Glory of the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala Travels
Posted On May 22, 2012
Thrissur is a major city in the city of Kerala and lies on the rail line connecting Coimbatore and Cochin. Thrissur got its name from Tiru Siva Perur. It was once also called the Vrihaschal or the Nandi Hill. The Vadakkunnathan Temple is a religious spot located in this lovely region called Thrissur. It is the most prominent landmark in the town.
Legend has it that Parasurama worshipped Sankaranaryana, Shiva and Rama and he wanted to install one image of Shiva. He meditated upon Lord Shiva but when he opened his eyes he got the image of Vishnu in front of him. Parasurama installed this image as Lord Rama and continued meditating at the end of which he saw a Lingam, with Shiva on one side and Rama on the other. When Parasurama meditated further he saw the combined image of Vishnu and Shiva which is Sankaranarayana. So the Vadakkunnathan Temple is a place where there are three shrines ¨C one for Shiva the other for Rama and the third for Sankaranaryana. There is a shrine for Parvati behind the Shiva temple.
The interesting part of the temple is that vadakkunathar is worshipped in the form of a mound of butter. The Shivalingam is inside this huge mound of ghee which has never stopped growing. In spite of the hot climate and the innumerable lamps that are lit here, yet, the ghee or butter doesn’t melt. Again, the ghee that is accumulated here does not get any foul odour here. Strange? Yes, but this is true. This Ghee linga is around 12 feet tall and 25 feet in width. It is as solid as a rock and is not affected by any abhishek that is done on it. It is said that this ghee has got medicinal curing properties and cures prolonged diseases, infertility etc.
This Ghee Linga, 12 feet tall and 25 feet wide is as solid as a rock though made of ghee. If ghee so appears from the Linga, it does not melt and disappears immediately. The Linga is not affected though abhishek is performed with sandal, rosewater, etc. He is worshipped as Vadakkunathar. As the Lord of the 14 worlds, He grants the boons sought by the devotees. The ghee used in the abhishek of Vadakkunathar is consumed by those suffering from prolonged diseases, infertility etc. for cure.
There is a shrine dedicated to Vettakkorumakan which is a Kerala deity, there are shrines for Ganesha, Gopalakrishna and Ayappa,and there is a shrine for Adi Shankaracharya which has a roofless shrine and has a chakra and a shankh.
Spanning over an area of around 9 acres this is surrounded by a wall and has towered entrances. There is a conical vimanam on the circular shaped sanctum of this temple of intrigue. The temple is entered through the western entrance and there is a gigantic Kootambalam or the theater hall that lies to the left. This is a wonderful piece of architecture and has the best combination of structural elegance and intelligent brains. There are three kalasams here.
The Vadakkunnathan Temple is the venue of the Thrissur Pooram though the temple or the deity has no connection with the occassion. Shivarathri is celebrated in a grand manner here. The temple is located on the Thekkinkadu Ground or the Teak Forest zone of the Thrissur region. This is the first of the 108 Shiva temples and is revered as one of the Mahakshetras.
The Peepal tree in this temple is world wide famous. It is said that this is the tree under which Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati gave darshan to Parasurama and this place is thus called the Sreemoolasthanam. The darshan of the deities is done in a specific way here. Lord Shiva, Lord Rama and Lord Sankaranarayana face west, Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha face east.
The Vadakkunnathan Temple with its beautiful sculptures and painting on the walls really looks good with such decorative creations.
