Kozhikode to Trumanadhamkunnilamma, Angadipuram 65.7 Kms approx 1 hour journey.
Malappuram Dist, in Kerala, at Angadippiram
Architecture and culture
Primary deity : Shiva Thirumanthamkunnu Temple is a historically significant Hindu temple in Angadipuram, Malappuram district, Kerala state, South India.
The temple deity,Thirumandhamkunnilamma, was
the para devatha (official goddess) of the kings of Valluvanad, the local feudal kings ruled the area in the Middle ages.
The assassins (called Chavers) of
Valluvanad king set out from this temple to Thirunavaya, to participate in the famous Mamankam festival. A memorial structure called the chaver thara (“platform of the assassins”) can be
found in front of the main entrance of the Thirumanthamkunnu Temple.
The temple is also an important pilgrim center,
especially for the eleven-day long annual festival celebrated in March and April months of the Gregorian calendar.
The “principle deity” of temple is the Hindu god Shiva.
Other deities include godess Bhagavathi, locally called as Thirumandhamkunnilamma and the elephant god Ganesha, for whom the famous Marriage Offering (Mangalya puja) is performed.
Mangalya Puja, Rigveda Laksharchana, Chandattam and
Kalampattu are the important religious offerings of the Thirumanthamkunnu Temple.
There are ceremonies and rituals specific to this Hindu temple that are not carried out at others. The Thirumanthamkunnu Temple courtyards are
on a hilltop that provides a view of the countryside
spread out below.
Legend surrounding Thirumanthamkunnu
Temple
King Mandhata of Surya dynasty ruled his kingdom for long period. He then gave away the kingdom to
his successors and chose to meditate on Hindu god Shiva and attain the Shiva’s feets at the end. Shiva was pleased with his penance appeared before the
king Mandhata and offered him any boon at Mount Kailash. The king prayed to the lord for an idol to worship till his death.
Shiva gave him the most holly Shiva Lingam which was too dear to him and which used to be worshiped by Parvati and then the god disappeared. Carrying the Shiva Lingam on head King Mandhata started his downward journey from Mount Kailash and reached the hill now known as
“Thirumandhamkunnu” in Kerala.
A spring with crystal clear water flowed along the northern slop
of the hill. Many beautiful birds chirped in the
jungle. Wild animals like lion, tiger, and elephant roamed about in the wilderness in full harmony
forgetting their traditional enimity. Different kinds
of trees and plants grew in the region and gave out
sweet smell in to the atmosphere. The surrounding
attracted the king.
Feelings of idol on his head
heavy he placed it on the ground at immediately the Shiva Lingam got stuck in to the earth. Shiva had gifted the Shiva Lingam to the king when his consort Parvati was away for her bath. When Parvati turned up for worship the Shiva Lingam was not there. She got upset on enquiry she know that
it was presented to the King Mandhata, by her
husband. Being too much attached to it she wanted
the Shiva Lingam back. Shiva tolled her that he had
no objection in her trying to get it back. Parvati now offered Bhadrakali and a host of demons to rush up and get back the Shiva Lingam from the king. With the army of demons, Bhadrakali reached the northern slope of Thirumandha hill.
The brightness
emitted by the Shiva Lingam installed by king
Mandhata was so great that it dazzled the eyes of Bhadrakali and demons and they were unable to move up the hills. So they started throwing up the
weapons from the foot of the hill. The ascetic
attending on Mandhata were unarmed but tried to
defend themselves with whatever things they had.
These being insufficient to protect them they
plucked Attanga nuts from their creeper plants, which were available in plenty and threw them at
the enemy.
Because of the power of Shiva and the divine power of Mandhata the nuts got changed in
to arrows instantly. Bhadrakali and her demons
could not resist them the fight lasted for fifteen
days.
The age old custom of “Attangayeru” on first of
Thulam (The Malayalam month) on the new moon
day of the same month in the forenoon before
pantheerady pooja refers to the legendary fight
between mandhatha and kali. Expecting defeat Mahamaya took her viswaroopa.
She had an elephant in an ear and a lion in the
other as earring. Seeing this form the ascetics fell
down senseless. When mahamaya in this form
reached the hilltop mandhatha was also helpless.
He embraced the sivalinga kali tried to capture it by force. In this struggle that followed the linga got
split into two. In the “Jyothis” that arose from it
“THRIMOORTHIS” (Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) and
Parvathy appeared on the spot. Parvathy told Mandhatha this idol was very dear to
me. Still I do not want to take it away from you
against the wishes of my husband. Separation from
it is also difficult for me. So I will enter that linga and
remain here forever. My daughter kali is not
different from me. Actually she came here first. Let her also be installed near me facing north and have
all poojas and festival performed. So same parvathy
disappeared into the idol. This spot is the
“SREEMOOLASTHANAM”. The sivalinga here is still
split condition .Its position is below the “peedam”
and “Prabhamandalam” and can be seen only during the abhisheka before the ushapooja and
“Malarnivedia” to the deity. As ordered by Parvathy, Bhagavathy with
Sapthamathrukkal, Veerabhadran and Ganapaty
were installed facing north. This is called
“Mathrusala”. Pooram, Pattu and all such festivals
intended for this goddess. When Sree Parvathy appears infant Ganapathy was
also with her. This infant ganapathy also been
installed at sreemoolasthanam. Sree Parvathy appeared facing west. The
installations of Sivalinga at Sreemoolasthanam were
facing east. It was thus for necessary to have two
darshan openings one to the east and the other to
west. The family descendants of “Valluva Konathiri”
do not generally open the one on the west except for darshan. On either side of the doorway here are
two openings through which other worshippers
can have darshan of the deity. But in recent past the
restrictions has been modified. After each pooja the
door is keept open for some time for darshan of the
deity by devotees. Mandhatha spent many years at
thirumandhamkunnu in meditation and thapusu.
At last he knew it was time for him to leave this
world. He was thinking of entrusting the temple to
someone for perfect upkeep and maintenance
when two Brahmins came there. Mandhatha told them his desire gave them a Grandha containing
instructions on the performance of poojas and
entrusted the shrine to them. He then retired to the
jungle nearby now known as
“KUKSHIPPARAKKAD” and freed himself from this
world of mortals by his yogic powers. Bhakthas who go round this jungle paying homage pick out
a leaf from the growing plants and keep it in hair
with at most reverence. This area is still a protected
jungle. In the Devaprashna conducted in 1959 it
was observed that an idol of mandhatha should be
installed here and poojas, performed. The temple priests before pooja every Malayalam month. The
annual pooja on Chithra in midhunam on
Mandhatha is on special significance. Two Brahmins entrusted with the upkeep of
temple, one cleared the jungle around the idol and
hence came to be known as
“KATTILLAMUTTAM” .The other prepared pavilion
for prathishta and came to be known as
“PANTHALAKODE”. The thanthri of thirumandhamkunnu temple is still a descendent
from either of these families. The nair karyasthan
who was with them was given the title
“chathathumarar” and made the blower of holy
conch in the temple. The Namboodiri’s informed the
news to Vadakkara swaroopam raja that was subordinate chieftain of valluvanadu raja holding
the title mannarmala raja. He immediately rushed to
the spot (Seeing the over-lord of the hill the
goddess got up and paid homage to him. This
humility of Devi-the sustainer of three worlds-made
the raja blink in shame and) he prayed to the goddess to see him as a son. He then presented an
elephant to the goddess and worshipped her from
its rear, standing in its shadow. His descendants
also followed the same practice. Even now direct
darshan of thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy is not
permissible to mannarmala raja. The first Vallavaraja who took over the control of
the temple entrusted its upkeep and maintenance
to the local feudal lords “ETTUVEETIL ACHANS” and
made them trusty. Erukalikara nair was made
kavudaya nair. Sreemoolasthanam does not have a
roof, which is an evidence of it having been a kavu. The painting on the walls of the mathrusala throws
light to this legend. These paintings which are in
lying with the wall painting at suchindram,
Pundarikkapuram,vaikom and Guruvayoor were
executed in the year 1944.
Renjiveda's Ocean of Love - "renjiTham" 