Koodalmanikyam Temple
Encyclopedia
Koodalmanikyam Temple or Kudal Manikkam Temple is an ancient Hindu
temple
in Irinjalakuda
, a small town in Trissur district, Kerala
, India
. Koodalmanikyam Temple has two unique features: the temple holds the deity of Bharata represented as a sage than Bharata as the prince; and it is also the only temple in India dedicated to the worship of Bharata
(Lord Sangameshwara), the brother of Lord Rama
. The temple is one of four in Kerala that form a set called Nalambalam
, with each temple dedicated to one of the four brothers in the Ramayana
epic: Rama
, Bharata
, Lakshmana
and Shatrughna
.
Koodalmanikyam temple plays a key role in the history of Irinjalakuda as most land in and around Irinjalakuda belonged to the Koodalmanikyam Temple. The temple has allotted Devaswam land to accommodate government institutions, Christ College
and for public use to facilitate development activities around the region. Much land that belonged to Koodalmanikyam was subjected to encroachment.
The government appointed a special tahsildar under the Kerala Land Conservancy Act to recover encroached land for the Kochi Devaswom Board and a tahsildar and a surveyor for the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom. The temple also attract devotees and tourists which is a source of revenue for the town.
Sticks and camphor are not used for the pooja. The floral offerings to the deity consist of lotus, tulasi (ocimum sanctum) and chethi (ixora). But they are not grown in the temple compound. No other flower is taken for pooja or for making garlands. Lotus garland is an important offering to the deity. A garland will be offered to the deity which does have not less than 101 lotus flowers.
The temple holds its chief annual festival for ten days each year in the month of Medam
(April/May). The first day of the festival is calculated by the appearance of the Uthram
asterism
and signified by hoisting a ceremonial flag. (The start day falls one day after the famous Thrissur Pooram
festival in nearby Thrissur
.)
Each day of the festival, a seeveli (procession of caparisoned temple elephants) is held twice, once in the morning and once at night, to the accompaniment of Panchari melam
(sacred music). Seventeen elephants take part. Two features of the seeveli are unique to the Koodalmanikyam Temple: first that two baby elephants are included in the procession, one standing on each side of the elephant carrying the deity. Second, while the headdresses ('Netti pattam' in Malayalam) of seven elephants are made of pure gold, the rest are made of pure silver. The last two days of the festival feature Panchavadyam
(sacred music from an orchestra of five instruments), and the festival ends at the Thiruvonam
asterism.
, at the spot. Water from this source is used for rituals and ceremonies within the temple.
Priests are allowed to take part in the ceremonies after clensing themselves at the "Kuttan Kulam" outside the temple and then have to take a dip in "Kulipini Theertham" before entering Sanctum Sanctorum. The pond outside the compound located at the western side is called "Padinjare Kulam" and the pond outside the compound located at the southern side is called "Thekke Kulam". These three water bodies constitute a significant area as much as the size of the temple itself. Except "Kulipini Theertham" the other three water bodies are open to the public.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
in Irinjalakuda
Irinjalakuda
Irinjalakuda is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. It is famous for the sprawling Koodalmanikyam Temple that has Bharata as the main deity and the St Thomas Cathedral in the heart of the City...
, a small town in Trissur district, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Koodalmanikyam Temple has two unique features: the temple holds the deity of Bharata represented as a sage than Bharata as the prince; and it is also the only temple in India dedicated to the worship of Bharata
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
(Lord Sangameshwara), the brother of Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
. The temple is one of four in Kerala that form a set called Nalambalam
Nalambalam
Nalambalam is a set of four Hindu temples in Kerala. In malayalam, Nalu means four and Ambalam means Temple. These are the temples for the Rama brothers of Ramayana. For more details please visit www.nalambalam.org-Nalambalam Yatra:...
, with each temple dedicated to one of the four brothers in the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
epic: Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, Bharata
Bharata (Ramayana)
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
, Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
and Shatrughna
Shatrughna
Shatrughna was the youngest brother of Lord Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana . He is the twin brother of Lakshmana.-Birth and family:...
.
History
The earliest historical reference to Koodalmanikyam Temple is found in a stone inscription attributed to the Chera king Stanu Ravi Varman dated 854 A.D, donating vast extents of land for the temple. It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that the temple must have been in existence for quite some time before this date and that even then Koodalmanickyam was occupying a place of importance among the temples of Kerala.Koodalmanikyam temple plays a key role in the history of Irinjalakuda as most land in and around Irinjalakuda belonged to the Koodalmanikyam Temple. The temple has allotted Devaswam land to accommodate government institutions, Christ College
Christ College, Irinjalakuda
Christ College is a Roman Catholic College in Irinjalakuda, Kerala, India. Christ College was started in 1956, by the Devamatha Province of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate , an indigenous religious congregation founded in 1831....
and for public use to facilitate development activities around the region. Much land that belonged to Koodalmanikyam was subjected to encroachment.
The government appointed a special tahsildar under the Kerala Land Conservancy Act to recover encroached land for the Kochi Devaswom Board and a tahsildar and a surveyor for the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom. The temple also attract devotees and tourists which is a source of revenue for the town.
Rituals and annual festival
The custom in most of the temples in Kerala is to have five poojas and three sivelis a day. But in Koodalmanikyam there are only three poojas and no siveli. There is no Usha Puja and Pantheeradi Puja at this shrine. The deity is taken out for ceremonial procession only during the annual festival. There is no deeparadhana. There are plans to start deeparadhana here. This is the only temple without it.Sticks and camphor are not used for the pooja. The floral offerings to the deity consist of lotus, tulasi (ocimum sanctum) and chethi (ixora). But they are not grown in the temple compound. No other flower is taken for pooja or for making garlands. Lotus garland is an important offering to the deity. A garland will be offered to the deity which does have not less than 101 lotus flowers.
The temple holds its chief annual festival for ten days each year in the month of Medam
Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
(April/May). The first day of the festival is calculated by the appearance of the Uthram
Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
asterism
Asterism
Asterism may refer to:* Asterism , a pattern of stars* Asterism , an optical phenomenon in gemstones* Asterism , a moderately rare typographical symbol denoting a break in passages...
and signified by hoisting a ceremonial flag. (The start day falls one day after the famous Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur Pooram
Pooram is one of the nakshatras or star in the Hindu panchangam. There are 27 Nakshatras in the Hindu panchangam and a million or more temples in Kerala, and this combination creates numerous possibilities for auspicious occasions, with each temple having varying importance for the different stars...
festival in nearby Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
.)
Each day of the festival, a seeveli (procession of caparisoned temple elephants) is held twice, once in the morning and once at night, to the accompaniment of Panchari melam
Panchari melam
Panchari Melam is a percussion ensemble, canonically lasting more than four hours, performed during temple festivals in Kerala, India. Panchari Melam , is one of the major forms of chenda melam , and is the best-known and most popular kshetram vadyam genre...
(sacred music). Seventeen elephants take part. Two features of the seeveli are unique to the Koodalmanikyam Temple: first that two baby elephants are included in the procession, one standing on each side of the elephant carrying the deity. Second, while the headdresses ('Netti pattam' in Malayalam) of seven elephants are made of pure gold, the rest are made of pure silver. The last two days of the festival feature Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam, literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four -- timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka -- belong to the percussion category, while the fifth one, kombu, is a wind instrument.Much like any...
(sacred music from an orchestra of five instruments), and the festival ends at the Thiruvonam
Malayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
asterism.
Ponds
There are four ponds that are located in and around the temple. The largest of the four are Kuttan Kulam, located outside the compound on the eastern side, and Kulipini Theertham, located inside the compound. Kulipini Theertham is believed to be sanctified by the sage Kulipini Maharshi, who held a great ritual sacrifice, a yajnaYajna
In Hinduism, yajna is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Vedic times. It is performed to please the gods or to attain certain wishes...
, at the spot. Water from this source is used for rituals and ceremonies within the temple.
Priests are allowed to take part in the ceremonies after clensing themselves at the "Kuttan Kulam" outside the temple and then have to take a dip in "Kulipini Theertham" before entering Sanctum Sanctorum. The pond outside the compound located at the western side is called "Padinjare Kulam" and the pond outside the compound located at the southern side is called "Thekke Kulam". These three water bodies constitute a significant area as much as the size of the temple itself. Except "Kulipini Theertham" the other three water bodies are open to the public.
See also
- NalambalamNalambalamNalambalam is a set of four Hindu temples in Kerala. In malayalam, Nalu means four and Ambalam means Temple. These are the temples for the Rama brothers of Ramayana. For more details please visit www.nalambalam.org-Nalambalam Yatra:...
- BharataBharata (Ramayana)In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata was the second brother of the main protagonist Rama, and the son of Dasaratha and Kaikeyi. Dasaratha was the Emperor of Ayodhya and belonged to the Suryavansha or Solar Dynasty...
- RamayanaRamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
- Temples of KeralaTemples of KeralaThe list of the Temples of Kerala, district wise.-Thiruvananthapuram:* Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple* Pazhavangady Maha Ganapati Temple* Sreekanteswaram Shiva Temple* Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple* Kurumkalam Bhagavati Temple* Kovilvila Bhagavati Temple...