Payyanur Subrahmaniya swamy temple is one of the oldest and rarest temples which is considered as the apex of Lord Muruga worship in Kerala. Lord Muruga is called as Payyanur Perumal the "Lord of Payyanur" and erstwhile Malabar region. Payyanur is situated in Kannur district of Kerala, 21 km north to Thaliparambu on NH-17. The place derives its name also from Sri Subrahmanya Swami where 'Payyan' is an appellation of Lord Subrahmanya and ‘Ooru' means the place. Thus Payyanur means the land of Lord Subrahmanya.
The temple is believed to be constructed by Lord Parasurama and in Brahmanda Purana the temple and its town is being mentioned while Sage Garga explains about Kerala to Pandavas during their exile. This temple was destroyed two times. Once due to a fire and then during the attack of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. The temple was reconstructed in the present form in 1792 AD. The temple is blessed with a two-storied sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) which is in exemplary “Gajaprishta” (back of an elephant) style and is a rare architecture as far as temples of Kerala are concerned. The idol of the main deity Lord Subrahmanya is about 6-ft tall. It is again another rareity as most idols in the temples of Kerala are much small. The Ilanji tree in the front-yard of the temple remains a surprise to all devotees since this tree always flowers but never fruits.
Payyanur Pavithram or Pavithra Mothiram is internationally famous like Aranmula Mirror or Ambalapuzha Palpayasam. According to Agni Purana and Mahabharatha, it has been a tradition in India to make the pavithra ring out of the holy darbha grass and wear it while performing certain religious rites. It was very difficult to make the ring in darbha every time and it is uncustomary to reuse the ring which is already used for one ritual. Hence, there need to be a way to wear the pavitra ring in a more convenient manner.
According to our tradition in Kerala, the pavithra ring was made in gold for the first time during the Naveekarana-kalasam (deity-reinstallation ceremony) in the famed Sri Subrahmanya Swami Temple of Payyanur after the reconstruction of the ancient temple two centuries ago. It was the Tantri (the chief authority on tantric matters related to temples) of the temple, who entrusted Sri Kelappan Perunthattan of the Chovvattavalappil family to make the ring in gold and gave him the necessary guidance. The adept craftsman accordingly grasped the structural nuances of the ring which made it potent with spiritual power. It was by wearing this pavithra ring in gold made by Sri Kelappan Perunthattan that the Thanthri completed all the rituals. Thereafter, it became a convention to make the ring in gold, and the successors of Sri Kelappan Perunthattan became traditional experts in its making.
For the fabrication of the ring in gold, the craftsman first converts gold into thin wires and then winds and twines them to form the patterns on a circular base. The special and precise manner of weaving the complex knot is its most important feature. It takes three days' work to make a pavithra ring. The makers are always pure vegetarians and teetotalers. During the creation of the ring, they observe certain spiritual disciplines. After the completion of the work, the craftsman takes the ring to Sri Subrahmanya Swami temple of Payyanur for worship. With the performance of the worship, it is believed that its spiritual potency is activated and it becomes vibrant with divine energy.
The structure of the ring is based on the yogic knowledge of the subtle energies in the human body. According to certain yoga traditions, the kundalini, or spiritual force, lays dormant in the first chakra, the muladhara, at the base of the spine. For the kundalini to be released and move upward through the chakras, a psychic "knot" or seal called the brahma grandhi must be untied through the practice of spiritual disciplines. It is this brahma grandhi vibhedana (a sanskrit word which means an act of disuniting) which is represented in the ring which corresponds to the risen spiritual force of the priest necessary for him to correctly perform the rituals and invoke the Gods. Wearing of the pavithra ring implies an effort to achieve the inner purity for activating the kundalini energy to pierce the brahma grandhi, which brings a new dimension of harmony to human life. The three lines on the top of the ring represents the three vital "nadees"(nerves) of the human body, Ida, Pingala and Sushumna.
Other explanations are given for the intricate design. One is that the interwoven gold strands represent the interwoven planes of existence or the infinite complex intertwinings of existence; another that they serve to ward off malevolent influences. The pavithra ring is to be worn on the ring finger of the right hand. In most of the Vedic and Tantric rituals the right hand, with which the yajnas, homas and pujas are performed, is purified by wearing a pavithra ring on the ring finger.
The major festival of this temple, the Aradhana Mahotsavam is celebrated from the 1st of Vrishchikam to 14th of the same month of the Malyalam Era. Aradhana Festival is considered as the festival of the whole Payyanur.It marks the beginning of the festival season of Payyanur and neighboring places. A number of cultural events are also held along with the 14-day long Aradhana festival.
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One can order "Payyanur Pavitram" rings at:
http://www.pavithrajewellers.com/
(There are quite a few similar ones also.. o_0)
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One can order "Payyanur Pavitram" rings at:
http://www.pavithrajewellers.com/
(There are quite a few similar ones also.. o_0)
