we've covered in this series,Thirunavaya
represents a convergence of the Trimurtis: Brahma, Visnu, Siva.There are three
temples here, dedicated to the worship of these divinepersonalities, therefore
the place is considered to be equal toVarnasi.
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