Thiruvairanikulam Mahadeva Temple – Kerala

Address

Thekkumbhagom,

Ernakulam district,

Kerala 683580

Phone: 0484 260 0182

Moolavar

Mahadeva

Amman

Parvathi

Introduction

Thiruvairanikkulam Mahadeva temple is the most popular Siva Parvathy temple in South India. The temple is situated in Vellarappally near Kalady of Ernakulam district, in the state of Kerala. Kalady is renowned as the birth place of great Adisankara, a Philosopher who advocated the treatise of Advaitha Vedanta. Thiruvairanikulam Mahadeva Temple is one of the ancient temples of Kerala dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. The Thiruvairanikulam temple is also known as the Sabarimala of woman. The temple doors of Goddess Parvathi are opened only for 12 days in the month of December-January (once in a year).

Puranic Significance

It is believed that the temple was found during the period of Agnihotri – one among the legendary Parayi Petta Panthirukulam. The Temple is believed to be 1000-2000 years old.

The history of the temple is related to that of Akavoor Mana, one of the owners of the land there. The Airanikulam village was under the rule of Akavoor Mana at that period. One of the members of the family was an ardent devotee of Airanikulam Mahadeva. But when he became old and was not able to travel, Akavoor Chathan, one of the twelve in the legendary Parayi Petta Pantheerukulam and who was then associated with Akavur Mana, made a boat out light granite. They both went to the temple. On their return to Mana after praying at the temple, the Brahmin felt that his umbrella was heavier than usual. However, the umbrella lost its weight when he stopped en route to relieve himself after setting the umbrella down. Later a woman who tried sharpening her knife for cutting grass found that the stone she scraped the tool against started bleeding. Akavur Chathan told to Brahmin all about how Lord Mahadeva travelled on the top of the old Brahmin’s umbrella and settled down at the place where he took a break in journey. It was indeed Airanikulathappan who had appeared in the form of a stone. As Lord Mahadeva came from Airanikkulathappan, this temple came to be known as Thiruvairanikkulam. On seeing the stone bleeding, the woman got scared and ran around screaming aloud. The area covered by her was given to the temple authorities when Thiruvairanikulam temple was installed.

The unique feature Thiruvairanikulam Temple is that the shrine of Lord Shiva is open all round the year; but, the temple of Parvathi is open only for 12 days in a year. The shrine of the Goddess Parvati is opened during the Malayalam month of Dhanu (mid December – mid January), beginning from the Thiruvathira nakshatram, the birthday of Lord Shiva. A grand festival is celebrated at the Thiruvairanikulam Shiva temple during the opening period called as Nadathurappu Mahothsavam.

Special Features

The temple complex is situated in 40 cents out of the total 1.5 acre area. The structure has got a Sreekovil, namaskara mandapam, sub-shrines, chuttambalam with agra-mandapam, pradakshina vazhi and deepasthambham. The wall of Sreekovil has got wooden vyali (dragon) figurines carved over heads of elephants. There are exquisite wooden carvings depicting episodes from Deva-Asura battles, Devotsava and Nava-grahas are there on the ceiling of Namaskara Mandapam.

A remarkable feature of this temple is that the deities of Siva and Parvathy in the temple face in the opposite direction, which is unusual. Another unique feature is that the sanctum of Goddess Parvathy is open only for twelve days in a year. The chief deity of the temple is Lord Shiva, who sits facing the east while the Goddess Parvathy faces the west. It is believed that Lord Shiva and Parvathy who resides in the temple grant the boon of marriage to their devotees. In front of the sanctum sanctorum is the idol of Lord Nandikeshwara and adjacent to the shrine facing the east is Lord Vigneshwara. Inside the surrounding wall and outside Nalambalam, in Mithunam Rasi facing the west are the idols of the universal mother, Sathidevi and Goddess Kali who dotes on her devotees. Lord Dharmasastha the Kaliyugavaradan is placed in Kanni rasi and the four armed Lord Vishnu sits in Kumbham Rasi facing east.

Festivals

Uma Maheswara Pooja, Velioth and Thalika Nivedyam are considered as the main offerings in the temple. During the 12 festival days when the Sreekovil is open for the public, Goddess Parvathi is bathed in oriental silks, Pattu and Thali and turmeric powder. During the festival, temple will remain open from 4:30 am to 1:30 pm and from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm.