Ammachiveedu Muhurthi
Encyclopedia
Ammachiveedu Muhurthi is a Hindu
temple located in the Kollam district
of the state of Kerala
, India
. It is estimated to be around 600 years old, and holds an annual 10-day celebration during the Dhanu
festival.
.
is small, measuring only 4 feet by 4 feet, by 6 feet tall.
The temple has a Peedam (small platform), clad with silver plate, upon which the deity stands. Two Shankha
, in golden covers, are placed over the Peedam.
The temple has a number of other deities seated outside, including Ganesha
, Rektha Chamundi, Paramparu, Ykshi, Marutha, Rekshas, Gandharvan, Vethalam, and Yogeshwaran. Another deity, Ginnu, is placed outside the temple premises and is worshipped by the Muslim
community.
Adjoining the temple there is a Sarpakavu, or snake grove, which houses images of Parappooramma Bhagavathi, Nagaraja
, Nagayakshi, and Naga Kanyaka.
(teacher) of the Dharmaśāstra
, of the Shasthamkotta temple, about 35 km away.
The deity was entrusted to the elders of the Ammachi Veedu family as a recognition of the marriage ceremonies carried out at the temple, and they are now also revered as "Brahma Rakshas" on the right hand of the deity. Because the deity of the temple has the status of a guru, members of the family are prohibited from entering the premises of the Shasthamkotta temple.
The Ammachiveedu Muhurthi temple has no caste
bar, and is used by worshippers of various castes and creeds.
The ceremonies of Sarpa Bali (sacrifice of snakes) and Noorum Palum (making offerings to snakes) are conducted by the priest from the Pampummekkattu Mana, in Mala
, in the Thrissur
district.
The temple's main annual festival has no specific date, but falls during Dhanu
, which runs from mid-December to early January, and is always held after the Mandala Puja at the Sabarimala
Dharma Shastra
temple. By an agreement, members of Ammachiveedu must not make a pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
On the 10th day the Karanavan (the eldest male in the family) conducts the puja in the Kalam specially prepared for the purpose, when boiled Ninam is offered to the deity.
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 located in the Kollam district
Kollam district
-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...
of the state of 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...
. It is estimated to be around 600 years old, and holds an annual 10-day celebration during the Dhanu
Dhanu
In the Hindu religion, Dhanu, which is generally referred to as Dhanu Yatra, is a festival holiday relating to Lord Krishna's visit to Mathura. This visit was made to witness the ceremony of Bow...
festival.
History
Although there are no historical records of the early history of the temple, it is thought to have been founded around 600 years ago by the Ammachi Veedu family ("Ammachi Veedu" means "Ammachi home"), aristocrats from KollamKollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
.
Structure
The Ammachiveedu Muhurthi's GarbhagrihaGarbhagriha
Garbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of a Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of the primary deity of the temple...
is small, measuring only 4 feet by 4 feet, by 6 feet tall.
The temple has a Peedam (small platform), clad with silver plate, upon which the deity stands. Two Shankha
Shankha
Shankha bhasam , also spelled and pronounced as Shankh and Sankha, is a conch shell of ritual and religious importance in Hinduism and Buddhism. It is the shell of a large predatory sea snail,Turbinella pyrum found in the Indian Ocean....
, in golden covers, are placed over the Peedam.
The temple has a number of other deities seated outside, including Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
, Rektha Chamundi, Paramparu, Ykshi, Marutha, Rekshas, Gandharvan, Vethalam, and Yogeshwaran. Another deity, Ginnu, is placed outside the temple premises and is worshipped by the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community.
Adjoining the temple there is a Sarpakavu, or snake grove, which houses images of Parappooramma Bhagavathi, Nagaraja
Nagaraja
Nagaraja is a Sanskrit word from naga and raj meaning King of Snakes. It is applied to three main deities, Anantha , Takshak, and Vasuki. Anantha, Vasuki and Takshak are brothers, children of Kashyap and Kadru, who are the parents of all snakes...
, Nagayakshi, and Naga Kanyaka.
Dedication
The Ammachiveedu Muhurthi temple has no main idol, and is dedicated to the guruGuru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
(teacher) of the Dharmaśāstra
Dharmasastra
Dharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning, pertaining to Hindu dharma, religious and legal duty. The voluminous textual corpus of Dharmaśāstra is primarily a product of the Brahmanical tradition in India and represents the elaborate scholastic...
, of the Shasthamkotta temple, about 35 km away.
The deity was entrusted to the elders of the Ammachi Veedu family as a recognition of the marriage ceremonies carried out at the temple, and they are now also revered as "Brahma Rakshas" on the right hand of the deity. Because the deity of the temple has the status of a guru, members of the family are prohibited from entering the premises of the Shasthamkotta temple.
The Ammachiveedu Muhurthi temple has no caste
Caste system in India
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis....
bar, and is used by worshippers of various castes and creeds.
Festivals and Ceremonies
Various pujas (ceremonies, or festivals) are performed at the Ammachiveedu Muhurthi temple, at auspicious times.The ceremonies of Sarpa Bali (sacrifice of snakes) and Noorum Palum (making offerings to snakes) are conducted by the priest from the Pampummekkattu Mana, in Mala
Mala, Kerala
Mala is the name of a small town in Thrissur district of Kerala, south India. K. Karunakaran, the former Chief Minister of Kerala, represented Mala constituency from 1965 to 1995. The famous Malayalam film actor Mala Aravindan is also a native of Mala. There is a Jewish synagogue at Mala town ). ...
, in the 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...
district.
The temple's main annual festival has no specific date, but falls during Dhanu
Dhanu
In the Hindu religion, Dhanu, which is generally referred to as Dhanu Yatra, is a festival holiday relating to Lord Krishna's visit to Mathura. This visit was made to witness the ceremony of Bow...
, which runs from mid-December to early January, and is always held after the Mandala Puja at the Sabarimala
Sabarimala
Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in India with an estimated 45–50 million devotees visiting every year. Sabarimala is believed to be the place where the Hindu God Ayyappan...
Dharma Shastra
Dharmasastra
Dharmaśāstra is a genre of Sanskrit texts and refers to the śāstra, or Indic branch of learning, pertaining to Hindu dharma, religious and legal duty. The voluminous textual corpus of Dharmaśāstra is primarily a product of the Brahmanical tradition in India and represents the elaborate scholastic...
temple. By an agreement, members of Ammachiveedu must not make a pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
On the 10th day the Karanavan (the eldest male in the family) conducts the puja in the Kalam specially prepared for the purpose, when boiled Ninam is offered to the deity.