Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple
Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple | |
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Kerala architecture | |
Website | |
http://www.thrikodithanamtemple.com/ |
Thrikodithanam Mahavishnu Temple is a
It is one of the five ancient shrines in the
Legend
It is one of the five ancient shrines around the
The Divya Kshetram was built by
Architecture
The presiding deity in the temple is Athpudha Narayanan, who is also named as "Amirutha Narayanan". The presiding deity is sported in standing posture facing the east direction. His consort is Karpagavalli.
Between the entrance of Nallambalam to the sanctum, there is a raised square platform called Namaskara Mandapa (altar) which has a pyramidal roof. Thevrapura, the kitchen used to cook offering to the deity is located on the left of Namaskara Mandapa from the entrance. Balithara is an altar is used for making ritualistic offering to demi-gods and the festive deities. The sanctum called Sreekovil, houses the image of the presiding deity. It is on an elevated platform with a single door reached through a flight of five steps. Either sides of the doors have images of guardian deities called
Kazhuvetti Kallu – The strange statue outside
Between the pond and the eastern entrance, near a public platform for arts and discourses, is a strange granite statue. It is a man flat on his back, held up stiff and straight on a stone pillar about six feet high. Only his waist rests on the pillar, rest of the body is unsupported. He holds a shankhu (conch shell) in his left hand and wears the sacred thread indicative of the Brahmin castes. At one time the statue wore a crown as well. The idol is a stern reminder that bribery, cheating and dishonesty cannot be tolerated. Anybody who goes after these evils will be met with the capital punishment, such as, that met with the man lying on the stone. Common folklore about this stone idol has a story of jealousy, indiscretion and swift retribution.
The ruler of Chembakaserry kingdom was a renowned Nambuthiri Brahmin who took pride in the prosperity of his own kingdom and Sri Krishna temple. Since temples were then considered keystones to a kingdom's spiritual and temporal well-being, the King decided to embarrass the rulers of Nanrulainattu (capital-Thrikodithanam) by making a deliberate, untimely visit to the famous Vishnu Temple. He arrived in Thrikodithanam after the Seiveli puja (the last ceremony of the day) and after the temple had closed. It is considered very inauspicious to open a temple after the gods are put to rest, but still, the King forced an entry by bribing a caretaker. When the rulers of Nanrulainattu discovered this indiscretion, they were furious. The caretaker was beheaded and, soon, the Chambakaserry king too fell ill and died. So this stone figure was installed near the temple entrance to deter any future offenders and to remind everybody of the consequences of disturbing the gods. Another version of the story lays the blame on the king of Ambalapuzha for this surreptitious darshana.[3]
Religious importance
Arputha Narayana temple is revered in
The temple is open from 4 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 7 pm on all days leaving festive days. The two major festivals celebrated in the temple are
Notes
- ^ Cultural Heritage of Kerala 2008, pp. 44-45
- ^ Rao 2012, pp. 17-20
- ^ a b c d e R., Dr. Vijayalakshmy (2001). An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam (1st ed.). Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies. pp. 456–7.
- ^ Rao 2012, pp. 12-13
- ^ Cultural Heritage of Kerala 2008, p. 139
- ISBN 9788177552577.
- JSTOR 40460291.
- ^ Cultural Heritage of Kerala 2008, p. 151
- ^ ISBN 9788192128443.
- ^ "Sri Arputha Narayanan temple". Dinamalar. 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
References
- Cultural Heritage of Kerala. Kerala, India: DC Books. 2008. ISBN 9788126419036.
- Rao, A.V. Shankaranaryana (2012). Temples of Kerala. Vasan Publications. ISBN 978-81-89888-94-7.
External links
- http://www.thrikodithanamtemple.com/
- Thrikodithanam Maha-Vishnu Kshetram - https://thrikodithanam.wordpress.com/