History of Kaviyoor - 4

Part - 4

The Temples of Kaviyoor Desham

The Patron goddess (Bharadevatha, ഭരദേവത) of Kaviyoor Brahmin Village

It is bewildering that the bharadevatha of the Kaviyoor Brahmin Gramam is not any deity of the temples of Kaviyoor but a goddess located outside the village at Padapadu (പടപ്പാട്), which belonged to the old Brahmin Gramam of Thiruvalla.

Padapadu is now in the neighbouring village of Kuttappuzha. It was never within the geographical boundaries of ancient or modern Kaviyoor. The goddess was originally Bhadrakaali, but rites are being performed for Vanadurga, a form of Parvathi. The Devaswam Board has renamed the shrine Shree Devi Temple. The ill-advised renaming must have been strategical because the Board wants to attract more people to visit the shrine. By tradition, Sri Devi is Lakshmi, but there are always loopholes in Hindu theology to convince devotees that Parvathi can also be called Sri Devi.

Padappadu Bhagavathi Temple

Generations ago, during their morning and evening prayers, the villagers of Kaviyoor would pray to Bhagavathi of Padapadu first, and only then would they invoke the local deities of Shiva, Parvathi etc. A share of the income of the Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple used to be given to Padapadu Bhagavathi temple. The ancient villagers of Kaviyoor Brahmin Grāmam would frequently visit the Bhagavathi temple for her blessings. It was mandatory for worshippers coming from outside the Grāmam to pay a visit to the Bhagavathi temple as well before or after their visit to the Mahadeva temple.

People looking for Buddhist or Jain connections may find out how Padapadu Bhagavathi became the tutelar deity of Kaviyoor. 

The Padapadu Bhagavathi temple is still a small shrine and can become a pilgrim centre, but the Travancore Devaswom Board, which owns it now, should take the initiative for further development of the temple. Till 2012, on the third day of the annual festival (utsavam) of the shrine, a procession from Padapādu used to come to Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple.

Incidentally, Padapadu Bhagavathi is also one of the three Bharadévathas of the ancient Thiruvalla Brahmin Grāmam, the other two being the deities of Bhagavathi of Alamthuruthi (ആലംതുരുത്തി) and Kariyanattu (Karunattu) Kavu (കരിയനാട്ടുകാവ് / കരുനാട്ടുകാവ്). All the three deities are now considered sisters and worshipped as Parvathi. Each of these temples also used to get a share of the income of the Sri Vallabha temple of Thiruvalla. The shrine’s income from Thiruvalla was much larger than the income from Kaviyoor. Whatever the Padapadu shrine got from the Kaviyoor temple was extra. There was a saying that: Padapadu Pakothikku Thiruvalla Oppavum Kaviyoor Michavum (പടപ്പാടു പകോതിക്കു തിരുവല്ല ഒപ്പവും കവിയൂര്‍ മിച്ചവും). All the three shrines fell within the ancient Thiruvalla Brahmin Grāmam. (Source: Thrikkaviyoor)

The rituals in connection with the annual procession carrying the idol of Padapadu Bhagavathi to Kaviyoor are detailed under Festivals of Mahadeva Temple. The procession does not any longer come to Kaviyoor.

The Mahadeva Temple

It is one of the major temples of Kerala and fills the coffers of the Travancore Devaswom Board, the state body that owns it, handsomely.

Ramu Katakam, the renowned architect-author of Glimpses of Architecture in Kerala, says the Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple ‘is the finest in Kerala’. "More important than the art and architecture of Kaviyur is the sense of elation and excitement it provides. A moment when one realises it may be worth being in this universe." Probably Ramu Katakam visited the temple before the temple yard was disfigured with tiles.

Mahadeva Temple, Kaviyoor

The area around the Mahadeva temple called the Kshéthra Sanketham (ക്ഷേത്രസങ്കേതം) formed the heart of the ancient Brahmin village.

The temple is built, as mentioned earlier, on a small hill, close to a natural reservoir called Polachiŗa (പോളച്ചിറ, Pōļa=water weed, chiŗa = reservoir). The reservoir was also called Ambala-poyka (അമ്പലപ്പൊയ്ക, the temple lake). Nearness to a water-hole or river was an essential vastu criterion for constructing temples in Kerala. The government, after cleaning the lake of weeds and hyacinth, is now using it for pisciculture much to the chagrin of the Hindus of the village. There is, however, no document to show that the lake belonged to the temple. It was not necessary to claim its ownership earlier because the whole village belonged to the temple. The chira was used by the priests ever since the temple was built. The locals also used it in times of scarcity of water.

The Old System of Management of the Mahadeva temple

The management of the temple, gradually developed by the Pottis from C.E. 8^th or 9^th century C.E., had more or less the following structure till 1900 C.E.:

1. Oorāļar /Oorānmakkar (ഊരാളര്‍, ഊരാണ്മക്കാര്‍): The Brahmin-custodians of the temple (Pathillakkaar)
2. Kōyma (The Overall In-Charge, കോയ്മ): The eldest male of the prominent family among the Pathllakkār occupied this post as the head of the phalanx that controlled the temple. Obviously, the post was held traditionally by the Moothedathu family. Koyma was also called Mélkōyma (മേല്‍ക്കോയ്മ, Mél=prefix for ‘above/upper’ or ‘overseeing’). There were no posts of akakoyma and purakoyma (അകക്കോയ്മ, പുറക്കോയ്മ, In-charge of internal and external matters).
3. Tantri (തന്ത്രി), the chief priest, the ultimate decision-maker for rituals. He would also perform the important rites of the temple on special occasions. His approval was mandatory for any changes in or addition or removal of the rituals. This post was thrust on the temple in circa 13^th century C.E., by elite Brahmins to rein in the Pottis.
4. Samudayam (സമുദായം): The equivalent of Office Manager who might have belonged to one of the custodian-families of the temple.
5. Priests (Shantis, ശാന്തിക്കാര്‍) of various sacraria (Nadas): They were the Brahmins who performed the daily rituals (pujas).  The prominent one among them was the Melshanti, priest of the main deities (Siva-Parvathi). The post was reserved for a Brahmin from Kasaragod (from the eight families mentioned earlier under ‘Administration’).
6. Administrators of temple assets (കൈസ്ഥാനികള്‍): The administrators and bursars of the temple were three lower-caste Brahmin families mentioned earlier – Chennéttu illam (ചെന്നേട്ട്), Keeẓ-Chirackal (കീഴ്ച്ചിറയ്ക്കല്‍) illam and Akkara Chirakkal (അക്കരച്ചിറയ്ക്കല്‍) illam. They organized everything connected with daily rituals, preparation of nivedyam (നിവേദ്യം, the oblatory victuals) for the deity etc. and kept the keys of the temple. They also had the obligation of handling legal matters. The Moosaths had the additional privilege of carrying the idols of Siva and Parvathi during the Shiveli  circumambulation (പ്രദക്ഷിണം). They still carry out this function.  All are Moosaths, though the Keezhcirakkal and Akkarachirakkal brahmins use Sharma as their surname, read caste-identifier.
7. Logistic Assistants (കഴകക്കാര്‍): Belonging to a caste called Ambalavasis, these temple hands dealt with Kazhakam (കഴകം), functions related to performing certain support chores and organizing materials for rituals, i.e. holding the long-handled wick lamp, preparation of garlands, flowers etc. Two families of Ambalavasis had been on the job:

• Uņņi (ഉണ്ണി): The Unnis of the Māļikakkal (മാളികയ്ക്കല്‍) family, brought from Mooļiyār, Kasaragod used to be one of the logistical assistants. They are no longer in this profession. Malikakkal might have been their family name at Kasaragod.
• Pishārody (പിഷാരടി) and Vāriyar (വാരിയര്‍): The Pisharody family which used to stay behind the temple is now extinct. Their house was called Pishāram (പിഷാരം). Their replacement, the Variyars, came from Karappuzha, Kottayam, about 200 years ago. The Pishāram, house of Pisharodies, thus became Variyam (വാരിയം), house of Variyars. It is now called Pisharathu Variyam.

After nationalization, the temple manager (the equivalent of Samudayam), Melshanti and other priests of the temple are appointed by the Travancore Devaswom Board. The appointment is done from among their employees who are recruited from all over Kerala. There is no post of Koyma/Mélkoyma. However, the rituals are done under the supervision of the traditional tantri. The families of Variyars, Moosaths and Sharmas also retain their jobs. The priesthood of the Keezh-thrikkovil temple, a shrine dedicated to Mahavishnu, too continues to rest with the Pottis of the Kazhanoor illam.

Founding of the Mahadeva Temple and the Legend of Sri Rāma

Like almost all the Hindu temples, the Kaviyoor temple too has a legend about its establishment. The main idol was consecrated by none other than Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana. After the victory over Rāvaņa, he was returning to Ayodhya aboard his plane Pushpak when he spotted the natural and divine beauty of Kaviyoor. As desired by him, the plane landed near the reservoir, now called the Polachira. He decided to install an idol of Siva there and fixed an auspicious time for the ceremony. He sent his lieutenant Hanūmān to bring an idol from the Himalayas. Hanūmān was a tad late. Fearing that the auspicious time would elapse, Rāma, in a hastily arranged ceremony, installed a stone, anointing it as the idol of Siva. When Hanūmān returned with a large Shivling, a cylindrical stone for worship of Siva, he was dismayed that the idol that he had brought would be of no use. To allay his woes, Rāma told that he would replace it provided Hanūmān could remove the one already in place. Hanūmān’s efforts to pluck out the Shivling failed. Circling his tail tightly around the Shivling, he tried to yank it out, but the place where the idol was installed itself rose, forming a mound, with the idol perfectly intact atop. Realizing that he was incapable of removing the idol his master had fixed, Hanūmān apologized to Rāma and hurled away the Shivling he had brought. To mollify Hanūmān, Rāma then asked him to be the caretaker of the temple.

'Kanikka Mandapam', 150 metres east of the temple, is situated at the junction of the temple lane and the Changanassery-Kaviyoor road. The lane is maintained by the Devaswom Board. An arch was built at Kanikka Mandapam a few decades ago. A Kāņikka petty (cash chest), with a statue of Hanūmān above it, has also been built for receiving cash offerings from passers-by. But there is no Maņdapam (a shed-like structure)! The temple lane from the Kānikka Maņdapam ends in front of the 18 sacred steps of the temple. On the northern side of the lane is the large pond for use by devotees (theerthakkulam, തീര്‍ത്ഥക്കുളം). Such ponds can be seen outside the precincts of major Kerala temples, if there is no river beside them. A devotee was allowed to enter the temple only after a dip in the pond. This practice has been discontinued.

A flight of eighteen granite steps takes one to the main door attached to a tower (gopuram), at the eastern entrance.  It is a simple tower built as per Kerala’s temple architectural rules unlike the huge ornate towers found in many temples of Tamilnadu. After bowing at the first of the 18 steps, a devotee is supposed to chant ‘Amme, Namah ShivAya’ (അമ്മേ! നമ:ശിവായ) at every step. Which hardly anybody does these days.

Siva, Parvathi, Dakshināmoorthi, Ganapathi, Hanūmān, the Serpent gods and Mahavishnu are the deities of the temple, the first two being the main deities. The Mahavishnu temple is administratively attached to the main temple, but ‘tantrically’ it enjoys independent status.  However, during the recent renovation, the sacred stones (Balikkals, ബലിക്കല്ലുകള്‍) including the tantrically important set of nine sacred stones of the temple have been removed.

You can easily find out whether a deity enjoys independent status by locating the sacred stones (balikkal, ബലിക്കല്‍). An independent deity of a temple has a set of nine such sacred stones south of its Sri Kovil (sanctum sanctorum). The stones represent saptamātrukkal (സപ്തമാതൃക്കള്‍, ‘the seven mothers’), Ganapathi and Veerabhadra. These were the divine entities that were asked to accompany Bhadrakaali when she was assigned with the task of eliminating the demon Dārika. (The saptamātrukkal or सप्तमातरः in Sanskrit, are: Brāhmi, Mahéshwari, Kaumāri, Vaishnavi, Vārāhi, Indrāņi and Chāmuņda). If you find nine sacred stones to the south of any Sri Kovil of any Kerala temple, the deity inside it is treated as a main deity, not sub-deity (ഉപദേവത), irrespective of the size and location of their Sri Kovils inside the temple. For instance, Sri Rāma and Ganapthi at Vadakkunnātha Temple, Thrissur should be accorded the same status as Siva because they are not sub-deities. 

Since this article is not intended to cover the temple’s floor plan, structure, chronology of daily tantric rituals etc. let us move on to the deities:

Siva and Parvathi – The Main Deities

The legend of Rāma installing a Siva idol narrated above has a glitch. The people who fabricated it – probably the ruling clan of ancient Pottis and their cohorts – failed to keep in mind that the ‘main deity’ facing east is not just Siva, but both Siva and Parvathi. The invocation (mooladhyana) mantra is:

വാമാങ്ക-ന്യസ്ത-വാമേതര-കര-കമലായാസ്തഥാ വാമ-ബാഹു--

ന്യസ്താ രക്തോൽപ്പലായാ സ്തന-മുകുള-ലസദ് -വാമബാഹുഃ പ്രിയായാഃ |

സർവാകൽപ്പാഭിരാമോ   ധൃത-പരശു-മൃഗേഷ്ട: കരൈ: കാഞ്ചനാഭോ

ധ്യേയഃ പത്മാസനസ്ഥ: സ്മര-ലളിത-തനു: സമ്പദേ പാർവതീശ:  ||

Vaamaangka-nyasta-vaametara-kara-kamalaayaastathaa-vaamabaahu-

nyasta raktholapalaayaa stana-mukula-lasad-vaamabaahu: priyaayaa: |

sarvaakalpaabhiraamo dhruta-parasu-mrugeshta: karai: kaanchanaabho

dhyeya: padmaasanastha: smara-lalita-tanu: sampade paarvateesa: ||

The deities of the nada are described in the four lines above. Parvathi is depicted as sitting on the left lap of Siva, who is ‘as handsome as Kamdeva’. Poet D.K.M. Kartha says that never has he come across a hymn that compares Siva with Kamdeva.

There is an additional nada (നട), though, of Parvathi on the west.

The nada of Siva and Parvathi, facing east, is housed in a huge circular sanctum sanctorum (Sri Kovil). Therefore, the Kaviyoor temple is not just a ‘Mahadeva’ temple. Late Mr. M.V. Sivamāma Iyer, educationist and a Sanskrit scholar of the village, had pleaded in vain with the Travancore Devaswom Board to rename the temple as Sāmbasiva Temple (സാംബശിവക്ഷേത്രം, സ+അംബ+ശിവന്‍ i.e. അംബയോടു കൂടി ഇരിയ്ക്കുന്ന ശിവന്‍). The Board cannot see the logic behind such requests. The tantri too is said to have reservations about the change. Many others had tried with little success to get the temple renamed. The sacredness of the place is attributed not just to Siva, but to the presence of the divine couple. Such temples with Siva and Parvathi in a single nada are rare. A picture of Siva and Parvathi can be seen at a prominent place in the prayer rooms of the villagers, confirming what are the actual deities worshipped at the eastern nada. The Mooladhyāna Mantra, the hymn describing the nature of deities in a temple, also confirms this.

Siva and Parvathi of the Kaviyoor temple are believed to bestow eternal marital bliss and prosperity. Devotees believe that couples worshipping the deities will be blessed with brilliant personable children. Percussion artistes of Chenda, Maddalam etc.  from all over Kerala used to come to Kaviyoor for their arangéttam (അരങ്ങേറ്റം, debut). This was a special function that the temple used to organize till the end of the 19th century.

Originally, the nada of Parvathi that we see on the western side of the main sanctum sanctorum did not exist. The temple was not designed to have an additional idol in the sanctum sanctorum. The reason for opening an additional nada exposes the financially insatiable temple staff. The earning of the support staff (see കൈസ്ഥാനികള്‍ above) was dependent on the income received at each nada. The more the number of nadas the more their income. They decided to have one more nada in the sanctum sanctorum to fill their purses. At the beginning of the last century or thereabout, Sri Moolam Thirunāl Rāma Varma, the king of Travancore allowed the greedy temple staff to open a separate nada for Parvathi. Although the then tantri Chingan Bhattathiri (ചിങ്ങന്‍ ഭട്ടതിരി) had objected to this fiat, the king is believed to have threatened him with dire consequences in case he did not oblige; the poor Bhattattahiri had no option but to consecrate the new idol of Parvathi. The idol is named Srimoola Rājarājeshwari after the king’s birthstar. The staff is said to have won over the king through Pāchu Moothathu of the Chennéttu family, one of the Kaisthāni families. Pāchu Moothathu was the personal ayurvedic physician of the king of Travancore and the first principal of the Ayurveda College, Trivandrum.

The Chennettu Illam, north of the Mahadeva Temple

• Parameshwaran Moothathu aka Pachu Moothathu (1845-1917) of the Chennettu Illam was one of the personal Ayurvedic physicians of the rulers of Travancore. Around 1880, Shankara Subbaiyer, the Dewan (Prime Minister), was afflicted with acute diabetes which allopathic doctors of the time could not cure. Moothathu stepped in and the Dewan is said to have been cured of his illness. This enhanced his stature as a leading Ayurvedic doctor. At that time, he was running a small private school where Ayurveda was being taught to a few students in the traditional way. Sri Moolam Thirunāl Rāma Varma (1857-1924,), who ruled Travancore from 1885 to 1924, was keen to have a full-fledged Ayurveda college in Thiruvananthapuram. He took over Moothathu's school on Oct 18, 1889 (Tulam 1, 1065, M.E)). It was called Ayurvedic Paathashala (ആയുര്‍വേദപാഠശാല) and appointed Moothathu as its head. He wielded such influence on the king that his request for an additional nada at the Kaviyoor temple was granted without demur. He might have justified it by convincing the king that there was no tantric conflict in having an additional nada of Parvathi.

The temple’s annual festival (utsavam) runs for 10 days from the day of Thiruvāthira (Ārdra, Betelguese, one of the 27 asterisms of the Hindu calendar), of the Malayalam Era month of Dhanu (Dec-Jan). There was no fixed period for utsavam till circa 1600-1700 C.E. The utsavam is confined to Siva and Parvathi. The other deities are not included in the festivities.

The auspicious time for flag hoisting (കൊടിയേറ്റ്) was decided by the eldest Potti of Kaviyoor illam. In the 1990’s the time given by Neelakanan Potti, the eldest of the family, for hosting the flag was not accepted by the Devaswom Manager and the Assistant Commissioner (Thiruvalla) of the Travancore Devaswom Board. The two, lackadaisical as they were, demanded that the time be changed by an hour or so (to 10am instead of around 9am prescribed by the Potti) so that they could attend an official meeting elsewhere. A frustrated Neelakanatan Potti refused their demand and asked them to choose their own convenient time instead of consulting him. The Kaviyoor illam family is no longer consulted for fixing the muhurtam of flag-hoisting.  End of another tradition! The time is now decided at the sweet convenience of the Board. It was death of another tradition.

Visit of Siva

From the second day of the utsavam, the thidamp of Siva is taken atop a tusker that is bedecked with a nettippattam (frontal caparison) to various deshams that were once under the rule of the temple. These visits are called para-ezhunnellippu or parayeduppu, i.e. receiving from the public the oblational rice grain, filled in a para. These offers were made before the houses of  devotees – a very taxing job for elephants as well as the accompanying men of the temple and organizers of the utsavam.

Notes:

Thidamp(u), placed on the head of elephants for procession or circumambulation of the temple, is an ornate board that has a small metallic statue of the deity on the front, with a provision for keeping a tiny symbolic idol of the deity. The tiny idol carries the divine consciousness (Chaitanya) harnessed from the original deity of the sanctum sanctorum. Since the Chaitanya is tantrically merged with the tiny idol, the sacrarium (nada) of the deity at the temple will remain closed. It will open only after the tiny idol is returned to the priest and the original deity in the sanctum sanctorum ‘recharged‘ with the Chaitanya from the tiny idol. The elephant is also fitted with a nettipattam, a frontal caparison that tapers off at the bottom. It is hung from the head of the elephant and covers its forehead and almost two-third of its trunk. Every material used on the thidamp and nettipattam is made of brass or panchlaloham, an alloy of five metals – Gold, Silver, Iron, Copper, Lead. The thidamp, when taken on an elephant,  is held by Brahmins. Non-Brahmins are not allowed to touch the thidamp when the tiny idol is attached to it. Both the thidamp (without its representative idol) and nettipattam are returned to the officials of the Devaswom Board for safe custody when the utsavam ends.

During a procession at night, theevettis (തീവെട്ടികള്‍) or multi-pronged flambeaus are held before elephants at about eight feet. Before electricity was introduced these served to give an auric shine to the thidamp and nettipattam. The custom is continued because it serves to deter the elephants from charging forward. The word theevetti is a corrupt form of deepa-yashti (ദീപയഷ്ടി) in Sanskrit (deepam = light, yashti=stick). Theevattis are also called deepatti/ദീപട്ടി, diviti/ദിവിടി, and theevadi/തീവടി in Malayāļam and Tamil).

Para (പറ, pron. paRa) is a measure of volume for grains used since ancient times. One para is approximately 8-10kg. The barrel-like vessel used for measuring grains (now restricted to temple ceremonies) was also called Para. It is made of wood with metal holders and rings. The ideal wood for making para is taken from the root of large varikka pilavu (a variety of jack-fruit tree). Parayeduppu means receiving grains (rice) measured in para. (Para also means an instrument - drum/tabor).

Ezhunnellipu is 'royal/divine journey'.

During the utsavam, the visits of lord Siva on a caparisoned elephant to the various deshams normally start between 3pm and 5pm by various routes as under:

2^nd day: to Kottoor

3^rd day: to Padinjattumcherri

4^th day: to Thottabhagam

5^th day: to Kunnanthanam

6^th day: to Vallamkulam/Eraviperror

Thereafter there is no para-ezhunnellippu.

The para-ezhunnellippu was reorganized a few times in the last few decades without properly communicating it to the villagers with the result they are not sure when and by which route the procession will arrive.

On the 2^ndday, the procession is supposed to go to Murani, near Mallappalli. But the distance and delay in returning affected the temple rituals and this forced the authorities to cancel it forever. The trip is now performed only symbolically and a few residents of Murani still arrive at the temple to offer para to the deities.

The people of Nedungadappalli do not any longer take part in the temple’s utsavam siince their connecton with it was long forgotten by the people of both Kaviyoor and Negungadappalli. The reception for the para-ezhunnellippu by the residents of Nedungadappalli used to be held at Nadakkal which is now in Kunnanthanam panchayat.

Till a few years ago, the para-ezhunnellippu would commence around 11am and return to the temple by 3am next morning. (As per the Hindu calendar, a day is counted from Sunrise to next Sunrise). However, because of the restrictions on use of elephants and delays in completeing the days’ rituals before Sunrise, the timings have been changed. These days the procession commences at 3pm and returns by 11pm.

The 7^th , 8^th and 9^th days of the utsavam are reserved for rituals and worship. The significance of the 9^th day is that Siva and Parvathi goes for symbolic hunting at night. It is called ‘divine hunt’ (pallivetta; the prefix palli in this context refers to divine/royal, vetta=hunting). Two elephants carrying the thidamps of Siva and Parvathi move towards a place near the temple pond about 100m away where ‘jungle-dwellers’ receive the divine pair near a Banyan tree (അരയാല്‍). The tree is called the Pallivetta Aal (പള്ളിവേട്ടയാല്‍). In practice, the ‘jungle-dwellers’ are represented by a local man who is trained to welcome and eulogize the deities. This ritual was called Pallivetta chollal or Pallivetta-vili. The place where he used to stand was at a lower level to ensure that he could not see the temple – because the event was presumed to be taking place in a jungle. But, maybe  because the elders failed to pass on such titbits to the next generation or due to the ignorance and negligence of the Devaswam managers and various temple advisory committees, the ground was leveled, thus making a mockery of the ritual.

Around 10am on the 10^th day, the temple’s flag is brought down to mark the end of the utsavam, leaving only one rite pending. It is the aaraattu (holy dip). At 5pm, the idols of Siva and Paravathi are taken to a temple abot 3km away - the Mahavishnu temple at Parakadavu in Njalikandam - on the bank of the river Manimala for aaraattu (ആറാട്ട്‌), The ritual of bathing the idols is performed at the bathing ghat on the river-side. The return journey, called aaraattu varavu (ആറാട്ടുവരവ്), commences from the Parakadavu temple at 10pm and reaches the Kaviyoor temple around 4am next morning. Although this may take the utsavam to the 11th day as per the modern calendar, it is within the 10-day utsavam period because, as stated earlier, a day is traditionally calculated from sunrise to next sunrise. By 2am the procession reaches the Neythalloor Vadakkeppadi (നെയ്തല്ലൂര്‍ വടക്കേപ്പടി), the northern gate of Neythelloor illam (now the Government High School Junction, Njalikanadam). Here, the procession is received with thaalappoli by the women of the village.  After the ‘Chandrane Kandu Thozhal’ ritual (detailed in the next paragraph), the procession moves slowly to the flat ground in front of the 18 steps of the temple. This takes over an hour. The procession is greeted there by the crowd waiting at the entrance. The devotees are allowed to offer ‘para’ (പറയിടല്‍) to the divinities when reputable nagaswaram (snakepipe) artistes entertain them with wonderful recital of Carnatic music. By 4am the procession is led in to the temple. The thidampus are then taken inside the temple. Bursting of crackers follows which amounts to declaring the end of the utsavam. However, the last ritual to be seen is the Shiveli () that follows 

Video Clip: Aarattu of Kaviyoor Mahadeva Temple

Chandrane Kandu Thozhal (ചന്ദ്രനെക്കണ്ടുതൊഴല്‍), Bowing to Siva And Parvathi with the Rising Crescent in the Background

The arrival of the aaraattu procession at Neythalloorppadi is so timed and the elephants positioned in such a way that the crescent can be seen rising in the eastern sky through the gap of the bimbams (thidamps) of Siva and Parvathi. This takes place around 2am. Paying obeisance to the divine couple at this auspicious time is believed to bring happy married life to women. The procession moves forward only when the crescent goes further up in the sky. However, the villagers do not any longer remember this custom. Nor does the happy-go-lucky staff of the Devaswam Board know a thing about it.

Other Rituals

Shivarātri, a festival linked with Siva, used to be celebrated in Kumbha (Feb-Mar) on a grand scale till the 1950’s. Now it is a tepid affair mostly because the new-gen Hindus do not show any interest in such festivals. The Makam (Magham) pūja after Thiruvōņam (Altair) in Chingam (July-August) was very famous among women devotees. So was the Vaisakha puja. It used to be attended by families for seven days without break. The pujas have not been discontinued but the attendance is thin. Most of the villagers are not aware of these pujas.

Hanūmān

The villagers call the deity ‘Hanūmān Swāmi’, since calling him ‘Hanūmān’ is considered disrespectful.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, media and publishers of the Addhyāthma Rāmāyaņam in Malayalam use the wrong word ‘Hanumān’ (ഹനുമാന്‍, हनुमान). It is actually “Hanoo-maan’ (ഹനൂമാന്‍, हनूमान) which is the grammatically correct form, although in English there is no difference in spelling).  Hanūmān is believed to be a Siva-incarnate, born to Késari, a monkey king, and Anjana.

Centuries after the temple was established, or so goes the story, the legendary sage Vilvamangalam Namputhiri visited the temple. His first name is not mentioned anywhere; it is believed to be Divākaran and hence he was called ‘Divākara Muni’. (Muni is ‘sage’ in Sanskrit). He 'found' Hanūmān sitting on one of the branches of an Ilanji/Elengi tree (Mimusops elengi, ഇലഞ്ഞി, Spanish Cherry, also known as Bullet Wood tree) in the temple yard. As per the sage’s wish, Hanūmān allowed himself to be installed as a sub-deity, near the main sanctum sanctorum. Instead of a pedestal (Peetham, പീഠം) on which a deity is normally installed, the idol of Hanūmān in this shrine rests over an upturned, spout-less  Kindi (കിണ്ടി, a small bronze goglet-like container). The kindi, devotees believe, belonged to the sage Vilvamangalam who had used it because he could not get a well-carved granite pedestal.

Shrines dedicated to Hanūmān were rare in south Kerala, but he was worshipped as a sub-deity in north Kerala. Historically, Hanūmān was installed by the immigrant of Kaviyoor who controlled the Gramam. Thereafter, a suitable legend was manufactured.

The traditional guard of a temple is the demigod Kshetrapāla, regarded as the son of Siva. In most temples of Kerala, as it is in Kaviyoor, one can find a sacred stone - Balikkal (ബലിക്കല്ല്) - representing him on the north-eastern corner of the outer circumambulatory pathway (പ്രദക്ഷിണപാത) of the temple. A sacred stone representing Kshethrapāla is present in Kaviyoor too. Hindus believe that the scope of the duty entrusted to Hanūmān is larger – he is the guardian angel of the temple, its devotees and the village itself. The Christian families of the village also offer prayers to Hanūmān. The first fruit of any plant/tree is given as oblation to Hanūmān. So also the kadinjool karava, i.e., the milk yielded from the first milking of a dairy animal after its first delivery.

As for the Spanish Cherry, it is no longer there. I had seen it during my school days when the management of the temple were more meticulous, but less flaunty. A banyan tree that had come up very close to the Spanish Cherry swallowed it. In spite of being alerted by the locals no action was taken by the Devaswom Board or tantri.

The stone that Hanūmān had thrown away millennia ago was found atop a hill (known as Mathimala) about a kilometre away and brought to the temple about 90 years ago by the villagers. It is still kept in a small kiosk-like structure outside the temple wall, near the eastern gōpuram; but since it was not consecrated by Rāma, no rituals are done. (It must be a deity of ancient pagan tribals and does not seem to have anything to do with the Kaviyoor temple. The shape of the stone which bears a striking similarity to a Shivling must have induced the elders of the village to link it with Hanūmān).

The important days for the deity falls in the Malayalam Era month of Chingam (Simha/Leo, Aug-Sept) when the idol is anointed for 12 days with kaļabha, a viscous material made of sandal paste and rosewater. This was initiated at the instance of Chithira Thirunāļ Bālrāma Varma, the last king of the state of Travancore who is believed to have been instructed by lord Hanūmān himself in a dream to organize the rite. For a few years after the kalabha smear was started, a representative of the Travancore Royal family used to come on last day of the ritual.

Hindus of Kaviyoor believe that Hanūmān’s birthstar is Moolam (Moola, an asterism in Scorpius) in the month of Dhanu (Dhanush/Sagittarius, Dec-Jan). The celebrtaion is called the Hanumad-Jayanti. However, unknown to the villagers, the Devaswom Board has been performing another birthday ritual (probably from the 1960’s) on Moolam day in Vrishchika (Scorpius, Nov-Dec) based on the claim by some devotees that it is the birthday of Hanūmān.   In 2016, the Jayanti was also celebrated on Pourņami (full moon) on Chithira (Chitra) in the month of Chaitra (Medam, Aries, April-May), as per the north Indian Sāka Calendar. There are thus three birthday celebrations for Hanūmān now.

*Modern astrologers well-versed in astronomy believe that the asterism Moolam falls in Ophiuchus, not Scorpius. They consider Theta Ophiuchi and Epsilon Ophiuchi as Moolam. Both these stars  and the constellation Ophiuchus do not figure in Indian astrology.

The popular offerings for the deity are - golden ring to be adorned on its tail, aval (അവല്‍, a sweet prepared with roasted flakes of rice mixed with jaggery, sugar candy, raisin, fried black gram, and clarified butter) and trimadhuram, an ambrosia made of banana slices, raisin and sugar candy. Very unwisely, the Devaswom Board, with an eye on income, turned copycats when they started to allow more offerings in Tamil style. This has deprived the shrine of its provincial and ritual uniqueness.

Dakshināmoorthi and Ganapathi

Presence of these deities are tāntric requirements of major temples. They are kept at the southern sacrarium but without the full-fledged status of regular deities. Dakshināmoorthi is a form of Siva that enlightens the world, explaining the meaning of the Vedas. Ganapathi, the son of Siva and Parvathi, is enshrined for warding off all obstacles.

The Serpent Gods (Naga Devathas)

The idols of serpents are believed to have been brought to the temple from the homes of Brahmins and Nairs who could not afford the expenses for running family shrines, though many Nair families and a few Brahmin families continue to keep such idols in sacred clumps called Kāvu near their homes. A more logical reason for the presence of snake idols in temples throughout Kerala could be that the Nairs being snake-worshippers, a place for serpent idols was given in Hindu temples run by Brahmins to lure them in to Hinduism.  In any case, transfer of serpent idols to the temple has now been proscribed.

The Spanish Cherry (ഇലഞ്ഞി) and enclosure for the serpent gods were near the eastern gōpuram, almost facing the nada of Hanūmān. The canopy of the huge tree that was made famous by lord Hanūmān would shield the idols from natural elements. When the Banyan tree replaced it in the 1990’s, the idols were dumped to the north-eastern corner. The ceremonials for the serpent gods are done only once a year -  on the day of Ayilyam (Āslesha in the constellation of Hydra) in the Malayalam lunar month of Kanni (Virgo, circa September). Normally serpent gods are placed in the south-west corner of temples, but in Kaviyoor it is in the diagonally opposite corner, the north-east! This and the absence of daily rituals also suggest that snake-worship was incorporated in to Hinduism for tactical reasons.

The Wooden Carvings

The temple has the usual square building (chuttambalam/Nālambalam) encompassing an inner yard. At its centre is the sanctum sanctorum (Sri Kovil) which is almost perfectly circular. The Sri Kovil’s conical roof is covered with copper sheets. An ornate vase (thazhikakkudam, താഴികക്കുടം) made of an alloy of five metals graces the roof top.

The entry to the inner yard is on the east where a huge Balikkal, is kept in the foyer. The ceiling here is decorated with carvings that can stun a visitor with their sheer beauty. Further inside, the ceiling of the namaskāra maņdapam, an open rhombus floor, about 2 ft. high, with its own roof, carries exquisite carvings that depict stories from purāņas.  The outer circular wall of the sanctum sanctorum is also embellished with awe-inspiring carvings. A number of studies have been made about the craftsmanship and architecture of the temple. The craftsmen were from the Thekkéthil family of āshāris (carpenters) whose descendants still stay very close to the temple.

Mahavishnu of Keezh-Thrikkōvil Temple (കീഴ്തൃക്കോവില്‍)

Although only an idol of Mahavishnu is installed here, the mooladhyanmantra says 'his consorts Lakshmi Devi and Bhoomi Devi flank the fourhanded Mahavishnu'. (Worship of Bhoomi Devi is rare in Kerala. The Venugopala temple at Purakkad, south of Ambalapuzha, is built with a similar concept. But the main idol is Venugopala, i.e. Krishna holding flute. The temple belongs to Konkan Brahmins).

ഭാസ്വത്‌ഭാസ്വത്‌സഹസ്രപ്രഭമരിദരകൌമോദകീപങ്കജാനി

ദ്രാഘിഷ്ഠൈര്‍ബ്ബാഹുദണ്ഡൈര്‍ദ്ദധതമജിതമാപീതവാസോ വസാനം

ധ്യായേത് സ്ഫായത് കിരീടോജ്ജ്വലമകുടമഹാകുണ്ഡലം വന്യമാലാ-
വത്സശ്രീകൌസ്തുഭാഢ്യം സ്മിതമധുരമുഖം ശ്രീധരാശ്ലിഷ്ടപാര്‍ശ്വം.

Keezh-Thrikkovil (Mahavishnu with Lakshmi Devi and Bhoomi Devi)

bhaaswat-bhaaswat- sahasra-prabham-aridara-kaumodakee-pankajaani

draaghishthair-baahudandair’ddadhatam-ajitham-aapeetavaaso vasaanaam

dhyaayet sphaayet kireetojwala-makuta-maha-kundalam vanyamaalaa-

vatsa-sri-kautubhaadhyam smita-madhura-mukham sri-dharaaslishta-paarshwam

The idol Vishnu is described as.. ‘carrying the devastating flying wheel, conch, mace and lotus,…….hugged by Bhoomi Devi and Laksmi Devi’.

ആയിരം സൂര്യന്മാരെപ്പോലെ ശോഭിയ്ക്കുന്നവനും നീണ്ട കൈകളിൽ സുദർശനചക്രം, ശംഖ്, കൗമോദകി (ഗദ), താമരപ്പൂ എന്നിവ ധരിയ്ക്കുന്നവനും, ആരാലും ജയിയ്ക്കപ്പെടാത്തവനും, മഞ്ഞക്കോടിയുടുത്തവനും, കിരീടം തിളങ്ങുന്ന ശിരസ്സോടുകൂടിയവനും, വളരെ ഭങ്ഗിയുള്ള കുണ്ഡലങ്ങൾ, വനമാല, ശ്രീവത്സം, കൗസ്തുഭം, എന്നിവ അണിഞ്ഞവനും, പാർശ്വങ്ങളിൽ നിൽക്കുന്ന ലക്ഷ്മി, ഭൂദേവി എന്നിവരാൽ ആലിങ്ഗനം ചെയ്യപ്പെടുന്നവനും, പുഞ്ചിരിയാൽ മാധുര്യം ചൊരിയുന്ന മുഖമുള്ളവനും ആയ ദേവനെ ഞാൻ ധ്യാനിയ്ക്കുന്നു.

(Transl. D.K.M. Kartha)

Keezhthrikkovil means ‘lower, holy temple’. It is located about 5 meters below, west of the main temple. The idol of Vishnu faces the east. The shrine figures at different places in this article. The deity is inside a beautiful circular sanctum sanctorum that sits on the shore of the natural reservoir Polachira. An independent temple, its rituals are performed by the Kazhanoor Pottis, the priesthood being their hereditary right. Mahavishnu is accorded the same importance as Siva and Parvathi, the main deities of the Mahadeva temple. For over a century, the administartors and devotees were under the impression that the deity here was that of Krishna. Consequently, the important day here is Ashtami Rōhini, the birthday of the Sŗi Krishna. It falls in Chingam (August-September) under the fourth lunar asterism Rohini (Aldebaran). It is also called Sri Krishna Jayanti, Gokulāshtami and Janmāshtami. It is a two-walled shrine. The villagers used to maintain a garden in the space between the two walls. The flowers from the garden were used exclusively for the rituals of the deity.

Aged persons avoided visits to the temple because the steep steps have been a deterrent. A separate pathway was built in 2016 along the western slope of the hillock so that elders could reach the temple without much exertion.

Brahmarakshas (ബ്രഹ്മരക്ഷസ്)

One can see idols of Brahmaraksas (Sanskrit. ब्रह्मराक्षस: or ब्रह्मरक्ष: brahma=brahminical, raakshas=demon) installed on the southwest corner of the walled space of the Keezh-thrikkovil temple. The idols were brought from Nair families of the ancient Brahmin village of Kaviyoor

because their waning economic clout made it difficult for them to conduct costly tantric rituals at their homes. But at the temple, there are no ceremonies or rituals for these idols. A lamp is lit daily. Brahmins too keep an idol of Brahmarkshas at their homes or family shrines., but rarely do they pack it off to a temple. A Brahmin family might have owned the temple over a millenia ago. It might have become a public shrine later, retaining the idol of Brahmarakshas. (Refer to the discussion on the mysterious family of Namboothirippad).

Idols of Brahmarakshas, depicted in drawings as a two-horned spirit or demon with kutuma (tuft of hair on the head), can be seen outside the temples and family shrines of Keralites.

There is no entity called Brahmarakshas in Hinduism. Venerating deceased ancestors was a concept that did exist even before the spread of Jainism, Buddhism or Hinduism. Such worships existed all over the ancient world. The ‘souls of ancestors’ entered the folk tales of various ancient Indian tribes. Jainism co-opted one, calling it Brahmarakshas, to woo the tribes in to their fold.

Initially, with a view to converting the Jains to Hinduism, the early Brahmins (circa 700-900 C.E) adopted it as a demi-god, which found its way to shrines attached to temples. The Brahmins did not want to give these ‘spirits’ the same status they had accorded to the Hindu deities – obviously, these spirits were pariahs being entities from outside their system of worship. But it did not take much even for the Brahmin comunity to believe the narrations in folk tales – that the Brahmin demon that lived on trees did not have nose; it had excellent knowledge of Hindu scriptures and a voracious appetite for eating humans! The simple worship of ancestors changed when the Brahmins made people – mainly the upper caste -believe that each family of theirs had a Brahmin ancestor. Many Hindus began installing Brahmarakshas at their family shrines.

Brahmarakshas can be male or female, but female Brahmin demons are rare. At the Siva temple of Thirunakkara (Kottayam), there is a shrine for a female Brahmarakshas. The custom of keeping the idol of Brahmarakshas outside temples is being continued to this day. The refusal of the ancient Brahmins to accommodate it inside temples clearly indicates that Brakmarakshas is not an object of Hindu worship. Yogeeshwaran (Yogi=saint/ascetic, Eeshwar=god) is the name of any similar soul of Brahmin that is added in a shrine, which already has a Brahmarakshas.

Before any construction work is done in a family, it is mandatory to seek the blessings of its Brahmarakshas.

The Temple of Yakshi

Yakshi (or Yakshi Amma, mother Yakshi)was introduced from either Jainism or animism of ancient tribals. There are two versions of Yakshi- one is a benevolent demi-goddess worshipped in temples while the other, the equivalent of the Greek dryads, appearing in folklores is a nocturnal maneater demoness.

The legend begins at the Subrahmanya temple, Kodumthara, near Pathanamthitta, where a Yakshi was a sub-deity and it was regaded as a patron spirit by a Moosath family that stayed near the temple. A Manayamma (female of  a Moosath) of this family was married off to a Moosath of the Keezhchirakkal Illam, Kaviyoor. When she returned to Kaviyoor after one of her family visits, the Yakshi is believed to have accompanied her, ‘self-harnessed’ to the marakkuada (palm leaf umbrella) the Manayamma was carrying. Such marakkuda-based deities - Parvathi, Bhadrakali and Yakshi - appear in a number of legends throughout Kerala. After astrological deliberations, the Keezhchirakkal Moosaths began worshipping the Yakshi at their illam. As they became financially weak, a structure was built for the Yakshi close to the illam and handed over to the Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple. Nobody knows as to when this transfer was made – perhaps even before the establishment of The Travancore Devaswom Board and its predecessor, the Travancore Royal Devaswom Commission, but probably after the take over of the Mahadeva temple by the Travancore government in 1899 CE, terminating the Pathillam administration. Anyway, the shrine is now attached to the Mahadeva temple, Kaviyoor. 

Yakshi of this shrine is considered a Lakshmi-equivalent. Unmarried women used to worship her, Unmarried women used to worship her seeking blessings for prosperous married life. Women would worship for long youthful life. Students seeking academic success also used to pray to her. There were special ceremonies on the Thiruvonam day in the Malayalam month of Chingam. The temple was shut for decades and remained in a state of disrepair, but having been renovated in early 2016, it has now been opened to the public. Since the deity was deemed very pious, shamans were denied entry, even they belonged to the priestly caste.

The Temple of Yakshi

The reopening of the Yakshi temple brings forth many questions. There has to be special rituals at the temple on the day of Thiruvonam. It is very unlikely that priests with the knowledge of tāntric rituals for worshipping Yakshi are available. The Devaswom Board has to find exponents of Kaļamezhuthum Pāttum (കളമെഴുത്തും പാട്ടും, see the indented note below), a ritual performed at Yakshi temples. There are 36 different types of Yakshis in sacred texts and which of them was worshipped generations ago has to be found out. My feeling is that Yakshi of Kaviyoor is Vichitra Yakshi. (Vichitra=amazing/beautiful). It is the most pious and compassionate form of Yakshi -  one that fulfils all the righteous desires of devotees.

• Kalamezhuthum Pattum refers to an annual ritual which Hinduism in Kerala borrowed from tribal worship. Normally this is performed at the temples of Ayyappan and Bhadrakaali. But rarely, it is performed at Yakshi temples too. The basic features of the ritual at all temples are similar. The performers use the temple floor as canvas, under a decorated marquee. Using coloured flour and turmeric powder they draw a figure of the deity of the temple after which the ritual of placating it would commence. The artistes recite pāttu (songs) in praise of the deity to the accompaniment of various instruments like the veekku chenda (a kind of drum that sets the rhythm by beating only on one side), chenda (the temple drum), kuzhal (pipe), kombu (a kind of trumpet) and ilathāļam (cymbals). The eldest male performer then starts a kind of trance dance carrying a sword. At the end of the ritual the figures on the floor is systematically erased by the dancer. Rhythm is very important for the performers of this ritual. Hence a slew of percussion instruments.

Since the Yakshi temple was shut for decades, Kaviyoor has not seen the ritual for a long time. Although a sword is carried in such rituals at Ayyappan and Bhadrakaali temples, one is not sure whether the dancer carried a sword at the Yakshi temple of Kaviyoor in the olden days. The family of Kurups of Nāgathil, which stayed near the Koloth illam and traditionally performed at the Yakshi temple, having left the village nearly a century ago - which is probably the reason why the ritual was stopped - the Devaswom Board will have to bring artistes from outside to resume the ritual.

The Lattice on the Southern Wall (തെക്കേ മതിലിലെ അഴി)

Near the southern gate (gōpuram) on the southern boundary wall of the temple, there was a lattice. Through this opening the lower castes were allowed to watch the temple festivities during utsavam. They were also allowed to throw in oblatory cash through the opening.

The Southern Tower. The lattice on the wall was at the place shown by the red rectangle 

Cash never causes any pollution! This was called thekke gopurathile panameriyal (തെക്കേ ഗോപുരത്തിലെ പണമെറിയല്‍).The lattice stood there till the 1990’s. The Bhajana Madam (ഭജനമഠം, rest house for Brahmins) was close to the window. But the Madam was built only after the discriminatory practice was stopped. The lattice has since been shifted very unwisely to the south-east corner of the wall.

The Kochu-muzhakkol (കൊച്ചുമുഴക്കോല്‍)

Muzhakkol’ or ‘Kol’ in short, is a ruler (‘scale’ in Indian parlance) about 24 angulams or about 72 cms long used for measurement of length in construction activities in ancient Kerala and Tamilnadu. Architects and artisans, especially carpenters, carried the ruler with them for their daily work. Many temples of Kerala have specimen ‘kol’s etched on their granite walls or woodwork or doors. Display of ‘kol’ in a temple also implies that for construction of the temple a ‘kol’ of the same length was used in the village. Artisans made their rulers exactly like the specimen at the village temple for any construction activity they undertook in the village. They were not allowed to use any other measuring tool for construction activities within the village. The carpenter and mason community rigidly followed the system.  Many still follow it. Although length of the ‘kol’ was standardized centuries ago, it varied from place to place. The ‘kol’ used at the Guruvayoor temple is slightly longer or so one is told. (Ref. http://ramukaviyoor.blogspot.in/2013/10/when-you-visit-guruvayoor-temple.html ).

The ‘muzhakkol’ etched on the Kaviyoor temple can be seen on the northern door of the nalambalam. The shorter ‘muzhakkol’ was more widely used and hence it was called ‘kochumuzhakol’, the longer one being the ‘valiya muzhakkol’.

Nangyār-Kooth

This is a dance form that used to be performed at the temple by Nangyārs (നങ്ങ്യാര്‍), females of the only family of the Nambiar family. The Nambiars were given land and accommodation near the temple by the ancient temple authorities for their services. Their descendants continue to stay in the same property (called the 'Nambiyarath'). The kooth (dance) was performed till the 1970’s in the vāthil mādam (വാതില്‍മാടം), the open space on either side of the corridor leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple. But the Nangyār discontinued it when the temple officials began pocketing her honorarium which was nothing but a bowl of rice from the temple. She is no more. Her daughter is married to Mr. Pothiyil Narayana Chakyar, the famous exponent of Chakyar Kooth and a UN awardee. Chakyar Kooth is another form of temple art. The Nangyar Kooth’s main accompaniment is a peculiar percussion instrument called mizhaav (മിഴാവ്) which was played by the Nambiars. The mizhaav is kept in the vāthil mādam. The Nambiars used to play mizhaav for Chākyār-kooth (ചാക്യാര്‍ക്കൂത്ത്) too. The Chākyār-kooth performed by artistes from Chākyār community was very popular at Kerala temples.

The mizhav of the temple is in a damaged state, says Mr. Pothiyil Narayana Chakyar, the famous exponent of Chakyar Kooth. Nobody concerned has taken any action to repair it. The authorities cannot get rid of it by auctioning because there are rituals associated with the making and disposal of mizhavs. The Devaswom Board officials are not aware of such rituals. The instrument is usually made of copper or clay. It is deemed as an ascetic and made to undergo all the rituals that an ascetic undergoes during his life. By convention, when a copper mizhav is damged beyond repair, it is ‘cremated’ and the melted copper is given to the tantri of the temple. For the time being, it can be displayed at a prominent place – instead of hiding it in the dark vāthil mādam - so that people can see an instrument which they rarely see in their daily lives.

Devadasis

The chronicle of 1530 C.E. refers to at least 2 devadasis (female temple dancers) at the Kaviyoor temple. They are said to have stayed near Nattukadavu, the western border of the village. Even during 1900-1910 their dance performances were regularly held at the temple during the annual utsavam. During the intervals of their program they would rest at the Chennettu illam. In 1908, while they were entertaining the local Paarvatyakaar (the revenue official of the village) at the illam, some educated youngsters attacked them, pelting stones and pouring water mixed with dog poop and tamarind leaves. Gradually, sensing objections of a new generation, the authorities discontinued the dance recital– probably in the 1920’s.

Vedic School (Kaviyoor Shāla, കവിയൂര്‍ ശാല)

A Vedic school was functioning at the Mahadeva temple which might have trained Brahmin boys probably during 1500-1800 C.E.

Visits of Kings of Edappally

It is difficult to determine when was Kallooppara, a province of Kaviyoor, handed over to the King of Edappalli by the Kaviyoor Brahmins. A guess is, it must have happened between 1500 and 1700 C.E. The kings used to visit the Kaviyoor temple. The Kaviyoor Brahmins were only too happy to receive the kings because the latter also were Brahmins (നമ്പ്യാതിരിമാര്‍, Nampiathiris i.e., Brahmins with right to rule and use arms, but were not allowed to be priests). When you climb the steps leading to the Siva temple from the east, you can see a small building on your left. 

The rest house of Edappalli king (left). The old well in the building is still in use (right).

This was where the rest house with a small room and a veranda was constructed for use of the Edappally kings. The land was therefore called Kottarathil Paramabu (Palace Land). It was owned by the Moothedathu family. A Christian family – Kochiyil – was assigned the job of providing victuals to the kings. Since Christians were not allowed to come close to the temple, their services were routed through the Pisharaodies, and later the Variyars, employed at the temple. The ownership of the land with the rest house was later transferred to a Nair family (Koorimala) by the Moothedathu Pottis. The building was thereafter modified to run a restaurant and shop. (See also Purification by Christians).

It may be noted that Kizhakkan Muthoor which lies to the west of Kaviyoor and was a province of the Thiruvalla Brahmin Grāmam was also ceded to Edappally kings. The small house where the kings stayed at Muthoor was called Ilangaa Madam (ഇളങ്ങാമഠം).

Annadanam (അന്നദാനം), Meal offered to the Poor

On Sundays, the Mahādéva temple provides free lunch for the poor. Unfortunately, the lunch is usually devoured by the well-to-do families of Hindus of Kaviyoor, especially those who stay near the Mahādéva temple. Majority of these guzzlers are women; no amount of cajoling can keep them away from the impropriety of stealing what is intended for the poor. The temple authorities and various social organizations should intervene to ensure that the target sections of the society are the beneficiaries of Annadanam. 

Visit of Padapādu Bhagavathi

The most important day in the calendar of the Mahadeva temple was the annual visit of the village’s tutelar deity – Padapadu Bhagavathi (പടപ്പാടു ഭഗവതി) - to see her ‘children’ (i.e. the villagers). The goddess is now worshiped as Vanadurga (Parvathi as a protector of nature) but hundreds of years ago, it was a deity of the Malavettuva (മലവേട്ടുവര്‍) tribe. The Dhyanamantram however points to the idol being Durga (Parvathi with all her destructive might). Amméde Varavu (അമ്മേടെ വരവ്), the arrival of mother, as it was called, used to be celebrated by the entire Kaviyoor Grāmam. 

When the palanquin carrying the goddess arrived at Nattukadavu, the western border of Kaviyoor, the people staying within the limits of the ancient Kaviyoor Brahmin Grāmam would greet her. This was called vilichu cholli ethirelppu (വിളിച്ചു ചൊല്ലി എതിരേല്‍പ്പ്, reception accompanied by singing tuneful paeans and beating of drums). All along the route, the procession of the goddess would be welcomed by the people by lighting the traditional lamps at their gates. Offerings would be made to the goddess in cash and kind. Lamps would again be lit when the goddess returned from the Mahadeva temple. People from the Grāmam would accompany her up to Nāttukadavu (വിളിച്ചു ചൊല്ലി വിടപറയല്‍, formally bidding good-bye), again singing tuneful paeans, and plead with her to come again in the following year.

While returning from the Kaviyoor temple, the goddess was first carried to Keezhchirakkal illam as well as to the house of a family called Padinjattethil. The Padinjattethil family used to stay near the Thiru-Vamanapuram temple. They left Kaviyoor about fifty years ago. All these rituals and procedures have long been abandoned and forgotten. An interesting feature of the whole ceremony was that it was dominated by women.

The visit of Bhagavathi has been discontinued by the Devaswom Board from 2012 since the villagers of Kaviyoor do not show any interest in receiving the deity. They do not offer any oblation in cash or kind to it either. The organizers at Padappadu too keep away from the procession because ‘they do not have time’ to accompany the palanquin. They Devaswom Board, ever willing to be more anti-Hindu than the colonial Portuguese, was a happy collaborator.

Another interesting aspect was that the tunes of the songs had some similarity with the songs sung by women devotees of Bhagavathi, Kodungallur.

The paens, the originals of which were longer, are reproduced below. The missing words were added by me. (Note: In this song, Kaali is Parvathi, not Bhadrakaali).

These songs are being made public for the first time through this blog.

(translation not word by word)

എതിരേല്പ്

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

(Welcome!) O! Mother Kaali! Holy Kaviyoor has always been yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

പടപ്പാട്ടുകാവിലെ കാളിയമ്മേ

വായോ വായോ ഊരു കാണാന്‍

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

OI Mother Kaali of Padappattu shrine! Pay a visit to holy Kaviyoor. After all, it’s yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

ഉറ തുള്ളിനിന്നിട്ടസുരമ്മാരെ

കൊന്നങ്ങു വീഴ്ത്തിയ കാളിയമ്മേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

OI Mother Kaali, who decimated demons in a great rage! Holy Kaviyoor has always been yours

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

മക്കളെ കാണാന്‍ വരുന്നോരമ്മേ

അരനൊപ്പമിരിക്കണം നീയേ തായേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

O! Mother Kaali en route to see your children! We beseech that you settle here in Kaviyoor with lord Siva. After all, holy Kaviyoor is yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

കൊട്ടുകുരവവിളക്കുമായി

മക്കളു ഞങ്ങളു കൈ തൊഴുന്നേന്‍

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

O! Mother Kaali! We, your children, hereby pay our respects, holding the wick lamps, to the beating of temple drums and chorus of welcome hail. Holy Kaviyoor has always been yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

മതിലോം* കാണേണ്ടേ കാളിയമ്മേ

കൊണ്ടാക്കാമരതേവമാടത്തിങ്കല്‍*

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

O! Mother Kaali! Don’t you want to be inside the temple of Kaviyoor? We shall usher you in to the abode of lord Siva. After all, holy Kaviyoor is yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

കാണുന്നതെല്ലാമേ നിന്റെയൂര്

ഈ ഊരും നിന്റെയാ ആ ഊരും* നിന്റെയാ

ഊരിരിയ്ക്കുന്നോരുലകോം നിന്റെ

O! Mother Kaali! The land all around and yonder is yours; so is the whole universe.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

(Welcome!) O! Mother Kaali! Holy Kaviyoor has always been yours.

* മതിലോം = (അമ്പലത്തിന്റെ) മതിലകം

*ആ ഊര് = തിരുവല്ല

* അരതേവ = ഹരദേവ

* മാടം = വീട്, കൊട്ടാരം

വിടപറയല്‍

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

എങ്ങടെയൂരീന്നു പോവല്ലേ

അമ്മേടെ പൈതങ്ങള്‍ മാഴ്കുന്നേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

O! Mother Kaali! Don’t go back, leaving behind your wailing children. After all, holy Kaviyoor is yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

എങ്ങടെ തെറ്റു പൊറുക്കേണേ

കടത്തു കടന്നു നീ പോവല്ലേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

O! Mother Kaali! We implore you to condone our sins. Don’t go back (across the ferry). This holy Kaviyoor has always been yours.

ഇല്ലോം വല്ലോം നിറച്ചീടേണേ

മാറട്ടെ മാറട്ടെ തുമ്പങ്ങള്‍

മാറട്ടെ മാറട്ടെ മാരണങ്ങള്‍

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

Bestow prosperity and fill our granaries. Get rid of our hardships and harmful spirits. Holy Kaviyoor has always been yours.

ഈയാണ്ടു പോയി വരുമാണ്ടില്‍

ഇങ്ങെഴുന്നെള്ളാന്‍ മറക്കല്ലേ

ഓരാത്ത തെറ്റു പൊറുക്കേണം

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

Come next year, forget not to come again. Pardon our unintentional lapses. After all, holy Kaviyor is yours.

കോട്ട*ത്തില്‍ വന്നങ്ങു കൈകൂപ്പാം

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

ഇന്നി* വരും വരെ കാക്കേണം

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

We shall pay our respects, visiting your holy shrine (at Padappadu). Protect us; holy Kaviyoor is yours.

അമ്മേ അമ്മേ കാളിയമ്മേ

അമ്മേടെ ഊരല്ലേ തൃക്കവീര്

(Adieu!) O! Mother Kaali! Holy Kaviyoor has always been yours.

*കോട്ടം=അമ്പലം, കാവ്

*ഇന്നി = ഇനി

Coconuts offered by Airedath Illam (അയരെടത്തില്ലം/ഐരേടത്തില്ലം)

The Brahmins of Airedath illam were rich landlords Mallappalli, the eastern region of the ancient Kaviyoor gramam. A snake was killed in the front yard of the illam and buried in the south-west corner of their coconut palm grove. Later, members of the family suffered many setbacks in their personal and financial matters. Astrologers attributed this to the killing of the snake. As reparation, the astrologers advised them to offer the coconuts - from the portion of the land where the snake was buried - to the Kaviyoor temple. They used to send the coconuts to the temple regularly. The practice is believed to have been stopped around C.E. 1850.

Bhandarathil Kurup of Mathilbhagam, Thiruvalla

This story is at least 400-500 years old. A family of Kurups, belonging to the Marayan (Maaraan) subcaste of Nairs, stayed near the Sri Vallabha temple, Thiruvalla. They were entrusted with the security of the temple. A section of the ruling Brahmins planned to steal jewels and ornaments from the temple cellar, but was thwarted by Kurup. To get Kurup removed, it is said, these Brahmins decided to remove a part of the top portion of the brass ornamental vase (താഴികക്കുടം, thazhikakkudam) of the Sri Kovil and they did manage to remove it without the knowledge of Kurup. On the following morning, the furious council of Brahmins put him on trial for negligence. He suggested during the investigation that the thieves could have clambered up using a rope. The Brahmins were then convinced that without the help of Kurup the thieves could not have committed the crime. As they handed him death penalty, Kurup’s nephew, in an apparent bid to save his uncle, owned up the crime. The Brahmins knew this was a ploy to get his uncle off the noose. They ordered the nephew too to be hanged for lying to the rulers. Both were hanged (or beheaded) at Manippuzha (മണിപ്പുഴ) where one or two pieces of land were set aside for carrying out capital punishment during the Brahmin raj.

A few months after the executions, stories began doing rounds that the vengeful souls of the Kurups were threatening and killing people traveling at night. Manippuzha and nearby areas were densely wooded. Many people harassed by the souls had become mentally deranged. People avoided even daytime travels. Enter astrologers. Their solution was to harness the souls and keep them at the Ayyappa temple, Podiyadi (പൊടിയാടി), situated close to Manippuzha. The astrologers had advised that so long as the souls were provided with daily pujas meticulously, they would not ‘harm’ anybody. These pujas were performed with utmost care and reverence. Whenever there was a disruption of the rituals, the ‘uncle’ and ‘nephew’ would come out of the temple and scare people to death at night!

Once the priests failed to conduct the rituals. The duo ventured out of the temple to vent their anger on passers-by. One such victim became a mental wreck. When no local doctor (Vaidya) could cure the illness, his family was advised to take him to Kaviyoor temple to seek the blessings of lord Hanūmān, by walking him around the ilanji tree 12 times for 12 days. The guy was brought to Kaviyoor. On the 12^th day, no sooner was the routine prayer around the ilanji completed than he rushed to lift the heavy stone statue of Nandi (the bull, the mount of lord Siva) kept at the eastern foyer near the Balikkal. He

Nandi, the Bull 

placed it on his head, ran around the temple thrice and kept the statue where it was! He was soon his usual self, totally cured of the mental illness! The family left the temple with thankful offerings to the deities, especially lord Hanūmān.

Another version of the story found in Thiruvalla Kshethra Charithram says the men hanged were ‘Bhandarathil’ Kurup (name not known, but he is referred to as ‘Kurup Valiyachan’ or Grandpa Kurup) and his son Ayyappan. Their souls are said to be ‘benign’, not demonic. People in Thiruvalla believe that the Grandpa Kurup’s soul still visits the Sri Vallabha temple. Some have even ‘seen’ it at night!

The statue of Nandi of the Kaviyoor temple remains at the same place where the man had placed it.

Thukalasur of Thukalassery (തുകലശ്ശേരിയിലെ  തുകലാസുരന്‍)

Thukalan (Tholiyan) of Thukalassery, south of Thiruvalla, was a local landlord who did not brook the authority of others. In folk stories, he is depicted as a demon. The name Thukalan itself appears to have been coined by the local Brahmins. Being a worshipper of Siva, he resisted the dominance of Bhattathiris and other Brahmins who were strict Vaishnavites. He visited Kaviyoor frequently because the deities there were Siva and Parvathi. It is said when he returned from Kaviyoor he would leave a wand of green twigs  (thol, തോല്‍, slang for thukal, തുകല്‍, after he was known) at Manjadi, eastern Thiruvalla. The place was called ‘Tholidum Kavala’ (തോലിടുംകവല, the junction for leaving green twigs). In ancient Kerala, this was an act of warning for preventing anybody from overstepping the twigs - perhaps it was Thukalan’s way of telling the Brahmins not to follow him during his journeys. Since the Bhattathiri Grāmam of Thukalasseri came up only by the end of the 13th century C.E., Thukalan might have lived during the 13^th or 14^th century C.E. Some believe he lived between 8^th and 10^th centuries C.E. A legend says he was killed by lord Vishnu (Vallabha) of the Thriuvalla Sri Vallabha Temple. Thukalan appears to have been impacted by the Shaivite-Vaishnavite conflict and the greed of power of local Brahmins. His ‘murder’ by Vishnu merely points to the victory of Vaishnavites over Shaivites.

Mahout Killed During Utsav

In 1900, the elephant that was brought to Kaviyoor for utsav ceremony from the Sri Krishna temple at Aranmula went berserk and killed its mahout. The name of the elephant could not be confirmed but a person from Thiruvalla had written in his memoirs – Golden Jubilee Souvenir of Municipality of Thiruvalla, 1971 – that it was Valiya Balakrishnan. There was a famous Valiya Balakrishnan at Aranmula during the reign (1758-1798) of Dharma Raja of Travancore but it obviously is not the villain of the story. After killing the handler, the elephant ran away to the south-western paddy fields of Kaviyoor, and stationed at an islet called Kakkathuruth (കാക്കത്തുരുത്ത്).

According to the article, there was a rumour in Thiruvalla that the elephant was heading to Thiruvalla town. Many, including the family of the writer, sought shelter in the Paliyakara Church till the next morning. By that time, the local Tehsildar had received the permission for shooting the elephant. But the Aranmula temple authorities managed to rein in the elephant and take it back to Aranmula after other mahouts succeeded in taming it.

This is the only known incident of a mahout being killed at the Mahadeva temple, Kaviyoor.

Other Temples

Mahāvishnu Temple, Parapuzha Kadav (പാറപ്പുഴക്കടവ്)

This is a small private shrine on the western bank of the river Manimala owned by the Neythelloor Illam. It reinforces the belief that all the Brahmins except the Moothedathu Brahmins are Vaishnavites. The aaraattu of the main deities of the Mahadeva temple is performed here. Although the Parapuzha temple is open to the public and is dependent on their oblations and donations, with a Mahavishnu temple at every two kilometres, the villagers hardly patronize it. Its location almost at the south-eastern tip of the village also is an impediment. Poojas are barely performed here.

Mahāvishnu Temple, Kottoor

This is a private shrine owned by the Brahmins of Véngasséri illam. A member of the illam says it could be as old as 750 years. It seems to agree with the document of 1530-31, C.E. and confirms the belief that some of the Brahmins were not in the first group that reached Kaviyoor in the 7^th or 8^th century, C.E.

Mahavishnu Temple (Kaviyoor Illam), Kottoor

The temple is open only during the early hours of day. The public are now allowed to visit the temple.

Mahāvishnu Temple, Anjilithanam

Anjilithanam is no longer in Kaviyoor. The temple is controlled by a public trust. It was owned by ‘Ļaaha’ Pottis (ളാഹപ്പോറ്റിമാര്‍), a family of Brahmins from Thukalassery, Thiruvalla. The small temple was built removing a side of a hill. During the renovation done a few years ago, the trust excavated laterite from one side of the temple for making a killing out of it, endangering in the process the very existence of a nearby house that can collapse down in to the temple yard in a landslide or during other geological disturbances. Although flattening the hill has enabled the temple trust to construct an open-air auditorium, it could have done better, by chiselling out earth to create semi-circular steps which could have helped them construct a semi-circular amphitheatre. The temple is financially sound compared to other small Mahavishnu shrines of Kaviyoor.

Mahāvishnu is the main deity. The sub-deities worshipped include Serpent gods, Bhadrakaali, Yakshi and Brahmarakshas (ബ്രഹ്മരക്ഷസ്, the harnessed soul of a Brahmin).

Mahāvishnu Temple, Thiru-Vānapuram (തിരുവാമനപുരം)

This small shrine, located north of the Mahadeva temple, was owned by Attupuram Illam, one of the erstwhile ruling Brahmin families of the village. Later they handed over it to the Moothedathu Illam. In a state of neglect and disrepair for decades, it was revived by a local public trust. The temple is on the bank of the Polachira reservoir. The main deity is now called Mahāvishnu. The reason for calling it after Vāmana, a Vishnu-incarnate, remains a mystery. The deity was never worshiped as Vāmana.

Bhadrakaali, serpent gods and Brahmarakshas are the sub-deities.

The present name Thiru-Vamanapuram (തിരുവാമനപുരം) is definitely wrong. Till the 1970’s, it was known as Thiru-Vānapuram (തിരുവാനപുരം). Vānapuram in Malayāļam is Devalokam/Swargam, or heaven. Or, as in the case of the temple of Vāmapuram (വാമപുരം), Thirumāndhāmkunnu (തിരുമാന്ധാംകുന്ന്‌), this shrine too might have been called Vāmapuram long ago because it is built on the land that lies to the left of the Mahadeva temple. ‘Vāma’ is left side in Sanskrit. The land between the two temples is now densely inhabited. Unfortunately, the temple is stuck with the revised misnomer Thiruvamanapuram.

Sri Dharma Shasta Temple, Padinjattumcheri

I have already dealt with this shrine. It is dedicated to lord Ayyappa. Its last owner was the Moothedathu illam. Currently it is managed by a local public trust.

Subrahmaņya Temple, Kottoor

The shrine situated at Kottoor is close to a small rock called Puliyirikkum Pāra (literally, the rock where leopard sits). This was a very small family temple built by the Nedungāla Brahmins who had handed it over to a branch of the Brahmin family of Kaduthanam illam. The land and shrine remained untended for decades. But how the descendants of owners lost track of it remains unexplained. Since it was covered by tall thickets of thatch grass (ഞൊങ്ങണം പുല്ല്) and invading shrubs, the shrine remained undetected for a long time. As a generation that was aware of the shrine passed away and the newer generation being not aware of its existence, for a few locals it was startling discovery in the 1970’s when they had gone to the place to cut grass for feeding their cattle. All the idols were intact. A local trust has renovated the temple, constructed a sanctum sanctorum and is managing the shrine now. The sub-deities include brahmarakshas and serpent-gods.

Kuriyan Kavu Bhadrakaali Temple, Kottoor

This is not an ancient temple. It was built by the Potti family of Véngasséri. The age of the shrine is about 250 years. The tutelar deity of the illam is Bhadrakaali of Mannadi, Adoor. It is the same goddess that is being worshipped in Kuriyan Kavu. At an altitude of about 40m, this is the highest shrine of the village.

The Kuriyan Kavu Temple: Bhadrakaali (L), Bala Shasta (R). The tiny shrine of Ganapati is in the forefront. The small shrine of Yakshi and the Ilanji (ഇലഞ്ഞി) tree can be seen in the background

Around 1800 C.E., the servants and workers of the Vengasseri Pottis requested them to requested them to provide them with a place for worship. The Pottis allowed them to construct an open fane on a land away from the illam and gave them a sāļagram sila (fossilized shell) of Roudra-Bhadrakaali (apoplectic Bhadrakaali), transferring part of the chaithanya or ‘conscious divinity’ of the tutelar deity. Sacrifice of fowls (Guruthi) was a prominent ritual at the fane. All the rituals were being managed by the workers. As the number of worshippers dwindled and the fane faced the prospect of being abandoned, the Pottis took over, moved the idol to a new site on the same land and stopped all the crude rituals followed till then. It was converted in to a small family temple. The Pottis suspected the rage of the goddess was affecting the residents nearby and decided to reduce the impact by installing an idol of a young Shastha (Bāla-Shastha, ബാലശാസ്താവ്) right in front of her Sri Kovil. These idols now face each other in two small Sri Kovils separated by about 4ft.

Ganapathi, serpent gods, Brahmarakshas and Yakshi are the other deities. (The idol of Mundiyan retrieved from the remains of the Thirunelli temple and wrongly called ‘Malaya Moorthy’ was also kept here. It was removed recently).

The locals, having forgotten the actual meaning of the word ‘Kuriyan’, thought that ‘Kuriyan-Kavu’ was a misnomer! The temple committee somehow theorized that it must have been ‘Kuruthi-Kāman-Kāvu’ (കുരുതികാമന്‍കാവ്) and renamed the temple accordingly. Neither does the word ‘Kuruthikāman’ carry any logical meaning, nor is it connected with the area or the deities installed. In pure Malayalam, which was used till the 19^th century, ‘Kuriyan’ means heron (മുണ്ടി). It was the roosting place of herons and a number of other avians. The name Kuriyan-Kāvu literally means ‘Heron Clump’. Even now one can see large flocks of herons roosting in the neighbouring wetlands.

The temple was handed over to the Hindu Mission of Kerala, a private body, in the 1940’s on the condition that it would be returned to the illam if the Mission ceased to exist. The Mission wound up in the early 1950’s and after about two decades of neglect the locals formed a trust and managed to revive the temple. Dearth of trained priests has affected the functioning of the temple. A qualified engineer from Véngasséri illam is the pro tem priest.

Pattambalam, Mundiyappalli (പാട്ടമ്പലം, മുണ്ടിയപ്പള്ളി)

The Hindus of Mundiyappally and Kottoor are deeply attached to the Mahadeva temple; but most people in the village have never heard of Pattambalam. It cannot be called a temple, but it is a holy place all the same.

The Pattambalam is the place where the residents of Munidyappalli receive the procession from the Mahadeva temple to Kunnanthanam on the 5th day of the annual utsavam. The entourage of the deity of Mahadeva rests for a while at this place. The bimbam is taken off the elephant and kept in a shrine specially contructed for the purpose. There was no shrine of any deity.

Pattambalam: The shrine in the foreground is for keeping the bimbam. Behind, the shrine for Ganapathi constructed in June 2017 can be seen

A Nair family called Punthala (പുന്തല) owns the property and the shrine. They, together with another Nair family called Kondoor (കോണ്ടൂര്‍), have been responsible for the reception of the procession of the lord of the Kaviyoor temple. However, the local N.S.S. Karayogam manages it now. Recently, as per astrological deliberations, a shrine for Ganapathi was added. The installation ceremony was held on June 25, 2017. According to the astrologer Bhadrakali of Kallooppara pays a visit to Pattambalam to greet lord Mahadeva as the procession halts there.

Normally, Pattambalam is the place where Kalamezhuthum Pattum (കളമെഴുത്തും പാട്ടും), a special ritual (discussed earlier) is performed. As already stated, such rituals are performed only in Ayyappa or Bhadrakali temples. Unfortunately, none living in the area recalls having ever seen or heard of any such ritual being performed at Pattambalam. Obviously an interesting cultural and religious link with the past will forever remain enigmatic.

Bhadrakaali Temple, Njaalikandam

This is one of the oldest temples of Kaviyoor. The Neythalloor Brahmins of Njaalikandam, who had fled Kodungallur, are said to have established the temple.

The tutelar deity of the illam worshipped in their illam has been Bhagavathi of Kodungallur. Legend has it that centuries ago the chaitanya of the goddess was too mighty to be contained in the small prayer room - thevaarappura (തേവാരപ്പുര) - of their illam and therefore, part of the divinity was harnessed to another idol. A separate shrine was built for the idol about half-a-kilometre away from the illam. It is now known as the Bhagavathy temple of Njaalikandam.  As the illam became financially weak, it was handed over to a public trust of the locals. Only traditional tantric rituals are being performed here unlike the ceremonies at Kodungallur. ‘Padayaņi’, a ceremonial folk dance, is organized at the temple on Révathi (a Piscean asterism of Zeta and Eta stars) day in the Malayalam Era month of Makaram (Jan-Feb).

The temple is run with great fervour and becoming more popular among the villagers than the Kaviyoor Mahadeva temple for conducting marriages because of the facilities it offers and better services.

However, if the elders of the area are to be believed, sacrifice of fowls, atypical of Brahmin customs, was done here in ancient times. If this is true, the temple is older than the Neythalloor illam. The Brahmins of the illam might have taken over it, stopped the pagan rituals and started worshipping the idol as Bhadrakaali, after the village had become the fiefdom of the ancient Brahmins. (ref. conversion of pagan fanes under ‘Buddhism‘). 

Siva Temple of Thrikkalkudi Pāra, The Rock-cut Cave Temple (തൃക്കല്‍ക്കുടിപ്പാറ)

Some information has already been provided earlier about the temple. Thrikkalkudi Pāra (തൃക്കല്‍ക്കുടിപ്പാറ, often pronounced wrongly as തൃക്കക്കുടിപ്പാറ), located 1 km north of the Mahadeva temple, is a triad of huge rocks. The cave with a veranda and an inner room was carved out of the central rock by Jain monks for use as their shelter. Believed to have been used by Buddhists later, it was turned in to a Siva temple subsequently by Hindu kings/local Brahmins around C.E. 8^th century (more probably after C.E. 1200 during the reign of the local Brahmins) with exquisite carvings of Hindu deities. The settlement surrounding it was called Kalkudi (കല്‍ക്കുടി), kal=rock/boulder/stone/laterite, kudi=settlement/hamlet. 

Hinduism gave it a touch of divinity by adding the suffix ‘thiru’ (തിരു/തൃ). The rock was thenceforth called Thri-kal-kudi-pāra. (Pāra= a general word for rock). Within about half kilometre of the rock, both Christians and Hindus still retain the name ‘Kalkudi” for the pieces of land where they built their houses. In slang, Kalkudi got shortened to ‘Kakkudi’ (കക്കുടി), The cave temple, taken over by the Archeology department of the state, is in bad shape.

Shivaji Panicker (Kerala Council of Historical Research) in his treatise on cave temples of Kerala writes about the cave:

“………..the one at Kaviyur (later half of eighth century) is a well finished example, the reliefs of which show a mature plastic tradition. This Saivite cave comprises of a shrine with a linga, anardhamandpam and a pillared facade, all arranged axially facing the west. The floor of the cave is a few feet above the natural ground level and is approached by a flight of steps. The two pillars in the facade divide the breadth of the cave into three openings of an almost equal distance from one another. Walls of this spacious ardhamandapam contain reliefs of the donor or chieftain, a bearded rishi, a seated four armed Ganesa, and the dwarapalas. The style of these sculptures clearly shows an indubitable Pandyan influence. Sarkar points out the close resemblance between the dwarapala figure at Kaviyur and the one noticed at Sevelpatti and Tirumalapura, both in the Pandyan territory. Soundara Rajan also has the same opinion, and goes further to say that, "the examples of the central Kerala groups have strong Pandyan influence, except for two factors: the lingam is often of the arsha type with a tapering top and the pitha is of multiple cut stone masonry blocks and these distinctive features link them closely and directly with Pandyan country. There are the carvings of ascetic like figures on the side walls of the mandapam, the provision of a separate pedestal for the niche carving is however, original to Kaviyur." The majority of the cave temples of both southern and central Kerala are inspired by the Saivite movement like those of the Pandyan country. But there is at least one cave dedicated to Vishnu at Alagiapandipuram (Kanyakumari district)”.

There is a rare tree near the cave – Chāru/Chéru (ചാരു്/ചേരു്, Black Varnish Tree, Holigarna Arnottiana: http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Black%20Varnish%20Tree.html). Its sap causes intense itching and the rural folk’s remedy is a bath in warm water boiled with the bark of Thānni, also known as Adamaruthu (Bedda Nut Tree; Terminalia Bellerica). It is theorized now that the itching is caused by insects settled on its trunk.

[Note: The names of trees used by ancient Keralites seem to be different from what we are now using. Chāru (ചാരു്), according to the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 2, is Ebony (കരിവീട്ടി). It is obviously erroneous. It says the tree is called ‘Ācha Maram’ (ആച്ചമരം) in northern part of Malabar (and) Canara’. The Ācha tree could be Chāru, not Ebony. In Kaviyoor there is a plot of land by name Āchām Parambil (ആച്ചാംപറമ്പില്‍, ‘land with Ācha trees’). Such words must have been contributed to the vocabulary of the locals by the Pottis who came from North Malabar].

..... (Part 5 will be published soon)

******