Eravikulangara temple
Encyclopedia
Eravikulangara Bhagavathy Temple is an ancient Hindu
temple in the Ernakulam district
of Kerala
, India
, dedicated to Bhagavan
Sivan
and Bhagavan Ayyappan
.
, between Kalady
(the birth place of Adi Sankara) and Aluva
. The temple is almost a kilometer away from the Nedumbassery International Airport
and 500 meters away from the Kariyad Junction at NH47.
had 'The Darshan
of Devi
' (the sight of the divine) at this place, hence the hillock where the temple is situated is also called Thiruviluam Kunnu.
The presence of Lord Shiva and Sastha (Ayyappan) were also found later on and devotees started to worship them too. A Thambula Prasna was conducted in the year 2007. It has emphasized the need of Prathishta of Brahma Rakshas and Nāga
Sarppam in the temple premises and it is done with thanthric rituals in October 2008
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 in the Ernakulam district
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
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...
, dedicated to Bhagavan
Bhagavan
Bhagavan, also written Bhagwan or Bhagawan, from the Sanskrit nt-stem literally means "possessing fortune, blessed, prosperous" , and hence "illustrious, divine, venerable, holy", etc.In some traditions of Hinduism it is used to...
Sivan
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Bhagavan Ayyappan
Ayyappan
Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sastha, who is the son of Shiva and Vishnu . The name "Ayyappan" is used as a respectful form of address in the Malayalam language, spoken in the Indian state of Kerala...
.
Location
The temple is situated in the village of AkaparambuAkaparambu
Akaparambu, or Akapparambu, is a village in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India near the Cochin International Airport and south of the town of Angamaly. The people are mostly Malayam Christians of the Syrian Orthodox Church, but there are many Hindus and other religions who all live together in...
, between Kalady
Kalady
Kalady is a village located east of the Periyar river, in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. Notably, it is the birthplace of Sri Adi Shankara, and thus is a popular destination for pilgrims...
(the birth place of Adi Sankara) and Aluva
Aluva
Aluva , is a suburb of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Aluva is also a major industrial center of the state....
. The temple is almost a kilometer away from the Nedumbassery International Airport
Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...
and 500 meters away from the Kariyad Junction at NH47.
Prathistha (Origin)
The Ashtamangalya prasna conducted here has revealed that the temple is around 1600 years old. It is also understood from the prasna that ages back the temple was amidst a dense forest and presence of Devi was found here. Vilwamangalam SwamiyarVilwamangalam Swamiyar
Vilwamangalam Swamiyar was a Brahmin saint who lived during the middle of 14th century in Kerala. He was such an ardent devotee of Lord Guruvayoorappan that he is said to have the ability to actually see the lord whenever he wanted. Even though he is a Keralite, his fame as a poet had spread...
had 'The Darshan
Darshan
or Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine" in Hindu worship, e.g. of a deity , or a very holy person or artifact...
of Devi
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
' (the sight of the divine) at this place, hence the hillock where the temple is situated is also called Thiruviluam Kunnu.
The presence of Lord Shiva and Sastha (Ayyappan) were also found later on and devotees started to worship them too. A Thambula Prasna was conducted in the year 2007. It has emphasized the need of Prathishta of Brahma Rakshas and Nāga
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:* Nāga, a group of serpent deities in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.-People:* Nayan / Nayar/Nair people of Kerala Society* Naga people, a diverse ethnic identity in Northeast India...
Sarppam in the temple premises and it is done with thanthric rituals in October 2008
Aitihya (Legends)
There are various aitihya told about this temple.- A Brahmachari BrahmanBrahmacharyaBrahmacharya is one of the four stages of life in an age-based social system as laid out in the Manu Smrti and later Classical Sanskrit texts in Hinduism. It refers to an educational period of 14–20 years which starts before the age of puberty. During this time the traditional vedic sciences are...
scholar in the nearby Padappa Mana, known as Sankara Sarma, was worshiping BhadrakaliBhadrakaliBhadrakāli , is one of the forms of the Great Goddess mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. In Sanskrit, the word Bhadra means "blessed", "auspicious", "fair", "beautiful", "good", "fortunate", "prosperous"....
in his IllamIllamIllam is a malayalee lineage system used for classification and identification of castes in Kerala, South India. The House of Namboothiries are also called the Brahmaalayam or Mana...
. When he wanted to go for Sanyasa, he performed prathishta of Bhadrakali in this temple and left for KasiKasiKASI or Kasi may refer to:* Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, South Korea* Kingdom of Kashi, or Kasi, an ancient kingdom with Varanasi as its capital* 1430KASI, a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa...
. The goddess has become so powerful due to the prana prathishta done by this AcharyaAcharyaIn Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
.
- Old timers have been reminiscing many legendary events about this sacred temple. One of them is about a ‘Divine light’ that was seen in the dense forest on the bank of the lake by the villagers who went to graze their cattle. The news had spread “ Aa parambil adbhudam!!!”. This land was later known as Akapparambu. People started worshiping the divine presence there, which later on transformed as this temple.
- Once two youths were enacting as Bhadrakali and DarikaDarikaDarika is a character in Mudiyettu, a ritualistic dance from the Bhagavathi or Bhadrakali cult, usually performed only in the Kali temples of Kerala...
. During the play both of them had the presence of Devi and AsuraAsura-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
in them. The play went on and Devi chopped the head of Darika. His body and head had become two rocks and these rocks still exist near the temple. These are called as “Darika Para”.
- One more story is told about these rocks. There was a washerwoman (Velathy) who used to wash clothes regularly in the lake. One day when she had more clothes to wash, she was worried since it was about to be dusk. She took a twig and stuck it in the ground and prayed that sun should not cross the stick before she completed her washing. When Lord Soorya became still, Devi realized it. Devi cursed that woman and she along with her cloth bundle became two rocks. Hence the same rocks are also called as “Velathy Kallu”. The big lake, which is at the south side of the temple, has good significance as per the aitihya and is maintained as it was.