Alwaye - Nada Thurappu festival at Thiruvairanikkulam

Thiruvairanikkulam temple is located in Alwaye, in the district of Ernakulam and the presiding deity is Lord Shiva who resides facing east in the sanctum. Just behind Mahadeva resides Goddess Parvathi. Seldom we come across a temple like this with a variety of customs and traditional tenets which is quite different from the ones that are followed by other saivite pantheons.

In front of the Mandapa(raised platform) of Lord Mahadeva's Sreekovil (sanctum), the Rishabam (bull aka Nandi who serves as the holy vehicle of the Lord) prostrates, facing his master. In the lawn nearby, Lord Ganapathi (Vigneswara) is also seen, facing east. Outside the Sreekovil, within the walls of the temple, we could see many sub-deities. To the east, Lord Dharmasastha (Lord Ayyappa) and Lord Mahavishnu; to the west one could see the Sreekovil of Goddess Sati devi and Durga.

Four poojas including one nivedyam are performed in honour of Lord Shiva. Other deities including Rishabham are honored with one nivedyam. The Rishabham, unlike in other temples, cannot be touched by devotees or even by the Kazhakas(one who maintains the temple surroundings). Only Thantris or Brahmins are permitted to do so. If touched by any one else, a cleansing ceremony(punyaham) has to be performed.

Sree Parvathi's idol has unusual significance. The Sreekovil here is open only 12 days a year, in the month of Dhanu from the auspicious Thiruvathira(birthday of Lord Mahadeva). During these days, needless to say, huge crowds flock from across the states to the shrine. The legend has it that any hindrance to marriage, family welfare or prosperity could be washed away by a visit to the temple.

There is a certain relation between the history of Akavoor Mana and the temple formation. Akavoor Manaparambu (the land of Akavur Mana) lies in the Airanikulam village. Brahmins of the Mana were regarded as rulers during that period. Years later, a conflict erupted in the family and a section of them moved to Vellarapilly village. But the Brahmins often visited Lord Mahadeva, known as Airanikulathappan(of Airanikulam Mahadeva temple, Mukundapuram) and Sree Parvathi. It is during this period that Akavoor Chathan came to the Mana as a dependent. Seeing one of the Brahmins desiring to visit the Mahadeva Temple, Akvoor Chathan made a boat of granite and used it to transport the Brahmin to the temple. Years went by and the Brahmin grew old.


One day, after his prayers at the temple, he cried to Mahadeva,"Oh my Lord! I have grown too old to come and see you. What shall I do now?" Soon he started his way back home. He lifted his Olakuda (an umbrella made of palm-leaf), and found it heavier than it really was, and he told Akavoor Chathan about this experience. But Akavoor chathan did not speak a word. Travelling on the boat, Brahmin had the call of nature. Akavoor Chathan immediately moved the boat to a nearby land. Then he took his umbrella and to his surprise it seemed very light now. Then also Akavoor told the Brahmin not to worry about it. After reaching the Manakkal land, the Brahmin got out of the boat and Akavoor Chathan overturned the boat so that it rested on the mud. Even today one see a granite stone there lying upside down. It came to be known as Chathan Stone.

The place mentioned above is where the Thiruvairanikkulam Temple is situated. Earlier it used to be a forest, Pulaya women (women of low caste) used to go there to cleanse the forest. Once, one of the women happened to use the granite stone to sharpen her sickle. All of a sudden, blood started squirting out of the stone and this Pulaya woman lost her mental balance and ran amok. It is said that she ran nearly three kilometers in a frenzy. All the land through which she ran was handed over to the temple authorities by the respective owners. The area is called Varanattu Madam. During the temple festival the poojas are first performed here. The main Irakki pooja is offered only at the temple and in this place. Nowhere else is this pooja offered. This indicates the concern Lord Mahadeva has for Varanattu Madam.

Akavoor Chathan narrated the entire incident to the Brahmin. It was indeed Airanikulathappan who had appeared in the form of a stone. The temple was built and the deity was installed. The deity installation was done by Punalloor Brahmins. But the two families never used to visit the other family temple. As per this legend, Akavoor Manakkal Brahmin and Akavoor Chathan are considered to be behind the temple formation.

When the Brahmin put the umbrella down, Lord Mahadeva who was sitting on the top of it, stepped down and traveled underground to reach first the well and then made for the place where he appeared as Swayambhoo (self born). This is the main reason why we see a relationship between Mahadeva and the well. It is believed that if the holiness of the well is defiled, Mahadeva too is defiled by such an act. To the south of the temple well, one can see a cave that is believed to be the way through which Mahadeva appeared. The Arattu is also done by the banks of the river where Mahadeva stepped down from the umbrella.

Formerly, it was believed that Goddess Parvathi used to prepare food for Lord Mahadeva in the Thidappilli(temple kitchen) when everyone clears the place. However, once one of the Brahmins set out to find the secret. Seeing the Goddess in her full attire, he made some noise out of amazement. Goddess Parvathi saw him and grew angry with him. She said, "As you have deviated from your usual ways of carrying out the rituals, I am leaving". The Brahmin could not stand it. He cried out and implored the Goddess for mercy. The Goddess said, "From now on, I will make my presence felt only from the twelve days beginning from the Thiruvathira, in the month of Dhanu, which is considered as Lord Mahadeva's birthday. The devotees who come to see me on these days will be blessed". It is on this legendary epistle, that the Sreekovil of Goddess Parvathi remains closed. Unlike in other temples the idol of Parvathi here is not offered with Jalabhishekam(a pooja in which water is poured over the Idol). Turmeric powder(Manjal) is used instead of water.

The Sreekovil opens at 4.30 am every day for the morning pooja. The Sreekovil closes after the morning pooja at 10.00 am. It opens again at 5.00 pm, and after Athazha pooja, it closes by 7.30 pm. During Pradosham days (evening of the 13th phase of the moon, 90 minutes before and after sunset) it is considered auspicious for worshipping Siva in all Saivite temples and then thousands congregate for worship and the door of the Sreekovil opens by 5.00 pm for special poojas too.

The temple celebrates an eight-day festival during the month of Kumbha, during Thiruvathira which concludes with an Aarattu. It can be said that no temple in Kerala has such a good and splendid ceremony. There is another ritual of vital importance in the temple. Before the opening of the Sreekovil of Devi Parvathi, the ornaments to be worn by the Goddess are carried from the Akavoor Mana in a colorful procession. People from different quarters of the state, the devotees and the members of the Mana join the procession. It has been said that all those women carrying the 'thalam' (platter) and showering flowers as the procession moves on will be blessed by the Goddess with happy marriage.