EATTUMANOORMAHADEVA TEMPLE AND EAZHARA PONNANA- KOTTAYAM DISTRICT –KERALA
Introduction Eattumanoor Mahadeva temple is an ancient Shiva temple inKottayam District of Kerala. Thetemple is one of the major Shiva temples in Kerala, along with Vaikom Temple,Kaduthruthy Mahadeva Temple, Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, Vazhappally Maha SivaTemple, Ernakulam Shiva Temple, Vadakkunathan temple, and SreekanteswaramMahadeva Temple, Thiruvananthapuram. Legends The place's name had its mythological origin from the word'man our' in Malayalam, which means the place of deer, as 'maan' means deer and'oor' means place. Another version is that the name originated from the 'EttuMana Ooru', that is, 'The Land of Eight Namboothiri Manas' or 'Ashta Grihas'.These Eight Manas (Brahmin families) are the original Ooralans of the greatEttumanoor Mahadeva Temple. It is also believed that at this place (ooru) Lord Sivaappeared in eight (Ettu) different forms (maanam) and hence the nameEttumanoor. Temple tradition isthat the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa had worshipped at this temple. History The present temple building, with its gopuram and thefortress around it, was reconstructed in 717 ME (1542 CE). Architecture Dravidian mural paintings are on the walls inside and outsidethe main entrance. The fresco of Pradosha Nritham (Dance of Shiva) is one ofthe finest wall paintings in India. A golden flagstaff is inside the temple, topped with an idolof a bull surrounded by small bells and metal banyan tree leaves. In terms ofarchitecture, these temples stand out as an ultimate testament to theVishwakarma Sthapathis for their engineering skills. The temple roofs are covered with copper sheets, and it has14 ornamental tops. Deities In addition to Lord Siva as Linga, Bhagavathi, Sastha, Dakshinamoorthy, Ganapathy, andYakshi are installed here as subordinate deities. There is aseparate temple for Lord Krishna. It is believed that the philosopher Adi Sankaracharya wrote'Soundarya Lahari' while staying in the temple. Poojas Nirmalyam 4. 00 A.M Abhishekam 4:20 a.m Madhava pallipooja 5:45a.m Ethirthu pooja 6:15a.m Sreebali 6:45 a.m Dhaara, kalasham 10:30a.m Uchapooja 11:15 a.m Uchasreebali 11:45 a.m Evening Temple opening 5:00p.m Deeparadhana 6:20 p.m Athazha pooja 7:15 p.m Athazhasreebali 7:45 P.M Festivals Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple hosts the arattu festival,celebrated on a grand scale on the Thiruvathira day in February–March eachyear. Many people come to the temple on the 8th and 10th day of the festival,when seven and a half elephants (in Malayalam: ezharaponnaana) made of gold(nearly 13 kg) will be held in public view. These idols of elephants weredonated to the temple by a Travancore maharaja. The temple, one of thewealthiest Devaswoms in Kerala, has many valuable possessions. Tulabharam The Thulabharam is one of the important rituals of thistemple. People make offerings to God for favours received. On balance, thechild or man for whom offerings were promised to God is weighed againstofferings ranging from gold to fruits. Ezharaponnana Ezhara Ponnana refers to the seven large-sized and onesmall-sized golden elephant (called Ezharaponnana), all of which are kept inthe temple vault and taken out once a year for darshan by the devotees. Of theeight statuettes, seven have a height of two ft., and the eighth one is half thatsize, hence the name Ezhara (seven-and-a-half) Ponnana (Golden elephants). According to legend, they were presented to the temple byAnizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the founder of the Travancore kingdom. According to another story, while Marthanda Varma had pledgedto present the ‘ponnana’, the offering was made during the reign of hissuccessor, Maharaja Karthika Thirunal. There are also differing stories about the reason for theoffering: some believe it was offered as a penalty for the damages suffered bythe temple during the annexation of Thekkumcore by Travancore; others believeit was the offering made when the marauding army of the Tipu Sultan washammering on the gates of Travancore. The statuettes are made of a jackfruittree and covered in gold plates weighing nearly 13 kg. Highest point oftemple festival The Ezhara Ponnana Darshan is one of the high points of thetemple festival, held at midnight on the eighth day of the ten-day festival.Ezhara Ponnana Darshan begins with the ceremonial procession of the eightgolden elephant statuettes. The devotees later keep them at the AsthanaMandapam for the annual darshan. The Ezhara Ponnana (Seven-and-a-Half Golden Elephants) at theEttumanoor Mahadevar Temple in Kottayam, Kerala, refers to eight gold-covered elephantstatues (seven full, one half-sized) kept in the temple vault, revealed duringthe annual festival, symbolizing prosperity and luck, with legends linking themto offerings for temple damages or defence against invaders like Tipu Sultan,making it a major highlight of the vibrant festival. What it is: Seven and a Half Elephants: These are eight beautifullycrafted elephant figures, covered with gold sheets, housed in the templetreasury. Festival Highlight: They are brought out for public viewing(darshan) once a year during the temple's main festival, a spectacular event. Symbol of Fortune: The Ezhara Ponnana is seen as a potent symbol of good fortuneand prosperity for devotees. The Festival: The Ezhara Ponnana procession is a key part of the annualten-day festival at the Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva(Ettumanoorappan). The grand darshan happens at midnight on the eighth day ofthe festival. This unique spectacle draws huge crowds, making it one ofKerala's most captivating temple traditions The annual Ezhara Ponnana procession at the Ettumanoor SreeMahadeva Temple in Kottayam is one of the most captivating sights associatedwith Kerala's temple festivals. Ezhara Ponnana translates to seven-and-a-halfgolden elephants, representing seven two-foot-high elephants and one additionalelephant standing at just one foot tall, collectively known as the'seven-and-half elephants.' Celebrated in the Malayalam month of Kumbham (February &March), the festival's highlight is the night procession of these goldenelephants on the eighth day. The festival concludes with the Aaraattu ceremonyon the tenth day, which falls on the Thiruvathira asterism. The procession alsofeatures caparisoned elephants and a traditional temple orchestra, adding tothe grandeur of the occasion. The Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple, renowned for its ancientmurals, including a notable depiction of Nataraja in the gopuram, holds asignificant place in Kerala's cultural and religious landscape. According tolegend, the Pandavas and sage Vyasa worshipped at this temple, furtherenhancing its historical importance. The temple's annual festival, featuring the Ezhara Ponnana,is celebrated with great fervor. The ten-day festival, commencing in Kumbham(February/March), includes the Aaraattu procession, elephant pageantry, andcultural performances. Legend has it that the golden elephants were offered to thetemple deity by the Travancore ruler, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Thesegolden elephants, made from jackfruit wood and covered with nearly thirteenkilograms of gold, are kept in the temple vault and displayed once a yearduring the festival. The Ezhara Ponnana Darshanam (ceremonial sighting) isperceived as a symbol of luck and is the high point of the festival. Takingplace at midnight on the eighth day, this grand spectacle, featuring the goldenstatuettes alongside caparisoned elephants and traditional temple orchestra,offers an once-in-a-lifetime experience, reflecting Kerala's rich religious andcultural history. Valiya vilakku A unique feature of this temple is the eternal flame lampcalled Valiyavilakku (big lamp) that can be seen at the entrance to sanctum. Ithas a little story behind it. When the Ettumanoor Siva Temple was rebuilt in1540 CE, one evening an unknown devotee brought a big oil lamp to the temple.Somebody had doubts about how such a large Iamp could be lit as it would needlots of oil. The devotee replied that even if there was no oil in the lamp, itwould remain alight. He disappeared after placing the lamp in its presentposition in the area called Balickalpura (a sacrificial platform where foodofferings are placed). It is believed that when this lamp was fixed, there wasa streak of lightning that lit the lamp for the first time. This lamp hasalways been burning since then. A main offering by devotees here is sesame oil. The soot thataccumulates on the under surface of the shade over the lamp is believed to curemany eye diseases. Many devotees testify that any incurable disease will becured and any desire will be fulfilled by performing a pilgrimage to thistemple. They take a vow to offer thulabharam, the weight in rice or any otherproduct to Aghoramurthi Siva. They also eat a few red rice grains taken fromthe belly of the giant bronze bull that is believed to cure any stomachdiseases. Offerings Offerings have greater importance in Eattumanoor temple. Thedeity is in a mood to receive offerings. Few of them are listed below:- S.No Seva/ PoojaName Ticket Cost 1 Ganapati Homam Rs.60 2 AshtadravyaGanapathi Homam Rs.500 3 Bhaghavathi Seva Rs.300 4 Mrithunjaya Homam Rs.100 5 Mazhukkappu Rs.100 6 Kalabhabhishekam Rs.1600 7 Ksheeradhaara Rs.400 8 Jaladhaara, Rs.1009 Pal Payasam Rs.40 10 Kootu Paysam Rs.30 11 KadumPayasam Rs.45 12 Pizhinju Payasam Rs.45 13 Aravana Rs.50 14 Appam Rs.50 15 Namaskaram Rs.20 16 Kootta Namaskaram Rs.40 17 Kalamezhuthu Paatt Rs.1100 18 Chirapp Rs.1200 19 Utsavabali Rs.2500 20 Pushpabhishekam Rs.1000 21 Shathakalasam Rs.1000 22 Sahasrakalasam Rs.10000 23 Aalu vilakku Rs.350 24 AyillyamPooja Rs.35 25 AikyamathaSooktharchana Rs.50 26 Kudumbharchana Rs.50 27 Umamaheshwaraarchana Rs.30 28 Nirayum Puthariyum Rs.15 29 Thrikkai Venna Rs.11 30 Chuttu Vilakku onerow Rs.1650 31 Chathushatham Rs.1250 32 Udyasthamana Pooja Rs.6250 Location Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple is located between the Ernakulamdistrict and the Kottayam district. It is 54 km from Ernakulam and 12 km fromKottayam. The nearest towns to the temple are Kidangoor, Pala, and Kaduthuruty. Administration The temple is under Tranvancore Devaswam board. Address of the temple Ettumanoor Sree Mahadeva temple. Ettumanoor. Kottayam. Kerala- 686631. Vazhipadu enquiry & booking 8078133375. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1117538602.3001614.1767161953650%40mail.yahoo.com.
